The Vampire's Assistant

Chapter Ten

The next day, just before sunset, the switch flipped again and a low, steady hum buzzed in the back of my mind. It was quiet and not overpowering, but it was distinctly happy. I had just left my parents' house after taking the afternoon to enjoy a rare visit. They were happy I was doing well at my job but I made no mention, and they didn't ask, about how things were with my vampire boss. They pressed me to stay with them while I was in town, but I wasn't eager to pass up the luxurious accommodations Eric had provided in exchange for my childhood bedroom where I would be doing my own cooking, cleaning, and laundry. They understood and were even a bit impressed that I worked for a company that took such good care of me. I didn't explain that it probably wasn't so much the company as it was Eric doing the caring.

En route to the hotel, the happy hum turned sour and a few minutes later my cell rang. "Abby," Eric's voice was abrupt when I answered the phone. "I've got to go back to Shreveport tonight."

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing you need to worry about. Pam is coming as well but I need you to stay here and take care of things."

I gulped. "Things" meant the business of opening a vampire nightclub. While I had lots of ideas for the bar, I certainly didn't feel confident enough to be handling the startup alone. "How long will you be gone?"

"I don't know yet. It's hard to tell." I could tell by more than just his tone that he was angry. But his voice softened as he said, "I'm sorry about this, Abby."

"No worries," I answered as confidently as I could. "I'll call if I run into any problems."

Eric was silent a moment. "I was looking forward to seeing you tonight."

I smiled. "I believe I had some words to eat?" He laughed and I could feel his warm, playful amusement. It made me happy to have lightened his mood, if only temporarily.

"In due time."

"It seems rather convenient that you have to leave town so suddenly," I teased. "Am I that intimidating?"

A growl reverberated through the phone, but it wasn't ferocious. "You're in for a rude awakening when I get back."

"I'm trembling."

Eric chuckled, but the next minute he was all business again. "I'm leaving some things in your room. Call if you have any questions. If you can't reach me, call Pam."

I frowned, worry seeding itself in my stomach. For once, I wished I did know a little more about the vampire community and Eric's role in it. "Be careful," I said concisely, uncomfortable with the new feeling.

"Always," and the call ended.

When I got to my room, there was a box of papers, binders, and files waiting for me on the desk. Its sheer size was daunting and as I flung my coat and purse on my bed, anxiety flooded my system. Seemingly in response, I felt a foreign wave of soothing calm wash over me. Although it was helpful, I wished I understood more about this strange connection between Eric and I, how it worked, and how long it would last.

Perusing all the paperwork made me feel a little better about the task ahead of me. Eric already had many things arranged, or at least in the process of being arranged. The budget was clearly laid out in a handy spreadsheet. He'd left the name of the contractor who'd be doing work on the building, and contact information for all the vendor reps. He'd already chosen a staffing agency to help bring in vampire-friendly employees and a graphic design firm to redo the logo and produce flyers and ads. Most of my work would be to make contact and set up contracts with these companies.

Over the next week, that's what I did. I threw myself into the job, keeping a pace that wouldn't allow me to dwell on the weight of the responsibility laid on my shoulders. It also allowed me to ignore Eric's silence. I hadn't heard from him since the night he left New Orleans and I could barely sense the quiet hum that was his presence in my mind. I couldn't decide whether I was grateful for that or not. While it was easy not to worry when I was occupied with meetings and planning details, those thoughts weren't so easy to ignore when I laid my head on my pillow at night.