So I'm a Vampire... Now What? - Book 2 (Original Version)

Chapter 3.4 Under New Management (Pt4)

My aim had become exceptionally good over the past year. I didn't play darts too often, but it always seemed to be one of the default games to play in any dive bar around the city. It was either throw darts or shoot some pool, but that depended on the condition of the pool table, and as we all know, not all pool table owners are created equal. The thing is, pool isn't that great for having passive-aggressive arguments.

"You know she left me to die, right? Beatrice?"

I threw my darts in quick succession as added punctuation. It was more dramatic that way. Each dart clustered around the bullseye, the needles buried deeper and deeper into the cork.

"But you didn't die," Natalie offered cautiously as she stepped in to retrieve the darts. The bar only allowed a set of three at a time; it avoided any stupid accidents caused by equally stupid drunks. Natalie continued: "You'd think she'd kinda know what she was doing, right?"

I looked around incredulously at the other guys as Natalie stepped up and threw her darts with more ease and less drama than I had.

"That's all you got?" I asked. "That woman is batshit fucking psycho. She's connected to just about everything bad that's happened to me. Most of it anyway. You know, she's the one who introduced me to blood, right? Fucked me right out of my mind, just like she knew it would, but she did it anyway because that's what she does."

The waitress had just come over with a new tray of beers, and paused dramatically as she tried to make sense of what was going on; there was a battle going on between her feet and her brain that was not going to end well if she didn't make up her mind soon."Do you guys want me to come back?"

I glanced at her and made eye contact. For some reason, Sebastien's grinning face flashed across my mind for a second, quickly replaced by Daemien's screaming face—

I pushed the thoughts away, and everything snapped into focus.

I reached with my mind... and felt the connection...

"You're going to ignore everything that you hear us talk about tonight," I said to the waitress, and her eyes were big and brown and so deep. "We're just a bunch of idiots having a good time."

The waitress blinked quickly, and then her body language shifted completely. She instantly got more relaxed, and a goofy but friendly smile lit up her face.

"You guys crack me up," she said and set out delivering the drinks. "Let me know if you need anything else, 'kay?"

There was absolute silence from the guys as they watched her leave, then as one, they turned to look at me, dumbfounded.

"Did you just Jedi mind-trick that chick?" Stanley asked.

"It's called glammering," Frankie spoke up just as I was about to open my mouth to say the same damn thing.

"What he said," I agreed.

"It's a mind control thing that we're all supposed to be able to do," Frankie continued, "but we have to be taught first."

"Which brings me back to my point!" I said triumphantly. "You. Know. About. Beatrice."

"Can you teach us how to do the mindtrick—"

"Glammering."

"Yeah, that. Can you teach us how?"

I shrugged. "I dunno," I admitted. "I've been trying for months, and that's actually the first time I've got it to work—"

(liar)

"... when I wanted it to," I finished lamely. I glared at them and shook my head. "Besides, I don't know if I want to teach you anything. You got such a hardon for Beatrice, let her teach you."