North American Vampire Council & Past Calling (Hypernaturals 12 & 13)

Planning the Shoot

I am not sure how long we stood there. A man came in and saw us standing there, and stopped to look at us looking at the picture.

I did not look at him, but I heard him, and I smelled him, so I knew it was a man.

He came around to the side to see our faces, and in my peripheral vision, I saw a very bald head.

Vampires have really good peripheral vision. I saw his face go from a smile to blanching to out-and-out and literal jaw-dropping amazement.

I can relate. This seems to be the room for that.

"Morgan?" He asked with a note of something, kind of like anguish.

Morgan looked over. "Hi, Bob." She maintained her reverent voice. "I hope you do not mind me dropping in unannounced like this."

Bob stepped forward and took my wife into his arms, and I think he may have started tearing up. Smelled like it.

"I can't believe it's you!" 'Apparently Bob' said, and Morgan returned his embrace, wrapping him in her arms. They hugged and squeezed and said nothing for a while.

"Just FYI, if after all the crying and hugging, you two are going to talk, would you leave the sanctuary, please? Some of us are worshipping here?" I asked, not too rudely I thought.

Bob held Morgan's shoulders, and now I could see the tears. The nose knows.

"Hi, Bob." Morgan said again.

"Hi, Morgan. My god. You look fabulous. Incredible. Same as the day you caught me... Except for no dark circles under your eyes."

Bob studied her closely. A photographer's eye. "In fact... it is not possible." He said. He angled his head around to look at her face closely. Same thing as Sam I assume: Looking for surgery scars.

"It is possible, Bob. It's me. In the flesh. My flesh. No updates." Morgan told him.

Jessica went over to the pair of old friends having their moment and derailed it. "Hi, Bob. I'm Jessica. Morgan's sweet-ass lover. Did you take that picture?" she pointed at the Goddess.

Bob spent a moment unpacking that. "Err yes. Everything in here is mine. I'm sorry: Morgan's... lover?"

"One of them. The sweet ass one. Morgan is high maintenance, so we tag team her. I'll let you get back to your reunion but I need to know if you can make one like that one but of Morgan and me together? Naked. Goosebumps. Cool lighting. The whole thing? So real it's like we are there? My husband got hard just thinking about that idea." Jessica persisted.

Bob looked back and forth between Morgan and Jessica. Scanned Jessica's Parvati possibilities. Looked at her glossy back hair. Morgan long brown locks. Flicked a look at the picture, presumably the casual way the hair worked in it. I think he is composing the shot already despite the flood of other things going on right now. "Yes." He said at length.

"OK. Good. Whatever it costs. Carry on then." Jessica came back to me and said: "You are getting a very nice picture."

Bob was very confused by that entire exchange.

"Bob? A few things have changed since I was here and a Cop. Come here. Let me introduce you. This is Adrian. He is my partner in all things. Including, as Jessica has implied, Jessica. We are family. You know me: Breaking the rules again."

I shook Bob's hand, and he looked me over. "Hello, Adrian. Nice to meet you."

"Same Bob. I am truly honored to meet the man that took that picture. You, sir, are an artist."