Love Lessons

Grinning at her pointed nickname table turning, he replied, “I deliver snack foods to local retailers. Be nice to me and I’ll hook you up with a case of those cream-filled chocolate cupcakes.”

“Vampires don’t eat cream-filled chocolate cupcakes,” she responded, trying to match his silliness.

“Then be real nice to me and I’ll scare you up some blood-filled ones.”

She laughed. She liked Bob, even if he did seem a little…odd. At least he wasn’t treating her as if she were planning something evil and dastardly for Mike, she thought with a glance across the room to where Laurie had already descended on him.

“Mike, this is my new friend Erin,” Laurie said brightly, drawing forward a blushing blonde in a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader costume. “The one I told you about.”

Mike managed to politely acknowledge the introduction while giving his sister a chiding look at the same time. Laurie was actually still trying to fix him up, even though he was here with Catherine? “Good to meet you, Erin.”

“You, too, Mike.” Despite the impressive cleavage revealed by her costume, she looked younger than twenty-four. She gazed up at him through heavily darkened eyelashes and gave him a smile that was probably intended to look sweetly shy—but didn’t quite. “Laurie’s been telling me all about you.”

“Has she?” He wondered if his sister had mentioned that he’d been seeing someone.

Erin nodded. “She said you’re into hiking and kayaking. I spent a week last summer kayaking and camping out with friends in Vancouver.”

“Really? That must have been great.”

“It was awesome. I took a lot of pictures. Maybe you’d like to see them sometime?”

“Um, have you met my friend Brandon?” He tugged his very willing friend closer and made the introductions.

Laurie glared at him, though her voice was still almost chirpy when she said, “I thought you could tell Erin about the best places to kayak around here, Mike. Didn’t you say this is the best time of year to go?”

He was saved from having to answer when Bob returned from the dance floor with Catherine. He reached out quickly to draw her to his side. “Looks like you survived your dance with this crazy man.”

Catherine’s smile was only a bit strained as she glanced from Laurie to Erin and back to Mike. “Bob offered to give me a case of blood-filled cupcakes.”

Looping an arm around her shoulders, Mike scowled darkly at Bob. “Trying to bribe her away from me, Sharp?”

His friend grinned unrepentantly, apparently enjoying the undercurrents of tension. “If I thought that would work, I’d offer her a whole truckload of goodies.”

Mike watched as Erin appraised the situation and then turned to Brandon with a bright smile. “Tell me, Brandon, do you like kayaking?”

Giving Mike a nod of gratitude, Brandon escorted the bubbly cheerleader onto the dance floor, much to Mike’s relief and Laurie’s dissatisfaction.

Chapter Nine

Catherine had no intention of being alone with Laurie that evening, but fate apparently had other plans. They ended up in the ladies’ room at the same time, both poised in front of the mirror with tubes of lipstick in their hands.

Feeling the need to say something gracious, Catherine capped her lipstick. “Your party is very nice, Laurie. Everyone seems to be having a good time.”

“Thank you.” Tucking her tube of glittery gloss

into her belt, Laurie turned to face her. “Nice costume. You and Mike obviously coordinated your outfits. His idea?”

“Actually, no. It’s just coincidence that we both ended up in black and purple.”

“Great minds, hmm?”

“I suppose so.”

“My little brother seems to be quite taken with you.”

Little brother. Definitely a message embedded there. Because Catherine couldn’t think of anything to say in response, she let it go. “I’d better get back out. He’s waiting for another dance.”

“You know, as many women as Mike has dated, I’m not sure he’s ever gone out with a scientist before.”