Daughter of Darkness (Kindred 1)

“How patriotic,” Ava said. “Drill, drill, drill.”

“Are you two related?” he asked, his questions always directed at me. I was still afraid to answer before Ava, however.

“Do we look like we’re related?” she fired back at him.

He shrugged. “You’re both beautiful,” he said.

Ava finally smiled. She glanced at me, an impish twinkle in her eyes. “We’re blood related,” she said.

“So, that’s like sisters, right?”

“Just like sisters,” she said, and we crossed the street.

“I can’t believe I ran into you,” he told me. “Ever since that night, I’ve been thinking about you.”

“Just thinking?” Ava asked him. She smiled as we headed for the restaurant. “Or did you fantasize?”

“Guilty,” he said.

She laughed and gave me another knowing look. What was it she was trying to tell me? She further surprised me by inviting him to join us at our table in the restaurant. After we ordered, she once again did most of the talking. Buddy tried to start a conversation only with me, but Ava interrupted frequently, finding out more about him and his family. He finally reacted.

“This is beginning to feel like a job interview for the CIA,” he told her, and looked to me.

“It’s been our experience more often than not that men lie to us,” I said. I saw how much that pleased Ava.

“Well… I’m Buddy Gilroy. I’m not all men,” he said with a little indignation. He looked from Ava to me. “Fact is, I’m getting vibes from you two that tell me you’re the ones speaking with forked tongues.”

Ava laughed, but I was sure he saw the truth in my face.

“Except for your name and that you are auditing a class or two here with your blood relation, I don’t know anything about you.”

“You know we like pepperoni on our pizza,” Ava said. “Don’t be in such a rush.”

He laughed and looked around.

“None of your friends show up?” Ava asked him.

“No.”

“Little white lie, Mr. Gilroy?”

“Huh?”

“When you said you were heading here,” Ava practically sang.

He looked from her to me and then back to her and laughed. “Am I that obvious?”

“Hopefully,” Ava said.

He shook his head, ate some pizza, and smiled warmly at me. I had a strong urge to tell him the truth, to tell him that my name wasn’t Diane, but with Ava right beside me, I kept my feelings under lock and key.

Ava excused herself, took her purse, and went to the ladies’ room.

“C’mon,” Buddy begged. “Who are you? Where do you live? When can I see you again? You and I had a great time that night. Don’t say you didn’t.”

“I’m not,” I said.

“So?”