Chloe
“Wait,sothatmysterious client turned out to be a vampire, and he cursed you?” Julia was indignant. “I’m going to rip him to shreds!”
“He didn’t curse me!” Chloe explained quickly. “He was cursed, and when we shook hands, the curse activated and got me, too. It wasn’t his fault, really.”
“Okay, so a pause on the ripping to shreds, then,” Julia said, sounding more reasonable. “Especially since he bought the Sanguis Estate. That’s a massive commission.”
“Huge,” Chloe agreed, holding the phone to her ear as she carefully pinned together the cut pieces of fabric that would make a grey pencil dress. “I mean, usually I’d be more excited, but the curse thing has kind of taken over.”
“Yeah, I get that,” Julia was sympathetic. “Try not to worry too much. I know that’s asking a lot of you, but I hear Tilly really knows her stuff.”
“That’s what Jesse said,” Chloe admitted. “And she did seem good when she did the whole diagnosis thing. That was crazy; there were glowing rainbow ropes around us, just hanging in the air.”
“I’ve heard curse diagnosis is impressive,” Julia said. “So you shook hands with this Maxwell, and that’s all it took to set the curse off? That’s crazy!”
“Well, not exactly,” Chloe felt her cheeks flushing as she thought back to Tilly’s explanation. “Um, apparently, the curse was set off when Maxwell shook my hand because he had ‘lustful desire in his heart'. Apparently.”
Julia let a whooping giggle of excitement. “He wanted you so badly you got cursed! Damn girl, that’s kind of a compliment. I mean, a compliment with horrible side effects, but still!”
“It’s nothing, really.” Chloe would not admit how hearing those words had made her feel. “I mean, men sometimes like the way I look.”
“Of course they do,” Julia said stoutly. “You’re gorgeous. Like I always tell you. What’s he like, anyway? This Maxwell?”
“Um…” Chloe stalled, taking a pin from her mouth and sliding it expertly into the soft grey wool. “He’s tall and dresses nicely. He’s American, but I can’t quite place the accent. Maybe Southwest?”
“Forget the accent. Is he cute?” Julia was clearly pressing for details. “Did you look on him with lustful desire, too?”
Chloe thought about her strange dream with the shirtless Maxwell and the bathtub full of honey. Julia didn’t need to know about that. “I mean, he’s charming. I suppose he’s objectively good-looking,” she said, trying to sound neutral. “It’s not important, really.”
“Oh, you think he’s a dreamboat,” Julia teased. “'Objectively good-looking.’ Just admit it, he’s a hottie.”
“It doesn’t matter if I do!” Chloe protested. “I’ve had good-looking clients before; it doesn’t mean anything.”
“But he’s not a client anymore,” Julia pointed out. “The paperwork’s all done. Now you don’t have to be all professional; you can see him again.”
“I’ll have to see him again,” Chloe sighed. “Tilly says we’ll have to work on getting the ingredients for the ritual together. Something about how they have to be harvested by the curse-bearers.”
“Good!”
“Why good? I don’t have time to be finding frog’s brains and rat spleens; I’ve got work to do!”
“Good that you’ll be spending more time with the tall, handsome vampire who looked on you with lust,” Julia went on. “That’s definitely good!”
“I’m not interested in anything like that,” Chloe said quickly. “I’ve got too much going on with work. And even if I wanted to date, I’d hardly pick a vampire.”
“Why not? Your best friend is a shifter!”
“That’s different,” Chloe said, although she couldn’t think of a good reason why that was different. “Seriously, between viewings on that new development up in the hills this week, preparing case studies for the Small Business awards, and breaking this curse, I don’t have time for anything like that.”
“You should make time for a personal life,” Julia said. “You deserve it.”
“Pot. Kettle. Black.” Since Julia had become the guardian of her young niece and nephew, she had put dating firmly on the backburner.
“That’s fair,” Julia conceded. “Just promise me you’ll at least keep an open mind. After all, it sounds like he likes you.”
“Being attracted to someone doesn’t mean anything,” Chloe said. “It’s just chemicals reacting to visual stimulation. He doesn’t know me at all. We’ve got nothing in common.”
“Chemicals and visual stimulation?” Julia was affronted. “Girl, you need to read a few of my books. You don’t have a romantic bone in your body.”
“I don’t think reading about hard-bodied brooding cowboys and swooning milkmaids will help,” Chloe said, but she couldn’t help smiling.
“Might give you a few ideas,” Julia said slyly. “You never know.”
“Ow!” Chloe had managed to stick a pin right into her fingertip. Probably because she was distracted, thinking about that dream again.
“You okay?”
“Fine,” Chloe said. “Just managed to stick myself with a pin.” She stuck her finger in her mouth, sucking it and tried very hard not to let thoughts about sucking and a certain vampire distract her. “I’d better go. I’ve got a viewing on Golden Dawn; I don’t want to be late.”
“Just keep me updated, okay?”
“Of course,” Chloe said. “And give my love to the kids. Tell them I’ll come over soon, okay?”
“I’ll hold you to that!” Julia said. “Take care, okay?”
“And you.”
The call ended, and Chloe allowed herself a very long and deep sigh. She put aside the pinned dress and picked up the folder full of detailed information and shiny brochures about the little cottage on Golden Dawn Avenue. It was taking entirely too long to find a new tenant. She just hoped this couple would be interested.