"How about this?" Alexander said. "Stormy's my sister, and I'll bring her here. And since you are my girlfriend, you'll be coming with us. Luna will see her in due time. I want you and Stormy to get a chance to hang out. And I know Stormy will want that as well."
"Thank you!" I flung my arms around Alexander. I wanted to be a part of his family, and I didn't want anyone to come between us - especially someone as wicked as Luna Maxwell.
For the rest of the night I was buzzing. When I wasn't dancing with Alexander, I was hanging with Becky and my vampire ghoul friends. It was interesting to see Luna and Romeo together, whether it was for spite or if she truly found him irresistible. Sebastian seemed to be in heaven dancing with Onyx, and I was happy to find him having such a good time.
Jagger finally came up from his office downstairs and noticed Sebastian and Onyx on the dance floor together. His ashen face flushed as blood-red as the dyed tips of his white hair. Jagger immediately stormed over to Sebastian and wedged himself between the two.
"What's up, dude?" Sebastian asked, surprised.
"Can't find your own date, dude?" Jagger charged.
Sebastian wasn't deterred. He wasn't a menacing figure, but he wasn't one to be pushed around, either.
"Yes I can, and she's right here," he replied, continuing to dance.
"I can have you removed from the club," Jagger said, snapping his black-fingernailed fingers, "like that." The tension was mounting, and I worried it was going to break out into a fight.
Scarlet must have overheard the commotion because she bravely stepped in.
"I think Onyx can choose for herself," she said to Jagger defiantly.
Onyx looked at all of us and got flustered. For a moment she stood speechless, then fled the dance floor.
Scarlet hurried after her. Alexander came to Sebastian's side and pulled him away from Jagger and off toward the bar, diffusing the tension between the two vampires.
Jagger put his hands on his hips, shook his head, then disappeared the other way. I grabbed Becky and we found Scarlet and Onyx talking in the restroom.
"I'm not sure what to do," Onyx said, patting her face with a paper towel. "I really like Jagger." There was only one mirror on the wall for the mortal attendees. The vampire girls were standing on the other side of the room so as not to raise suspicions about any absent reflections.
"But I think Sebastian is cool, too. I love his dreadlocks," Onyx continued, "and he is so laid back and kind where Jagger seems..."
"Dangerous?" I prompted.
"Yes." Onyx turned to me, surprised by my answer.
"He is," I said. But wasn't that why Jagger was appealing? He did ooze sex appeal and power, and that tinge of danger was just the right kind of edginess that made him attractive.
"But Sebastian is so fun," Onyx went on. "He's really sweet, and I like that he loves to just hang out."
"Yes, Matt is really laid back, too," Becky said. "That makes it really nice."
I thought about Alexander, who was so exciting to be with, too, no matter what we did.
"Well, I love the danger," Scarlet chimed in. "Trevor seems so clean cut, but he does have this dark edge. He's so conservative, but it's really like he should be wearing chains and studded earrings."
"So you like his dark side?" Becky asked. "I don't like that side of him."
But I knew what Scarlet was referring to. She found the side of Trevor that was conniving and menacing attractive.
"Yes," Scarlet wailed. "And that he is mega-hot!" They all giggled, but I rolled my eyes.
"That's why I'm confused," Onyx said. "I like that Sebastian is spontaneous, but I also like that Jagger is so headstrong and focused on his clubs. It's really sexy."
"Matt is passionate about soccer. It is really cool to date someone who has a passion. I can see why you like that in Jagger," Becky said.
Alexander was passionate about his art. It was one of the traits that made him so alluring. I agreed that their interests did make our guys that much more dreamy.
"Well, Trevor is passionate, too." Scarlet paused and looked to me. I wasn't sure what she was going to say next, but I sensed she was referring to me. "Soccer, too," she eventually said. "Trevor has so many layers to him."
Yes, I thought. You peel back the layers of a jerk and find a bigger jerk.
Everything just felt right with Alexander. I could make a list of the things I liked about him, but there was something deeper to it that I couldn't quite put into words but that let me know he was the one. Our relationship just felt like heaven.
"You don't have to make a decision this minute," Scarlet said. "For now, we'll dance together."
"Yes, let them fight for you," Becky said like an old pro in the romantic game. "It canon.e. "I be very exciting." d
Chapter 4 Shopping for a Ghoul
The following evening, Alexander and I were making our way down the attic stairs of the Mansion when we saw Jameson entering one of the vacant bedrooms on the second floor.
"Just getting it ready for Miss Athena's arrival," Alexander's butler said.
I was thrilled that the time was getting closer for Stormy to arrive in Dullsville. But the bedroom that Jameson was readying was bare except for a small dresser, making it feel cold and lonely. It didn't look comforting for a younger sibling to inhabit, and I was wondering how Stormy would feel about staying in it.
"We should really do something about this room," Alexander said to Jameson. "Don't you think?"
"Yes, it needs a feminine touch," Jameson said. Both Romanians looked to me.
"Really?" I asked, excited for a chance to decorate more of the Mansion. "I'd love to!
"So ... what does she like?" I imagined all the things we'd need as I sized up the room. "We could buy rugs, curtains, and maybe a cool chair?"
"She's just visiting, not moving in," Alexander said.
"Oh yeah..." I said, realizing I was getting ahead of myself.
"But no - you're right," he added. "I don't want her running back to my parents saying she didn't like it here."
"So what are her favorite things?" I asked.
"I don't know." Then my boyfriend thought for a moment. He noticed my Hello Batty earrings. "She loves Hello Batty."
"Oh, cool!"
"You have something in common already," he said, tenderly patting my arm.
"We also have you," I said, flashing him a warm smile.