Free Kiss Me When the Sun Goes Down by Lisa Olsen

can help you with that, if you like,” I offered.  “No pressure though.  I know it’s not really your thing.”
    “Running around in tactical gear, trying to uphold the law and save the human race?  That’s sorta my thing,” he quipped with a lopsided grin.  “Besides, I’m open to trying new things.”
    Since when?  What’d happened to the guy who hadn’t changed more than his hairstyle for the past three hundred years?  “I guess maybe we’ll have to get back to you after we figure out some logistics.  How’s that for a definite maybe?”  I turned to Kyle with a smile.
    “Sounds shiny.  Shoot me a text with your new number and I’ll give you the deets later.  I’d better run, there’s a set of percentile dice calling my name.”
    “Okay, later Kyle.  It was great seeing you again,” I said with genuine warmth as he made his way back to the gaming tables.  “I think you made a friend for life,” I added in a softer voice, once we were alone.
    “He seems like a nice guy.”
    “You know, he’d blow a gasket if he found out what you are.”
    “What we both are,” Bishop countered, and I conceded that point. 
    “True.  But especially you.  A member of a secret vampire Order?  He’d probably pee his pants if you showed him one of your guns.”
    “I’ll be sure to avoid that then,” he chuckled as we wandered through the tall racks of comic books on display. 
    “You don’t have to do the LARP thing if you don’t want to, you know.  It was never really my thing, I was too self conscious about dressing up in public.”
    “Really?  You seemed kind of into it, and you had that costume before.”
    “I know, I love cosplay. I just always felt weird running around town in it outside of Halloween.  That was the old Anja though.” 
    “And now you’re not self conscious anymore?”
    “It’s kind of hard to be self conscious about something like that after having an entire vampire nation looking to me to guide them into the future for the past year.” 
    “I can see how that would be a confidence booster,” he agreed.  “I’m willing to give it a shot, but I can’t guarantee it’ll be my cup of tea.” 
    “I think it could be fun every once in a while.  But it’s hard to commit to a once a week thing, you know?  It seems like I end up jetting off to England at the drop of a hat.” 
    “Hopefully those days are past us.  I’m not needed in Rome, and you’re not responsible for anyone but yourself anymore.”
    He meant Rob.  “Not personally, but I am responsible for all of the West, and that takes precedence over fighting off Cylons in Dolores Park.”  Even if I did think he’d look amazing dressed up like a colonial warrior.  Plus, besides his duties with the Order, there was something else to consider.  “And you never know if Carys...”
    Bishop cut me off before I could even complete the thought.  “I haven’t spoken to her in almost two months.  I’m done jumping through her hoops.”
    I wanted to believe that in the worst way!  “Still, maybe it’s not the best time to be planning an ongoing campaign together.”
    “Right, we’re taking it slow,” he nodded slowly, and I could tell I’d hurt him with my doubts.  But I wasn’t ready to sweep them under the table and pretend like they didn’t exist. 
    “Look, our future is incredibly up in the air right now, and that’s okay.  We’ll just take this one step at a time.”
    “One step at a time,” he agreed, picking up my hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it.  “As long as I’m stepping there beside you, I’m good with that.  But for now... maybe you’d better shake a leg if you want to look around.  We’ll have to leave pretty soon.”
    “Oh right, for our secret mission.”  I hoped he’d elaborate, but he did a good job of keeping mum while I browsed at the store.  There were a few things I wouldn’t have minded picking up, but I felt weird carrying them along