Free Miss Me When the Sun Goes Down by Lisa Olsen Page A

the last time I’d worn it in England. 
    Despite M om’s easy acceptance of the new dinnertime, I still felt awful when I rolled up to the door well after dark.  The moment I opened the door, the heavy odor of cooking food hit me like a wall.  Normally the flavorful scent of the turkey and all the trimmings would have me drooling, but now it was akin to the greasy smell you get from a deep fryer, cloying and vaguely nauseating.  Sometimes it sucks being a vampire. 
    Unfortunately, the door was as far as I got, as the unseen barrier reminded me I hadn’t been invited in since turning into a vampire.  “Mom?” I called out, craning my neck to see if she was in the living room.
    “Is that you, Anja?  Stop fussing by the front door and come in, you’re letting out all the heat.”  Permission given, my foot passed over the threshold, and I took my last breath of fresh air before stepping into the overheated house. 
    “I’m sorry I’m late,” I added, letting myself in to hang my jacket up in the hall closet.  “Holiday traffic was blecchy . I should’ve left earlier.”
    “It’s alright, your sister ’s running late as well,” my mother called out, and I followed the sound of her voice into the kitchen.  Dressed to perfection in an ankle length skirt with a green silk blouse and pearls, you never would have guessed she’d been slaving in the kitchen all day.  June Cleaver would have been proud.  I could see the table already covered with food through the arch to the dining room, and she busied herself with whipping up an herby butter to go with the fresh baked rolls. 
    “She is?  I thought she was coming over early to help you cook?”  That was usually their thing.  I was more the guinea pig when it came to taste testing – that was the extent of my contribution to the holiday meal. 
    “Something came up, that’s all she said.  You look nice, dear,” she smiled, looking up at me for the first time.
    “Thanks, so do you,” I returned, wondering if I should take advantage of Hanna’s absence or wait for her to show before I launched into my reasons for dropping out of college.  “You know, there’s something I need to talk to you and Daddy about.  Where is he?”
    “He’s in his study, as usual.  Why don’t you go get him, tell him dinner’s on the table in five.”
    I should have known.  “Okay.  Is there anything I can help with?”
    “No, I’ve got it all under control.” 
    Of course she did.  That was my mother in a nutshell, controlled at all times.  “I’ll go get Daddy then.”  No sooner had I stepped into the hallway than the doorbell rang, bringing me up short.  Backtracking a few paces, I halted at the top of the short flight of stairs leading to the front door, the fan shaped window revealing the top of an all too familiar head.  “Oh no…”
    “Is that Hanna?” Mom called out.  “I thought they weren’t going to be here for another hour.”
    “No…”  The whole time I descended the stairs I recited a feverish plea to the gods to let it be someone else standing on the other side of the door, but there Jakob stood, larger than life, dressed in an elegant gray suit and topcoat.  “What are you doing here?” I hissed, stepping out beside him and pulling the door closed behind me.
    “I ’m embracing human customs.  Isn’t that what you asked for?” he beamed, too pleased with himself for his own good.  “You look lovely as always, petal.”
    “I didn’t mean here!  Those are my parents inside.”
    “Exactly the reason I’ve come. I know my duty.”
    “Your duty?”  Why did that make the hairs on the back of my head stand at attention?  What was he up to?
    “Anja?”  My father pulled the door out of my hand, his eyes settling expectantly on me with his best what the heck is going on look. 
    “Daddy, this is Jake . He’s my, um…”
    “Lover,” Jake supplied glibly, an easy smile on his face as if he’d remarked upon