Free Adventures of a Vegan Vamp: A Paranormal Cozy Mystery by Cate Lawley Page A

reversed our path from earlier, heading to the shop.
    “Who’s your date?” I asked. His face looked blank, so I clarified. “Your lunch date? A new girl or last night’s girl?”
    “Ah. Last night’s. I should get at least a few more dates out of her.”
    I tried not to look judgy, but it was hard when he’d basically said he’d get a few more shags out of her and then move on. That was what it sounded like, at least. Ick. On the other hand, I did ask.
    When we walked through the shop, the same girl was manning the register, and she didn’t look like she’d moved.
    In a quiet voice, I asked, “Don’t the employees restock or dust when there aren’t any customers?”
    Alex shrugged.
    “Wembley ratted you out. I know it’s your store.”
    “That doesn’t change my answer. I don’t know and don’t care. If the place starts to look bad, I have a word, but generally everything gets taken care of. Why nitpick? They’re paid a little over minimum wage and are mostly just kids. They do a decent job, so what do I care if they occasionally play on their phones when no one’s in the store?”
    “Huh. That’s not completely terrible reasoning.” It just never would have occurred to me. I looked around the store. He was right. It was basically tidy, and while I wouldn’t call it nicely merchandised, the hodgepodge mixture of items in the displays gave the place a kind of Halloween-flavored eclectic charm. “Actually, I think your lack of micromanaging might give the store some of its personality.”
    He gave me a knowing look then opened the door for me. He called out over his shoulder, “See you this afternoon, Mandy.”
    “Sure thing, Alex.” The door thudded shut on the last syllable.
    Alex unlocked the doors to my Jeep remotely, but he still came around and opened the door for me. The guy might be sleazy, but he could also be polite and charming.
    Once he climbed in, he said, “You going to tell me what the deal with the car is? Not to dis your choice, but I’m not sure I understand the abundance of excitement you’ve exhibited for it.”
    I wrinkled my nose. He was annoyingly right. “I don’t really know. Wembley thought I might have a really low-level precognition gift.”
    Alex barked out a laugh. “Wembley thinks everyone has a low-level precog gift. Anything less than mid-grade is hard to prove, and he’s desperate for the gift to still exist.”
    “What, it’s on the endangered gift list or something?”
    “Let’s just say I have my doubts about its existence. My point is, I wouldn’t put much stock in Wembley’s assertions where precog is concerned.” He grinned, but didn’t look at me—and if I had to guess, I’d say he was laughing at me. “Did you learn anything useful?”
    “That you’re a wizard, and that’s super spooky.”
    “Only to vamps.” His tone was wry, so no hot buttons there. Hm. Secretive yet not ashamed.
    “That some guy named Lemann is the CSO and Wembley is really suspicious of him—but no clue why.”
    “Sounds right.”
    “That there’s some religious question of bloodlines and origin between the assassins, the thieves, and the wizards—but it’s hush-hush and should not be mentioned for fear of pissing off the lot of you.”
    “Eh—that’s a little last century. But it’s never a bad idea to err on the side of caution with that one. But I asked if you learned anything useful .”
    “Hey—the little bits and pieces are useful when you consider I have zero context for the world I now live in.” The low-grade ache of hunger in my stomach that I’d tuned out all morning was ramping up.
    “Welcome to life as a Made.”
    My stomach cramped with hunger. “Um, I need a smoothie.”
    “What?”
    “You’re going to have to be late for you date, becuz I need uh ssake.”
    Alex started laughing. He tried halfheartedly to stop but then just busted out. “No problem.”
    I flipped down the vanity mirror. Two tiny fangs protruded from my mouth.