"I'll talk to the DJ," Gregori offered. "Phineas, why don't you escort the ladies to a booth?"
"Sure. Ladies?" Phineas led them across the dance floor to a red velvet booth, with the Secret Service men following close behind.
"Hi, Gregori!" Two Vamp women waved at him from a table close to the DJ.
He waved back. They looked familiar. He'd probably danced with them before. The blond one was Prudence? Prunella? He'd called her Pru. "Hi, ladies. You're looking lovely tonight," he said on his way to the DJ.
They giggled.
"Hey, Gregori!" The DJ shook his hand.
"How about some real music?" Gregori asked, slipping a fifty-dollar bill on the counter. "And some lights. The whole show."
"You got it, dude." The DJ punched some buttons.
The house lights grew dim, the sparkly disco ball started spinning, and red and blue laser lights darted across the room. Fast-paced, thumping techno music filled the room.
The two Vamp girls jumped to their feet, clapping their hands. They lunged toward Gregori and latched onto his arms.
"I say, Gregori!" Pru said in a British accent. "Be a good sport and dance with us."
"Si," the other said with a Spanish accent. "You are so hhhhot!" She said her h sound as if she was coughing up phlegm.
"I'm sorry, but I'm with that party over there." He motioned with his head to the booth Phineas had chosen, and noticed that Abigail was watching him. Sheesh. Ten minutes ago she didn't want to look at him, but now she was eyeing him like a hawk.
"But that's hardly fair," Pru objected. "Those two girls have three men with them, and we don't have any."
"And we want you 'cause you are so hhhhot!"
"Sorry." He untangled himself from their grip. "Another time, all right?"
Pru stuck out her bottom lip. "That's what you said the last time."
He had? He strode across the dance floor to the bar.
"Hi, Gregori!" Two Vamp women seated at the bar grinned at him.
"Hi, ladies." He smiled back, then turned to the bartender. While he ordered drinks, the two women sidled up close to him.
"Want to drink with us again?" one of them asked. "We had so much fun last time."
When was that? He couldn't remember. Eighteen years had flown by since he'd become a vampire. What if his mother was right? What if he was taking eternity for granted and wasting his time? He'd been playing around for years. With so many women. He couldn't even remember these girls' names.
He'd always told himself he was doing the Vamp women a favor, keeping them entertained. But didn't they deserve a real friend who could remember their names?
This sort of thing had never worried him before, so why this sudden change of heart? He glanced at the booth and found Abigail still watching him. Shit. That was the problem. She was studying him like a newfound species. And he wasn't sure he liked what she was discovering about him.
"Sorry, another time." He grabbed the two martinis and headed toward the booth.
He set the drinks in front of the ladies. "They have just a few mortal drinks here. These are apple martinis."
"Wonderful!" Madison took a sip and smiled. "It's delicious! And I love the lights and music. Thank you."
"Would you like to dance?" Phineas asked.
"Oh yes!" Madison jumped up and strode onto the dance floor with Phineas.
Pru and her friend joined them, and then a dozen more Vamps moved onto the floor. Madison laughed and twirled around, clearly delighted to find herself surrounded by flashing lights and dancing vampires.
Gregori sighed with relief. At least one of the girls was happy now.
He turned back to Abigail, who was fiddling with the stem of her martini glass. "Would you care to dance?"
She shook her head. "No thank you."
"Is your drink all right? I can get you something nonalcoholic, if you prefer."
She glanced at him with a shy smile. "A Diet Coke would be nice. Thank you."
"Coming right up." He strode back to the bar, but more Vamps had arrived and he had to wait in line.
He glanced back at Abigail, sitting alone in the booth. She should be all right. If a male Vamp tried to make a pass at her, one of the Secret Service guys, standing nearby, would stop him.
She'd wrapped her shawl around her shoulders again to hide her br**sts. Her perfect, luscious br**sts.
He clenched his fists. Don't think about her br**sts. Or her legs. Or her pretty eyes. He couldn't afford to have his eyes turn red. It might scare the hell out of her.
"Gregori!" One of the girls at the bar latched on to his arm. "You came back for us!"
"I'm just getting drinks." He pulled his arm free, then glanced over at Abigail. What the hell? Pru and her friend were sliding into the booth next to Abigail.
Phineas was busy dancing with Madison so he hadn't noticed. Secret Service man Josh was talking on his cell phone, probably reporting to the president. Charles was watching carefully, but he didn't advance.
Why should he? Gregori thought. What harm could come from Abigail talking to a few female Vamps? Wasn't that the purpose of tonight's outing? To give Abigail a taste of the vampire world?
Unfortunately, he suspected that taste would be sour.
Chapter Eleven
"Hello, there. I'm Prunella Culpepper, but everyone calls me Pru."
Abigail turned to find two women behind her in the neighboring booth. One was fair and blond, the other a beautiful brunette. Both were smiling, their sharp canine teeth gleaming. Vampires. And if she wasn't mistaken, these were the same two women who had drooled all over Gregori at the DJ's station.
"I am Constanza Maria Hhhortencia," the brunette said, stressing the h in a way that made Abigail move back to keep from being spit on.
"Who are - " Constanza's brown eyes widened. "Santa Maria, you are hhhuman."
Pru leaned over the booth and sniffed. "By George, you're right! You can always smell 'em."
What the heck? Abigail glanced over at Gregori. He was in line at the bar, but he was watching her with a worried look. Charles was standing about ten feet away, watching her, too.
Constanza huffed and tossed her long black hair over her shoulder. "I can't believe Gregori would stoop so low."
"Precisely," Pru agreed. "He's never dated a mortal before. What could he possibly see in this chit?"
"Maybe she tastes good."
Pru sniffed again, then shook her head. "Type O. Dreadfully common, don't you know."
Abigail cleared her throat. "Excuse me?"
Pru winced. "Sorry, luv, but it simply makes no sense at all. Why would Gregori date a mortal when he has so many Vamp women eager to date him?"
"Hhhundreds of them," Constanza clarified. "They say hhe is excellent in the sack."
Abigail sat back. Gregori was a . . . playboy?
"I would sleep with hhim in a second," Constanza added.
"Any sensible woman would," Pru murmured. "Alas, I am still waiting my turn."
Constanza gasped. "I thought you already did it! I saw you kissing hhim on the dance floor two weeks ago."
Pru smiled with a dreamy look. "By George, that man can kiss. I haven't been kissed like that since 1762."
Abigail blinked. "You've been a vampire that long?"
Pru shook her head. "I was mortal then, don't you know. I was working in a tavern in Dover when a dashing young highwayman pulled me onto his lap and gave me a kiss that curled my toes. Then he asked me if I'd be his mistress."
Constanza grinned. "And you said yes?"
"Of course. Any sensible woman would."
"And then what happened?" Constanza asked.
"I became his assistant," Pru continued. "I dressed in knee breeches and hid my hair under a tricorne. We robbed coaches at night and had a jolly ole time of it."
Abigail scooted closer, thoroughly intrigued. It was like talking to a live historical figure. "Did you say, 'Stand and deliver?' "
Pru nodded. "Of course. Everything was just dandy until we stopped a coach that belonged to a vampire. He jumped my poor highwayman and fed off him till he was dead as a doornail."
Abigail gulped. Her gaze shifted to Gregori. Did he ever attack people like that? Surely not. He'd claimed last night that he and his friends were morally opposed to injuring mortals. And they were fighting the bad vampires in order to protect mortals.