Demon Night

unaware he was supposed to be looking out for creatures like that.
    “You sound awful certain,” he said slowly.
    The street was empty.
    Of course it was. What had she come to, that she was scaring herself, imagining real vampires who weren’t there?
    There or not, paranoid or not—she didn’t want to wait around until one showed up.
    “I’m going to be late,” she said, and walked out from under his sharpening stare.
    He caught up with her an instant later, matched the rhythm of her steps. For a few seconds, there was only the beat of their feet in sync, the thudding of her heart in her ears. He must have been shortening his stride, but she wouldn’t have known it to look at him; it was as long and easy as his drawl.
    Finally, he said, “So I reckon there’s a story behind that certainty? I’d sure like to hear it, Miss Charlie.”
    And that was perhaps the most direct request she’d ever heard Ethan make. She tucked her chin down, pushed her hands into her pockets. It would only sound ridiculous. Stupid.
    Which made it safe to tell.
    She kicked a piece of gravel on the sidewalk, watched it rattle away before she said, “Well, about two months ago, I was working at the bar when a hush falls over the people in the restaurant.” It hadn’t been silent; Cole’s was never silent, but she had heard the quiet even over the music. “So I look up, and there’s a guy walking into the lounge. And he’s so incredible to look at that it’s like I’ve been kicked in the chest. Or just narrowly missed being hit by a car.”
    Ethan made a choking sound. His mouth was tight, but she thought he was holding back laughter. That was good—just Charlie, making up another story.
    The muscles knotted low in her back relaxed, and she fell into her tall-tale mode, the effortless rhythm of it. “It takes me a few seconds to realize that he’s got a chick with him. And even if I hadn’t seen their rings, it would have been obvious that they’re together together—but they don’t get a table.”
    “You looked for his ring?” Ethan paused at the edge of the curb, the traffic light washing the scar on his lip with pale green.
    Charlie would have expected a crooked nose to go along with that scar, but the lines of his face were strong and firm. And, like the rest of him, straight and long—not thin or wide, but just medium. Despite his height, there was nothing lanky about him, no awkward angles. He was in perfect proportion, even if all of the portions were oversized.
    “Well, yeah.” Was all of him oversized? She closed her eyes so she wouldn’t cast a measuring glance that way as she hit the crosswalk button. Then pressed it a few more times, though she knew it wouldn’t make it go any faster. “A guy looks like that, you check for one.”
    “And if he doesn’t have one?”
    “You look hard, then run away as fast as possible.” Even though Charlie was certain Ethan wasn’t attached, she’d double-checked for his. And she hadn’t run, but she’d known for a long time she wasn’t the highest note in the register.
    She stuffed her hands back into her pockets when the crosswalk signal finally changed. “Anyway, most couples come into the lounge, they get a table of their own—but these two belly up to the bar and start talking to me. And he’s got this lovely British accent.” She shook her head, still disbelieving her reaction. “It actually takes me a couple of minutes to say anything that doesn’t sound idiotic, because he’s so…so…”
    “Almighty beautiful that your sense tucks its tail between its legs, but it’s your tongue that runs away,” Ethan drawled, his smile the widest she’d yet seen, and she grinned in response.
    “Yes. He’s too pretty not to look at. But I’m trying not to stare, because I’m sure his wife gets enough of that. Luckily, that kicked-in-the-chest feeling went away after a few minutes, and she doesn’t seem to be offended. If anything, she seems to be laughing at him for it. It’s difficult to be certain, though, because every time she smiles or laughs she does this.” Charlie lifted her hand to cover her mouth.
    “Like a vampire hiding her fangs,” Ethan said.
    There wasn’t much teasing in his voice now, but Charlie tried to drum up a smile—this was supposed to be a joke. “Yeah. At the time I was thinking she might be shy, but she hadn’t seemed the shy type. So I thought maybe she used to have braces or funky teeth and hadn’t broken the