Balance Beam

Since the first date had went so well, Bram and I hung out every night for the next week. We went out to dinner a lot, but I cooked for him a few nights. One evening we went out to the movies. Another night, him and I went out to the bar with his roommate, Quinn.

Quinn and I got along very well. He was always cracking jokes and was sarcastic in a little brother type of way. Despite being funny, he was super sweet. To say that he was perfect for Janis would be an understatement. I knew that she would find him attractive, he was very easy on the eyes like his best friend. However, unlike his best friend, he wasn’t as uptight and didn’t mind disappointing their boss, Lucinda.

There was one thing that Bram kept mentioning the entire week: He needs to get an interview with Aroldo Veneratio. Like he said before, it was a far fetched assignment. Aroldo is the only vampire bar-owner in New York to have a bar strictly for vampires. Everyone else is opening their doors to humans, but Mr. Veneratio is keeping it old-fashioned, just like himself.

The weird thing is, I felt like Bram kept hinting it to me. It was almost like he was asking me to help him get that interview in a subtle way. Crazy, right? More than likely. There is no possible way that Bram Reid suspects that I, Giselle Giovanni, am a vampire. He doesn’t even have any evidence to link me to Aroldo Veneratio, anyway. I was just paranoid because I was trying extremely hard to keep my secret.

It was early Thursday evening and I was at Janis’. Her younger sister had left for work just as the sun went down, that being about an hour ago. We were hanging out tonight, more than likely going out. Tonight I was suppose to convince her that she wanted to meet Quinn and ask if she wanted to double date with us Saturday. Janis, however, was keeping the focus on Bram and I.

“Aroldo was practically drooling over you. I’m sure you could help the guy get the interview with him,” Janis smiled at me. We were sitting in her bathroom. She was doing her makeup while I sat on the side of the bathtub, sipping on a mixed drink.

I shook my head vigorously. “I can’t do that. You don’t get it Janis!”

My best friend stopped what she was doing, turning to face me with her hand on her hip. “Oh I get it alright. You’re just afraid that if you get Bram that interview, Aroldo will spill the beans about you being a vampire. What I don’t get, however, is why you don’t want Bram to know.”

I huffed loudly as I stared back at her. Janis knew why I did not want Bram to know the truth. I turn six hundred and thirty my next birthday and I was turned when I was only twenty-one years old. For hundreds of years I’ve been used to keeping quiet about my true identity and what I am. Old habits die hard, kids.

“Come on Ember,” Janis said, calling me by my middle name. “I could use a drink or ten.”

That was one of the things I loved about Janis Fletcher. She could totally bust your balls and know she did, but not rub it in your face. She says what she has to say, which is powerful even to make you sit and think. Then after she knows you thought briefly about what she said, she changes the subject.

I followed her out of the bathroom and headed towards the kitchen. After guzzling the rest of my drink, I discarded the cup into the sink. Grabbing my jacket off the chair, I threw it on and joined my best friend in the living room. She, too, had slipped on a coat and stepped into some shoes. I was surprised at this because Janis absolutely hated shoes. The girl would walk around barefooted in the pouring rain if she could.

As we left the townhouse, we contemplated where to go. The night was young and in reality, we could always hit up a few bars. Janis pointed at the first bar she saw and we slipped inside. She lead us to a booth that was near a flat-screen television. I’ve never been one to watch much TV, but Janis was the opposite. She loved it. Her favorite shows normally consisted of animals, or something with history. The bartender took our order and returned quickly with our drinks, a Jack and Coke for me and Janis had a Heineken.

“I don’t think Bram would have a problem with you being a vamp,” Janis said after taking a huge gulp from her bottle. I groaned and sipped my drink. Janis just smiled at me.

I sat my glass on the table and leaned forward. “This conversation is over. I will plead the fifth with any future questions involving Bram Reid and that damned interview,” I said. Janis chuckled at me and I couldn’t help but laugh as well.

“Alright, fine. It’s over for now,” Janis smirked before turning her attention to everyone else in the bar. “Check out the blonde cutie playing pool with his friend.”

I took another drink from my beverage and looked in the direction of the pool tables. At first my eyes fell upon a couple of average biker dudes and I almost frowned. Then I noticed that none of them were blonde, so I glanced at the only other table being played. By the time I saw them, they both had their backs turned. I kept staring until the blonde turned around. Fuck me, it was Quinn. My wide eyes quickly jetted to this brown-haired friend and I found myself hoping that it wasn’t Bram.

Not here. Not now. Especially not with my best friend with me.

The dark-haired guy turned around and if my complection could be even more pale, I would’ve looked dead. Bram and Quinn were in the same bar as us. It wasn’t small, but it wasn’t big enough to where we’d never run into each other. I darted my eyes away from them and finished the rest of my drink.

“Did I miss something?” Janis asked me as she finished off her beer. My eyes quickly darted back to them and I saw Quinn pointing at me. I shut my eyes and cursed inside my head.

“Giselle! Hey Giselle,” Quinn shouted from where he stood. My cheeks flushed pink as I took in that everyone was staring at me. Bram smiled in my direction and Janis had a smirk on her face.

“I didn’t know you knew them,” she said through gritted teeth. I groaned when I saw them walking toward us.

“It’s Bram and his roommate. Please don’t say anything Janis,” I begged. Janis nodded at me and flagged for the bartender to get us another round. Fuck.

The two of them came up to the booth and Janis greeted them, motioning for them to join us. Quinn sat next to her and I watched as she introduced herself, a smiled plastered on her face as she offered him her hand. I turned my attention to Bram, who had sat next to me. He offered me a smile and I returned it.

“Fancy seeing you here,” he took a swig of his beer. I chuckled and thanked the bartender as he gave Janis and I fresh drinks.

“I thought you said you were working this evening?” I arched an eyebrow as I took a sip of my mixed drink, this one being slightly stronger than the last one.

Bram groaned and took another gulp of his drink. “Aroldo is very hard to track down. No one knows where his bar or offices are located. Lucinda is going to be so pissed,” he mumbled before indulging in his drink. I’ve never seen him so discouraged.

“Dude,” Quinn said leaning on the table, “It’s not the end of the world. Lucinda will just have to wait. If he can’t be tracked down, then you can’t get the interview.”

Quinn and Bram started bickering amongst themselves. Apparently one cared too much about work while the other one didn’t. Janis looked over at me, mouthing for me to help out. I barely shook my head and mouthed no. She sent me a glare and mouthed that I should or she will. Of course, I panicked and shook my head no viciously.

“So what are you ladies getting into this evening?” Quinn asked us. His eyes were glued to Janis, who just smiled at him.

“We are going to help you get that interview,” she smirked as she crossed her arms, leaning on the table. I could not believe she went there. I finished off my current drink because I knew where this was going.

“That’s nice of you to offer to help, but no one can find him,” Bram said. Janis rolled her eyes and nodded her head towards me.

“Not everyone.”

Both, Bram and Quinn, had their eyes glued to me. They stared at me in disbelief. I couldn’t keep eye contact with them, so I looked down and told Janis if she was anyone other than my best friend, I’d rip her to fucking shreds. She only chuckled at me and kicked my shin under the table.

“You know where we can find Aroldo Veneratio?” Bram asked me. I could tell by his tone that he did not believe me. Who would? He was absolutely right, Aroldo could only be found if he wanted you to find him. He’s a vampire.

I found myself involuntarily nodding as I looked over in his direction. “In fact, I could probably get you that interview too,” I admitted.