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when we get back to your apartment—
sorry you have to work, Ron. We thought we'd come to the restaurant and have a late dinner, then we can wait for you and go out for a drinkie, when you're through. How does that sound?"
    "Great," I muttered, pushing my chair back from the table.
"You all right?" Jonas asked. "Are we wearing you out?"
"No. I was just thinking about Jean-Claude. I was kinda hoping he'd drop by the restaurant tonight..."
"Oh."
"Well, if he does," Ted said, brightly. "We can all four go for a drinkie!"
    * * * *
Friday night is gala night at La Fortuna and always a big event. We had reservations for every table the entire evening. I had just managed to squeeze in a nine o'clock for Jonas and Ted when the phone rang.
"La Fortuna, Ron speaking," I sang out. "Can I help you?"
"Ron."
My heart quickened at the sound of his voice. "Jean-Claude."
"May I see you tonight?"
"Of course ... Uh, I'm working till ten, then we have to clean up. My brother and Ted have a nine o'clock reservation.
Would you like to join them?"
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My Vampire Lover
by J. P. Bowie
"No, thank you, but, I can drop by after you close, if that is all right with you?"
"Totally all right," I said, happy as a clam.
"Then, I will see you later."
"Looking forward to it." I put the phone down and did a little jig of joy, much to the amusement of the staff who pointed and giggled—bitches.
    The phone call had come earlier that night. That same insidious voice carrying the message of threat upon my life. I had escaped his assassins before, but it seemed he would not be content until I was dead. I shuddered at the steps I might be forced to take. To kill was not a part of my creed. My friend and mentor, Marcus, had shown me a gentler way, reminding me that to kill should only ever be used in extreme circumstances—as a last resort.
    If I could avoid the killers as I had before, it was all well and good, but a newfactor had been added to my need to be vigilant for any surprise attack—Ron. I could not, with good conscience, involve him in anything that could harm him. This was my battle, brought about by my own actions before I had met him. The proper thing to do was to protect him from these villains—and the only way I could safely do that was to break off our brief, but sweet, association.
    After just one more time in his arms...
* * * *
Nine o'clock, on the dot, Jonas and Ted were at the reception desk.
"Heliophobia," Ted said, smugly.
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My Vampire Lover
by J. P. Bowie
"He looked it up online," Jonas explained.
"Looked what up?" I asked, not getting it.
"Aversion to sunlight, silly," Ted said. "It's called heliophobia." "I thought anything ending in phobia meant a fear of something," I pointed out.
"Well, you'd be afraid of it too, if it was going to burn your skin, now, wouldn't you?"
"I suppose," I said, picking up two menus and leading them to their table. "Want something to drink?"
"Is Jean-Claude coming?" Jonas asked.
"Not until after closing. I asked him if he'd like to have dinner with you guys, but he said no."
"Ah, hah !" Ted exclaimed, narrowing his eyes at me. He does this whenever he feels he has something profound to say. "Refusing another meal. What does that tell you?"
    "That he has other plans for dinner?"
"Don't start with that vampire stuff again, Ted," Jonas complained, looking at his menu.
"You started it," Ted reminded him. "Well, anyway, we'll have a bottle of Chianti, thank you, Ron."
    For the last hour we were open, I was too busy to visit with them, which didn't seem to bother them at all—every time I looked over, they had their heads together, deep in conversation. How do guys who have been together for close to ten years still find things to say to one another, I wondered, not for the first time. And once again it brought that old feeling of wishing I could have that same kind of relationship. Ted would drive me up the wall, but it was 42
    My Vampire Lover
by J. P. Bowie
obvious my brother loved him—and that's all