Sophie Morgan (Book 1): Relative Strangers (A Modern Vampire Story) Read Online Free PDF Page A

in the West Midlands after my university studies finished.
    The mandatory topics of conversation were ticked off while carefully avoiding anything which implied I was newly single and quite possibly vulnerable. The last thing I needed was some astute lothario taking advantage of my recent dumping, or that someone I actually quite liked thinking I was desperate. I was feeling very sorry for myself.
    No brothers or sisters. Very close to my Mum. Yes, she still lives in Wales. A few distant relations left - cousins and great aunties and the like. How did I find myself in Antwerp? Cheap weekend away with my friend. Yes, she is a Brummie, no I didn’t go to university with her, I know her from work and yes, she does like a good time, but don’t take that as she’ll do anything more than have a few cheeky drinks and a bit of harmless flirting.
    Apart from the few brief occasions that Tracy came over to put in her drinks order, I rarely saw her. She was far too busy enjoying the music, chatting to all and sundry. The pub entertainment was clearly holding her attention and he seemed to be reciprocating as when he went for a break at the end of this first set he happily lifted her drink out of her hand and took a sip.
    Kieran asked Sean if he could keep their drinks topped up and instructed him to deduct the tab from his money for the gig. After that, Tracy had no need to come to the bar at all and I didn’t see her for the rest of the evening. I hoped he wasn’t trying to get her too drunk, but I was confident I could keep an eye on her from the safety of my stool.
    I should have been annoyed at my friend ditching me, but it was pleasant talking to Mickey and I happily snatched moments of conversation with him as he worked. We shared ideas on places to visit during my trip and discussed our respective hometowns, which we discovered sounded very similar. Now and again we replaced chit chat with singing along to the music. By this time, I had learned that the singer was also Irish, but from Dublin, and that this was a regular venue for him on his local circuit. He generally played over the weekend so he would be there the following night too. By the way, that Tracy was figuratively hanging on every word, and literally hanging off him whenever he took a break, she’d be pleased to hear that.
    "So, do you think you’ll be back again tomorrow?" Mickey ventured.
    I looked over my shoulder at Tracy, pointing to a notice on the wall which read ‘Live Irish music tonight and Saturday’. She gestured back with a thumbs up.
    "Looks like it," I replied.
    His face lit up, which I could tell made him feel a little embarrassed. Heat crept across my cheeks at the unimaginable notion that maybe this guy actually liked me, me! I quickly gulped a swig from my pint glass, hoping that the floor would open up and swallow me whole so I wouldn’t have to think about what to say next.
    Instead of being eaten up by the floor, a woman with a cloud of white hair, dolloped in a loose bun on the top of her head, lunged at me and waved a Polaroid camera in my face. The flash went off before I had time to react and I was certain that all she’d have ended up with was my extremely startled grimace.
    Mickey laughed. "Looks like you’ll be on the wall of fame."
    "Huh?" I snorted.
    "That’s Maggie", he explained. "She owns the place. She does that sometimes, you know, takes snaps of some of the customers. She sticks them on that notice board." He gestured to a glass covered display board at the end of the bar. "She thinks it brings in customers if it looks like people have a good time in here. Right enough, I’ve seen people come in here every weekend trying to get on that wall."
    "I guess I should be flattered then."
    I wasn’t convinced about the appeal factor that an awkward looking Polaroid of me, which she was now in the process of pinning up, would have, but it wasn’t like I’d ever have to see her again. It seemed rude to make a fuss.
    Maggie,