Dead and Dateless Read Online Free Page A

couple of baby vamps.
    I know, right?
    Anyhow, I needed to think, which I couldn’t do while defending my career and/or social life and/or choice of outfit. I needed to figure out how I was going to get out of this mess. I needed to… plan .
    This might come as a shock seeing as how I’m such a successful businesswoman, but I’ve never been much for planning. I’m more of the fun-loving, spontaneous type.
    Translation: irresponsible.
    At least as far as my folks are concerned.
    While the very thought of coming up with a cold, hard, step-by-step actually makes me a little nauseated (which is saying a lot on account of the fact that an iron constitution goes with the whole born vamp persona), I knew it was going to take as much to get me through the next few hours, or days, or weeks—or however long it took to find out what the hell was going on and clear my name.
    And that’s what I had to do. While I didn’t know any specifics about the murder, I was firmly convinced (an arrest warrant and a police chase will do that to you) that the authorities felt certain I had killed someone. I had to prove them wrong.
    With my BlackBerry back at the office in my purse, I was going to have to rely on my gray matter to keep things straight.
    Number one: Find a safe place to sleep and regroup.
    My feet ached and my arms felt like cement (we’re talking two suitcases and a jam-packed cosmetics bag) as I rounded the house and headed for the back veranda. I’d just passed a potted palm when my heel snapped in two and I stumbled. My ankle twisted and I screamed and limped toward a nearby chaise loungue. Sinking onto the edge, I set my suitcases down and examined my ankle.
    Okay, so I looked at the heel of my Rossi first, but with just a few zzz s my ankle would be back to normal. My boot wouldn’t be so lucky.
    I eased off the expensive leather and wiggled my toes. The pain slowed to a dull thud and my other senses (which had been completely focused on the loss of my cherished acquisition) tuned in to my surroundings. My nostrils flared and I caught the faint but familiar scent of cherries jubilee.
    See, it’s like this. Each born vamp emits a scent that is uniquely his or her own. It’s distinguishable only to other born vamps and it’s always warm and sugary sweet. Thankfully, I was sitting downwind and so my folks couldn’t smell moi. At least I didn’t think so.
    We (born vamps) are also gifted with a special talent unique to each of us. Some vamps can mind link. Others have super extraordinary mind control abilities (think earth, wind, and fire—the elements, not the R & B group) that supersede the given dose of vamp whammy we all are dealt. My great uncle Martine could actually predict the near future. He’d made a fortune casino-hopping in Vegas and Atlantic City. As for me, I had a fantabulous nose for sniffing out designer pieces at department store prices. Hence my ultra fab Rossis.
    My ears prickled and my mother’s voice carried from somewhere inside the house.
    “Can you believe he’s doing this to me?”
    “It’s just an invitation to tea, dear,” I heard my father tell her. The rich scent of mint chocolate chip joined the cherries jubilee.
    “We’re vampires. We don’t drink tea.”
    “Jack’s intended doesn’t know we’re vampires. Neither do her parents. So tea makes sense.”
    “Don’t call her that. She isn’t his ‘intended.’ She’s his flavor of the week. You know how Jack is. He changes his mind faster than Lilliana changes her clothes. And speaking of my darling daughter, I’ve called the office twice and she isn’t answering.”
    Number two: Go back to office ASAP and turn on machine.
    I wasn’t sure how I was going to pull this off, but I knew it was of monumental importance. I’d scraped and clawed and killed myself over the past few months to make a name in the matchmaking business and I was right there. On the cusp of greatness.
    Or at least making the rent.
    I couldn’t fall