Chapter 52

Part 3: Just for Jess

The metallic ping of the airplane's seat belt warning broke me from a light doze as the transatlantic jet began its descent into Chicago. I rubbed my eyes and quickly stuffed my netbook and headset into my oversized purse, shoving that under my seat seconds before the flight attendant stopped to glare at me on her pass through the darkened first-class cabin.
The good part about traveling with other vampires was nobody in the compartment tried to open the window shades. The bad part was my investment team was made up of a bunch of workaholic immortals, and we'd continued discussing business through most of the flight. After my conference in London, I was exhausted, not to mention hungry. Even vampires have a hard time sneaking bagged blood onto an international flight, and feeding off the flight attendants was a no-no.
"Good night, Ms. Maitland," one of the attendants called as I left the plane.
"See you soon, Jessamy," added one of my colleagues, far too cheerfully.
I managed a wan reply to their goodbyes and maneuvered groggily through O'Hare. When someone wrapped an arm around my waist at the baggage carousel, I jumped and shrieked.
"Easy there, slick." Danette DuBois, one of my two best friends stood beside me with a wide grin on her lovely face.
"We didn't mean to startle you, Jess," said Ariana Stephanopoulos, the other member of our close-knit trio. She reached up and gave me a quick, warm hug - she's about six inches shorter than my five nine, and as cuddly as a stuffed animal. With long, dark hair and big blue eyes, she looked more like a college kid home for spring break than a hundred-year-old vampire - especially in jeans, cowboy boots and a pink shirt topped by a denim jacket. "Honey, are you okay? You look exhausted."
Ari is always trying to take care of everyone, but her concern made me smile. "I'm fine, kiddo. How goes the wedding planning?"
"Fabulous." Her small, generously rounded frame practically bounced with enthusiasm.
Her happiness was contagious, and I felt a little of my fatigue melt away. About a year ago, my shy little vampire friend had fallen in love with a big, butch werewolf named Jack. I'll admit, I had my reservations at first - our two species don't always mix very well, but after I'd seen the way he looked at her, my doubts evaporated. Ari was a lucky, lucky vamp.
"Yeah, and wait until you see the bridesmaids' gowns," Dani added with a roll of her pretty green eyes. Dani's Marilyn Monroe curves were displayed to perfect advantage in a snug black sweater dress and stilettos, with her long red curls tumbling to her waist. With me in my rumpled navy suit and no-nonsense blonde bob, the three of us couldn't have looked more disparate.
"Pink?" Pink was Ari's favorite color, but Dani flat-out hated it.
"Nope." Ari's eyes twinkled merrily. "Peacock blue sheaths. Perfect for all three of you." Jack's sister Dara, the third bridesmaid, was a brunette. Ari was probably right about the color suiting everyone.
"I can live with that." Of course I'd have worn gingham and ruffles if she'd really wanted me to, but it would be nice to wear something flattering. "Now all I want to do is go home and sleep for three days." Vampires have more endurance than humans, but even so, I was at the end of my rope.
"We've got the hotel limo here." Dani swiped my bag off the carousel even as Ari claimed my carry-on. "After you snooze for a while, we've got the private room at the spa booked for all day tomorrow."
"So you'll be all relaxed and beautified for your big charity auction tomorrow night." Ari beamed happily.
Dani and her two lovers owned and operated the Chicago Dark Tower - a brand-new goth-themed hotel that catered to a lot of immortals. They'd just opened last month, and I'd been meaning to check out the salon and spa. It would be nice to go to a place that really understood our unique needs.
"Sorry, girls, I'll have work to catch up on tomorrow." Did they really expect me not to have a hundred details to see to before the auction?
"We've got it covered." Dani waved one hand dismissively as they marched me out the door to the waiting limo. Darkness had not quite fallen, so we all moved very quickly to the vehicle. Despite our extra-strength sunblock, we could still get a nasty burn if we were outside for more than a minute or two. "Kaz and the hotel staff are on top of every detail of the auction itself, and Ty is personally handling the guests and donors."
Ty Cole, one of Dani's men, was a demon with a gift for organization and schmoozing, which was why I'd left the auction in his hands while I was gone. Kaz Elgin, the other member of their loving ménage, was a whiz at hotel and hospitality management. Much as I hated to admit it, everything was probably moving along just fine without me.
As soon as the limo started moving, Ari handed me a bag of blood from a small fridge beside the seat. I sank my fangs into it gratefully. I was a lucky vampire to have two such fabulous friends - even if I didn't get to spend much time with them now that they were both in committed relationships. I blinked surreptitiously as a tear pricked at my eyelids - I was thrilled for both of them, but I couldn't help feeling just a little left out. Since I'd given up on relationships back in the 1850s, I'd buried myself in my friends and my business and charity endeavors. Now my friends didn't need me anymore. Good thing there was always plenty of work to be done.