“So, tell me more about this new roommate of yours,” Melanie asked, as Kayla was absentmindedly stabbing her salad with a fork.

The little café near the news station was relatively busy, but they were tucked away near the back, so it was quiet enough to have an uninterrupted conversation. The lunch crowd was milling about, people hurriedly downing their coffees and getting pastries to go.

“There’s not much to tell,” Kayla shrugged. “He just moved in, so I don’t know a lot about him.”

“Alright, but is he cute?” Melanie prodded.

Kayla didn’t know what to say. Thinking back on last night, the way Ezra only seemed to have eyes for her, and how comfortable talking with him had been, she was more confused than ever.

“He is, isn’t he?” Melanie exclaimed. “Look at you, you’re blushing!”

“That’s ridiculous,” Kayla argued, but Melanie wasn’t about to back down.

“This is just perfect! You need something or someone to distract you from Seth, or as he is now known, Shithead. So how hot is he, on a scale of one to ten? Wait, is that a sexist question? Never mind, tell me anyway,” Melanie gushed.

“Slow down, Mel,” Kayla warned. “I can’t get involved with Ezra, that’s just a disaster waiting to happen. We’re living together, for god’s sakes. I don’t want to make it awkward.”

“Who cares about awkward,” Melissa waved a hand. “You worry too much. This is about you having fun for once. You wasted way too many years on Shithead, start making up for lost time! Or do you think he’s not already moving on?” Melanie arched a brow.

The thought of Seth already having his eye on someone else was something that Kayla had avoided thinking about, and Melanie bringing it up definitely touched a sore spot. She had to suppress the urge to defend him to Melanie, like she was so used to doing.

“It’s only been a couple of days,” she muttered under her breath instead.

“Yeah, like that’s stopped him before,” Melanie rolled her eyes. “Remember when you went on that ‘break’ and then several of our friends saw him macking on some blonde at Rooney’s? That man has no shame and no consideration for anyone’s feelings,” Melanie huffed, slamming her cup of green tea down on the table a tad too forcefully.

“You’re right,” Kayla sighed. “I don’t even know why I liked him, let alone loved him.”

“Now that’s a true mystery, but never mind that. I’m not saying you have to get in a new relationship with anyone, just have some fun. Maybe ask that Ezra guy to join us for drinks after work…” Melanie wagged her brows at her.

“I don’t think he’d be interested in that…” Kayla tried to argue.

“Why? You said he just moved here. I bet he’d appreciate you involving him in things,” Melanie countered.

“Maybe when I know him a little better,” Kayla said, hoping to put this topic to rest.

She didn’t want to put Ezra in a weird position, and her asking him to drinks might sound like she’s angling for a date or something. And despite them being ‘betrothed’ she wasn’t ready to date him.

That makes about as much sense as square wheels, but I guess that’s my life now.

Besides, why would a vampire want to have drinks with a bunch of human strangers anyway? He probably had better things to do.

“You’re no fun,” Melanie commented, getting her wallet from her purse as they were done with their meals.

“Tell me something I don’t know,” Kayla grinned back at her.

* * *

Rooney’s was a cozy little place, somewhere between a pub and a bar, drawing in a crowd of young professionals. Kayla and Melanie, along with three of their coworkers were huddled around a table near one of the walls, drinks in hand, doing their best to unwind.

“I think Edgar should switch to decaf altogether,” Andy, another production assistant said, long fingers wrapped around a scotch glass. “That man is way too high-strung.”

Andy was young, his skinny frame and mop of unruly hair making him look even younger than he actually was. On either side of him were Lainey and Maura, a research assistant and a computer systems manager, respectively.

Lainey was short, with an elaborately colorful hairstyle that she offset with the clothing style of an aging Harvard professor. Maura on the other hand was statuesque and always immaculately put together, with a thin face and a fantastic set of cheekbones.

“I wouldn’t try telling him that,” Kayla replied. “Oh, and by the way, am I now officially the only one whose name he doesn’t remember?”

“He still calls me Andre,” Andy sighed.

“He hasn’t gotten mine wrong ever since I told him he was pronouncing ‘Qatar’ incorrectly,” Lainey said, sipping on a Cosmo. “But there’s always an echo of disdain in his voice when he speaks to me, so I don’t know if I should be happy I’m not ‘Lana’ anymore.”

“I don’t think he’s ever called me anything but Ms. Turner,” Maura shrugged. “Then again, I manage to pretty much avoid him on a daily basis.”

“Lucky,” Melanie commented. “I had to explain to him the difference between maroon and burgundy the other day. It was the most frustrating twenty minutes of my life.”

“You know, I’ve always wondered, is burgundy more brown or…” Kayla said, squinting as if she was really giving it a lot of thought.

“Oh, don’t you start,” Melanie warned. “I haven’t even finished my drink yet.”

“I’ll get the next round,” Andy said, downing what was left in his glass and heading for the bar.

“And I desperately need to pee,” Lainey announced, getting a nod from Maura.

“I’m with you, girl,” she replied, and the two women left the table.

“So, don’t be mad, but I kind of did something you probably didn’t want me to do,” Melanie said as soon as everyone had cleared out.

Alarm bells immediately started ringing in Kayla’s head at the giddiness in Melanie’s voice.

“Melanie,” she said firmly, fixing her friend with her gaze. “What did you do?”

“I swiped your phone when you were out getting Edgar’s coffee and I texted Ezra to meet us at Rooney’s. He should be here any minute,” Melanie replied, looking way too excited.

“Mel,” Kayla shook her head. “You shouldn’t have.”

“Well, I did, and it’s too late to back out,” she stated proudly.

Kayla started scanning the crowd, her heart suddenly beating out of her chest. Something about hanging out with Ezra outside of the apartment scared and excited her, and she didn’t know what to make of these feelings.

Her arrangement with Ezra was just too complicated, not to mention he was undead and only in town to stall complying with his Maker’s wishes. Yet all that aside, when she spotted him walking in the front door, she couldn’t deny she was happy to see him.

“That’s him,” she whispered, not even bothering to look Melanie’s way.

“Wait, that hunk who just came in the door is Ezra?” Melanie asked, clear surprise in her voice. “Well, damn. Now I know why you were blushing earlier.”

“Shh,” Kayla quickly said, as Ezra’s eyes snapped to their table, and a grin spread across his face.

“What? It’s not like he can hear us from all the way over there,” Melanie replied.

But Kayla wasn’t so sure.

This night is about to become more than I bargained for.