Page 33 of Package Deal

Rolling her eyes at me, she went through a huge selection of earrings before finding a set with pale blue stones.

“I thought you liked green,” I said.

“Ljuba keeps telling me blue looks good on me. I guess it makes me look a little less dead inside.”

Something about the joke rubbed me the wrong way. Was she joking?

“Maybe slightly vampirical, in the everlasting beauty sense.”

She smiled at that. “That’s one way to put it.”

I leaned closer to her ear. “I’m serious. You’re a lot of fun to hang out with.” And since I was this close anyway, I kissed her shoulder.

“Laying it on thick, Snuggly Boo.”

I laughed at the reminder of the silly pet name she had picked for me. If this were what faking it felt like, I wouldn’t mind the real thing with Vera. She’d never agree to that, though. Would she?