Exton

Now we both have a baby.

I cradle Tomas in the crook of my arm and make "coochie-coochie" sounds at him. Across the table, Gareth is grinning till it looks like his head may split in half. I don't think the little guy would like it if I vamped out, so I keep my other face to myself. I tickle his toes instead and he kicks and laughs lustily.

Monty arrives with the trays, Alise close behind, and Patti a distant third. We get everything set up and then Alise sits back down. She smiles at me. "Look at you - the dreaded vampire, playing with a baby. If Hollywood could see this…."

"Yeah - my next movie would go through the floor. Not to mention my reputation as a bloodthirsty creature of the night."

We have laughs and smiles all around, and Gareth and Raina take turns telling me more about the speakeasy. Sounds like my kind of place, and an evening visit wouldn't require me to lose much "sleep". The others pitch in with ideas and suggestions, some quite perceptive, some ludicrous in the extreme, but all well-meant.