When I woke this evening, Rosanna was still asleep in her casket. I went upstairs first and she came up a half hour later. Rosanna told me that last night, after she and Bruce had sex, she sent him home. No sleepover. He wanted to spend the night and was somewhat frustrated when she didn’t allow it. He thinks she has something to hide, which she does, but he’d never imagine the truth, especially as Rosanna has never revealed her fangs to him. She had to work hard to assure him there wasn’t anyone else in the picture.

  She asked what I saw in his scribble and I told her about his background, his tattoo fetish, and his ex. “You’re not just a good time for him. He wants to be with you. But he also wants to check your phone to see what other guys you talk to.”

  “Eww.”

  “Yeah. Big eww.” If I’m being real, I didn’t tell her that just to protect her. I was also hoping to turn her off.

  “Don’t tell me any more. If there’s more. At least not yet. I’m not sure I want to hear the truth when things still aren’t serious.”

  Rosanna is much different from me in this respect. I think if someone told me they had scribbled Vance, I would want to hear every last detail before seeing him again.

  “Let’s change the subject. What should we do tonight?” Rosanna asked.

  “I don’t know. What do you wanna do?”

  “Um…We could get tattoos.”

  “For Bruce?” I asked, hoping not.

  “No, for us. We could get matching ones.”

  “I think that’s supposed to be bad luck. Like your friendship never lasts after you get matching tattoos.”

  “Well, then similar, but not exactly matching.”

  “Okay, like what?”

  “Something cute.”

  “Flowers? Like peonies for me and roses for you because of your name and all.”

  “Are those similar enough?”

  “Yeah, maybe not.”

  “Goldfish are cute. The fat ones with big bulgey eyes. They could be different colors.”

  “Or how about little pieces of sushi?”

  “I say ‘goldfish’ and you think sushi?”

  “No, like salmon nigiri and ikura, those ones with the little salmon eggs.”

  “Similar, but not exactly matching! That’s perfect, Orly! Could we put cute little smiley faces on them?”

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  “Sure, why not? You can’t ever be too kawaii. But you know, the tattoos probably won’t stick on us anyway. I mean, there’s no hard and fast rule. Darcy still has the tattoos she had as a mortal, but I think once you’re a vampire, they usually disappear, like our wounds would.”

  “So like temporary tattoos.”

  “Exactly.”

  “They’d still be fun to get. Do you know any tattoo artists?”

  “No. Do you?”

  “No. We could look on Instagram.”

  “I think you need an appointment.”

  “Yeah, for the best artists, I think you have to book months in advance.”

  “Oh. So back to square one. What are we gonna do tonight?”

  “We could go out to sushi.”

  And that’s how we wound up at a sushi bar where the chef served us plate after plate of sushi, including pieces that could have been used as models for the tattoos we imagined getting.

  I asked her if Bruce said anything about me. She said he only did after she asked him what he thought of her cousin. He said he guessed I was alright, was surprised I could hold my liquor, but said I was too young to read the room. She pressed him what he meant by this and he answered that I didn’t know when I wasn’t wanted. I told her I already knew he felt that way from his scribble. I then added that his scribble also told me that one time Bruce pissed in his own mouth while drunk but most of it ended up on his face.

  “Anyhow, are you excited for tomorrow night? Receiving our Cob?lcescu guests?”

  “I’m excited for the champagne, but I’m a little nervous.”

  “Why would you be nervous? You’re their imparateasa.”

  “I haven’t seen them since I was in Romania. Then I had a purpose because we were at war. I had to act in charge and fight and all that stuff.”

  “You weren’t acting, you were in charge and you won.”

  “Yeah maybe, but now, I don’t have any of that going on. They’re going to see that I’m just this girl who doesn’t have a life beyond hanging around the house getting drunk. It’s not very impressive.” (In said house, I also don’t know when I’m not wanted.)

  “Orly, you don’t need to impress anyone. But I know they’re going to be impressed anyway.”

  “We’ll see. Are you going to eat your other unagi?”

  “Go ahead.”

  “Arigatou.”

  “Orly, you know while they’re here I plan to go back to addressing you as Imparateasa.”

  “Yeah, I know. I remember our agreement. Do you think this really is just a visit or do you think they have some purpose for wanting to see me?”

  “They may want something. If they do, and if anyone can, you’re the one in the bloodline who can give it. But maybe not. They may just love their imparateasa. Your coven holds you in high regard you know. For winning the war and for not being Mirela.”

  “Here, try this kanpachi.”

  “Thanks. Oh, it’s good. Does eating sushi ever make you think of living in Tokyo?”

  “You mentioning it makes me think of it.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. Did I upset you?”

  “Not at all. I’ll always have fond memories from my years in Japan. It’s just that so many of them involve Mayuko and Berthold.”

  Rosanna touched my wrist.

  “I guess now I’m thinking I want to go back. I like it there, but I’d also like to see Konomi. I’d just hope it could be casual between the two of us and not have it to turn into a big thing between covens. You know what I mean?”

  “Defo.”

  My phone chimed. I picked it up and looked.

  Rosanna remarked, “Well, someone looks happy. Happier even than when she’s eating unagi.”

  I showed Rosanna my phone. “I miss your smile,” she read aloud.

  It was a text message from Vance. “How should I reply?”

  “Whatever you say, say it in a couple hours.”

  “Is saying he misses my smile flirtatious?”

  “What else could it be?”

  “Does he miss my smile or just my fangs? He’s vampire obsessed, remember?”

  “I see your point.”

  “Asking would sound like an accusation and would probably turn him off.”

  “Write back, ‘You’ll see my smile Friday.’”

  “Tell him that now?”

  “No. Still wait a couple hours. Unless you have read receipts on.”

  “No way. I don’t need people in my biznezz.” (I wrote it like that because I said it like that—biz-nezz.)

  “Look who’s all smiles. You’re so cute, Orly.”

  “I’m smiling cuz I’m gonna order more unagi.” Which wasn’t a lie, but it also wasn’t the only truth.

  Rosanna whispered, “Hide your fangs.”

  I waited patiently for my last plate of sushi for the night, smiling behind my lips and a little bit more in my heart.

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