Page 6 of Bad Luck Vampire

“Hmm. I suppose,” Megan acknowledged, still not looking impressed.

“So, Black Widow, have you told him about your curse?” Bobby asked suddenly.

Sophie cast a scowl at him. “I’m not cursed and stop calling me Black Widow.”

“Right.” Bobby nodded and then asked innocently, “How many boyfriends have died on you now? Is it three or four?”

“Two,” Sophie said shortly. “Only two died and they were accidents.”

“Is it really only two, though?” Bobby asked dubiously. “I mean, I know you were only engaged to be engaged to Andrew, and he is technically still alive in body, but he’s basically brain dead and on life support.”

Sophie let her breath out on a sigh, picked up her purse, and said quietly, “I’m not cursed. The fact that the three men I was engaged, or almost engaged, to were all in terrible accidents is just a coincidence.”

“Sweetheart, two is coincidence. Three is a curse,” Bobby said dryly.

Sophie just shook her head, slung her computer bag over her shoulder, grabbed her sweater off the back of her chair, and headed out of her office. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

“Wait!” Bobby shouted. Leaving Megan and Lise behind, he followed her out to reception. “Where is this wedding?”

When Sophie paused and turned back with irritation, he smiled apologetically and said, “You know I was just teasing you about the curse.”

“Yeah,” she said unhappily, relaxing a little. And it was true, she did know he was just teasing her. The problem was after losing her parents when she was young, and then one good friend, two fiancés, and one almost fiancé to accidents, well, she was starting to believe she was cursed, so his teasing was striking on a raw nerve.

“You should really let us know where you’re going to be, Sophie,” Bobby said solemnly. “Just in case. We’d at least know where to start looking if you disappear or something.”

Sophie smiled crookedly and said with light sarcasm, “That’s why I love you, Bobby, you always see the bright side of everything.”

“And you can always count on me to worry about you when no one else does,” Bobby pointed out.

“Yeah,” she breathed. Her sarcasm giving way to affection, Sophie walked back to give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Straightening away from him, she admitted, “I’m not sure where the wedding is. I didn’t think to ask. But I’m sure it’ll be fine. I’ll call if there’s any trouble,” she promised.

“You be sure to do that,” Bobby said sternly. “Fully charge your phone beforehand, and don’t forget it. Then text me the minute you know where you’re going,” he insisted. “If you have any issues at all you call me and I’ll come get you.”

“Thanks, Bobby,” Sophie said quietly, and gave his arm a squeeze before turning to head out of the building.

Two

“How are you doing? All right?” Tybo asked as he led her toward the tents set up at the back of the Shady Pines Golf Course. At least, that’s what Sophie thought Tybo had said the name of the place was where the wedding was to be held. She wasn’t completely sure that’s what he’d said, however. She’d been a little distracted at the time by the helicopter he’d been leading her to.

A helicopter, for heaven’s sake! When he’d said they were catching a ride with the groom, Valerian, she’d thought he’d meant in a limo or something. Not a helicopter. Sophie had never ridden in one before. She wasn’t certain she really wanted to do it again either. They were noisy and... not planes.

Realizing that she hadn’t answered his question and that Tybo had slowed to eye her with concern, she managed a smile and said, “I’m good.” She then blurted, “That was my first ride in a helicopter.”

“I never would have guessed,” he assured her, expression solemn, but eyes twinkling.

Sophie just snorted at the obvious lie as he picked up his pace again and escorted her into the crowd of guests around the tents behind what she guessed was the golf course’s clubhouse. There were two tents, one filled with rows of seats separated by an aisle leading up to a large dais where she suspected the wedding ceremony was to take place, and another, larger tent filled with tables and chairs around what appeared to be a large dance floor. Sophie didn’t notice much more than that about the tents, though, she was too distracted looking at all the people milling around.

Dear God, it was like she’d stepped into a magazine shoot or something. Damned near every person present was gorgeous, young, and dressed to the nines.

Sophie glanced down at her own dress now. She hadn’t been sure what to wear to an early evening fall wedding. In the end she’d decided on a navy A-line dress with a fitted top, short sleeves, and round neck, that had midsized pale pink flowers along the bottom of the skirt that then darkened as they went up until the fitted top was a pure dark navy blue. Much to her relief, she hadn’t either underdressed or overdressed for the occasion and should fit in just fine with the other women in attendance. She hoped.

“You look perfect.”

Sophie glanced to Tybo with surprise at the quiet compliment, and then smiled faintly and relaxed.

“As the best man I have a couple things to do before the wedding,” he told her apologetically. “But I’ve arranged for some friends, Marguerite and Julius Notte, to look out for you before and during the ceremony.”

“Of course,” Sophie murmured as if that were to be expected, which she supposed it should have been. She’d known Tybo was the best man. She should have realized that would mean she’d be on her own not just during, but before the ceremony. But honestly, that hadn’t occurred to her at all. She’d thought he’d at least spend some time with her before the ceremony started.

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