"I am home."
"You are? When did you get back?"
"I mean Antonio's home."
"I see." Disapproval was evident in those two brief words.
"It's not like that. We're getting married."
"Married! Oh, Vicki, do you think that's wise?"
"Please be happy for me, Bobbie. You're the only one I can share this with."
"But, hon, he's… I mean, well, I just don't see how you can make it work unless… "
"Unless what?"
"Never mind," Bobbie Sue said quickly. "The idea is too awful."
"I'm sorry you feel that way."
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. Vicki could almost see the wheels turning inside her friend's head.
"Bobbie?"
"You're not thinking of letting him… Oh, geez, Vicki, tell me you're not thinking of becoming what he is!"
"No, I'm not thinking about it."
"Oh, thank goodness, I was afraid you were going to— "
"I already did it."
Another long silence, this one filled with disbelief and disapproval. Then, "You mean that now you're a—Oh, Vickie, I don't know what to say."
"Say you'll be my matron of honor."
"You know I will, hon, but… "
Vicki's hand tightened around the receiver. "But what?"
"Well, how are we going to shop for dresses with you there and me here?"
"We aren't. Just buy something you love that you can wear again. It's going to be very informal."
"Oh, well, all right. When's the big day… er, night?"
"We haven't set a date yet. I'll let you know."
Bobbie Sue giggled. "Imagine, both of us getting married so close together. Who'd have thought? Duncan wants to have children right away. He says he's waited so long to get married, he doesn't want to wait to have kids."
"That's wonderful," Vicki said, forcing a smile into her voice. There would be no children for her and Antonio. It was her only regret.
"What's your mother going to say when she finds out you're marrying a vampire?"
"Are you kidding? I'm not going to tell her, or Karen, either."
"Won't they think it's a little odd that you're getting married at night and the bride and groom don't eat or drink anything at the reception?"
"They won't be there. I'm going to call and tell Karen and my mom that we're eloping."
"Oh, well, that's a good idea, I guess. It'll sure save a lot of explanations." Another pause. "Can I ask you something? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."
"You want to know what it's like."
"Yes."
"It's wonderful, Bobbie, you can't imagine what it's like. Everything is… How can I explain it? It's like living your whole life in black and white and then tumbling over the rainbow to the land of Oz where everything is in glorious Technicolor."
"If you say so," Bobbie Sue muttered dubiously. "Did he make you drink his blood?"
"No, he didn't make me."
"But you did?"
Vicki sighed. She could hear the revulsion in Bobbie Sue's voice. Not that she could blame her. Not too long ago, she had felt the same way.
"Oh, Vicki… " Bobbie Sue wailed.
"Bobbie, you love Duncan. Wouldn't you do anything you had to do to be with him?"
"Well, sure, but come on, Vickie, turning into a vampire for the man you love isn't like giving up smoking because he has to, or cooking low-fat foods cause he's on a diet. I mean, this is forever."
"Edward Ramsey is going to walk me down the aisle," Vicki said, changing the subject.
"Antonio wants to know if Duncan will be his best man."
Bobbie Sue laughed at that, laughed until she cried.
Vicki couldn't blame her, not really. It was going to be an odd assemblage— a vampire bride and groom, a vampire hunter turned vampire giving the bride away, a vampire hunter standing up with the groom, vampires for guests. Bobbie Sue, Tom, and the minister would be the only mortals present.
Vicki was certain there would never be another wedding quite like it.
"I'll tell Tom," Bobbie Sue said, sniffing back her tears. "Have you bought a dress yet?"
"I ordered one through a mail-order catalog. Wait until you see it. I sure hope it fits."
"Why didn't you go to a bridal shop and… Oh, never mind. Mirrors. I forgot."
"Yeah," Vicki said. "I'm thinking we should have gotten married before, well, you know."
"Why didn't you?"
"I didn't want to wait, and to tell you the truth, I didn't think of it at the time."
"You really have the hots for him, don't you? Where are the two of you going to live?"
"I don't know yet. He's got houses everywhere."
"Must be nice. I guess Duncan and I will be moving soon. He's going to work for that vampire school in Los Angeles, remember the one I told you about? Can you imagine me in L.A.?"
"Maybe I can talk Antonio into buying a house out there. We could be neighbors."
"I'd like that. Listen, I've got to go. I'm gonna be late for work."
"All right. Tell Gus and everyone hello for me. I'll let you know the date and time of the wedding as soon as I know."
"Okay. Bye, hon."
"Bye."
Vicki was feeling more than a little depressed when she returned to the castle. She sat in the car for a few minutes, thinking about her conversation with Bobbie, rehearsing what she would say to her mother.
Antonio met her at the door. One look at her face and he knew something was wrong.
Vicki blew out a sigh when he asked her what it was. "Nothing, really. Well, it's Bobbie Sue. I told her I was a vampire now… "
"And she does not approve?"
"No, she thinks it's awful." Blinking back her tears, she looked up at Antonio. "She's my best friend. I wanted her to understand."
He wiped her tears away with his fingertips. "Did you really expect her to approve?"
"No, I guess not, but… How have you stood it for so long?"
"How would you feel if the situation were reversed and Bobbie Sue told you she was a vampire?"
Vicki grinned at him through her tears. "I would have felt just like Bobbie Sue. Horrified and betrayed. Do you think she'll still be my friend, once she gets over the shock? I mean, she said she'd stand up with me at the wedding, but what if she decides she doesn't want to be around me anymore after that? What if she looks at me differently? I don't think I could stand that."