“At first, none of the bulbs being produced gave off enough UV light to cause a vampire to burst into flames; however, once they developed fluorescent lamps, I noticed that a few of my kind would avoid them. Fluorescents give off slightly more UV than incandescent bulbs, and as technology advanced, plant lights, reptile lights, and UV lights of every shape and size came along. In 1937, I purchased a company at the forefront of grow lighting research, and since then, they’ve developed a few types of bulbs that do what I require them to do. So, the ones in and around this building emit the wavelengths needed to make a vampire’s skin sting without causing them to be set ablaze or do any harm to mortals.”

“But how did you persuade the property management company to—wait. Shit,” Ruby said, sitting straighter in her chair. “You own this building, don’t you?”

“Technically, it’s owned by several companies, but if you ferreted through all the paperwork going back a hundred years or so, eventually you’d come upon my name, yes. The property management company we use is clueless as to who owns the various properties they represent. As long as they get paid, they don’t care, nor are they aware of arrangements I’ve made with various utility companies around my homes. I pay my contacts within those companies quite well to ensure the exterior lighting around each meets my requirements.”

“Wow,” Ruby said before producing another yawn. “No wonder you can sleep at night…or, in your case, during the day.”

“While we’re discussing sleep, I think you need to get some,” Bennett said, standing up. “It’s either that or this conversation is boring you to death.”

“None of our conversations bore me, but I am tired. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be silly,” Bennett said, holding out her hand. “Come on. I’ll walk you home.”

Bennett gathered Ruby’s purse and shoes as they left the apartment and silently followed the woman up the stairs. When they reached Ruby’s door, she turned to Bennett and offered a small smile. “Thanks for dinner. It was a nice surprise.”

“My pleasure,” Bennett said, handing Ruby her things. “I thought it the least I could do after monopolizing your time last night.”

Ruby unlocked the door and pushed it open. “Hey, I have an idea,” she said, looking up at Bennett. “Why don’t you let me make you…”

A few seconds of silence passed, and Bennett’s cheeks began to glow. “Bated breath doesn’t even come close to what I’m experiencing whilst waiting for you to finish that sentence.”

The dimples in Ruby’s cheeks appeared. “I was about to say I’d make you dinner later this week, and then I remembered our schedules don’t line up. You work nights, and I work days.”