Cricket gave me another look. “Oh, is that your truck out front? I was wondering why it wasn’t parked in the service lot down the street. I just lost my yard man.”

“I’m a garden designer,” I said, even though I was wild about double-digging and weeding. “I’d be happy to recommend someone to do maintenance.”

“Would you? That would be great.”

My dog dragged his soggy self out of the pool, dropped the tennis ball at my feet, and stared at me. One of the great things about dogs was that they didn’t care what you wore, or didn’t wear.

I said, “Very nice to meet you, Cricket. If you’ll excuse me.” I picked up the ball, aware of my boobies swaying with the movement, threw it in the pool, and my dog and I jumped back in the water.

While we splashed about, Cricket and Ian spoke for a few more minutes. I submerged so I wouldn’t have to hear her giggle and flirt with him. Women were prone to giggle and flirt with Ian, and then they were prone to get prone with him.

When I came up for air, she was gone and Ian was standing at the edge of the pool.

“You stayed under for a very long time,” he said.

“I’ve been practicing holding my breath in case anyone tries to drown me.”

Ian was a member of the quasi-governmental Vampire Council, and my only ally in the secretive organization. Throughout my life, people had frequently wished I was dead, but only the Vampire Council and my mother Regina had ever taken the initiative to do anything about it.

“Why don’t you learn self-defense, Milagro? I can recommend an excellent instructor.”

“He’d probably tell me to shoot anyone who looks at me sideways. I’ll manage on my own, thank you.”

“And yet you thought you needed to attend university to read novels,” Ian said. “I invited Cricket for drinks later.”

“Cricket,” I sneered. “Letting her see me naked was hilarious. Ha, ha, and ha.”

“You could have jumped in the pool, or run into the house, or hidden behind me if you were so concerned.”

“I have nothing to be ashamed of. Besides, Nancy told me that naked is the new black,” I said, referring to my friend from F.U.

“I have long considered Nancy Carrington to be one of the great thinkers of our time. Come inside. I have something for you.”

“Is it in your pants?”

He laughed and strolled toward the door at the back of the house.

I threw the tennis ball for Rosemary for a little longer, but curiosity won over and I got out of the pool.