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way. When Rue went up the steps to the door, he waited until she'd unlocked it and gone
inside. He could see her start up the inner stairs, and he retreated to the shadows until he saw a
light come on in the second-floor front apartment.
After that, he openly walked her home every night, in silence. On the fourth night, he asked
her how her classes were going. She told him about the test she'd had that day in geology. The
next night, when he told her to have sweet dreams, he smiled. The M of his mouth turned up
at the corners, and his smile made him look like a boy.
On the sixth night, a woman hailed Sean just as he and Rue got off the bus. As the woman
crossed the street, Rue recognized Hallie, a Black Moon employee. Rue had met all the Black
Moon people, but she did her best to steer clear of them all, both vampire and human. Rue
could accept the other Blue Moon dancers as comrades. But the Black Moon performers made
her shrink inside herself.
"Hey, what are you two up to?" Hallie said. She was in her late twenties, with curly brown
hair and a sweet oval face. It was impossible not to respond to her good cheer; even Sean gave
her one of his rare smiles.
"We just left practice," Sean said when Rue stayed silent.
"I just visited my mother," Hallie said. "She seems to be a little better."
Rue knew she had to speak, or she would seem like the most insufferable snob. Maybe I am a
snob, she thought unhappily. "Is your mom in the hospital?"
"No, she's in Van Diver Home, two blocks down."
Rue had walked past there a Couple of times, and thought what a grim place it was, especially
for an old folks' home. "I'm sorry," she said.
"She's in the Alzheimer's wing." Hallie's hand was already waving off Rue's expression of
sympathy. "If I didn't work for Sylvia, I don't know how I could pay the bills."
"You have another day job, too?"
"Oh, yes. Every day, and nights I don't work for Sylvia, I'm a cocktail waitress. In fact, I'm
due back at work. I ran down to see Mom on my break. Good to see both of you."
And off Hallie hurried, her high heels clicking on the pavement. She turned into a bar on the
next block, Bissonet's.
Rue and Sean resumed the short walk to Rue's building.
"She's no saint, but it's not as simple as you thought," Sean said when they'd reached her
building.
"No, I see that." On an impulse, she gave him a quick hug, then quickly mounted the steps
without looking back.
Two weeks later, Blue Moon's three male vampires and three human women were dressing in
a remote and barren room in the Jaslow mansion. Connie Jaslow had no consideration for
dancers' modesty, since she'd provided one room for both sexes. To an extent, Mrs. Jaslow
was correct. Dancers know bodies; bodies were their business, their tools. At least there was
an adjacent bathroom, and the women took turns going in to put on their costumes and
straighten the black wigs, but the men managed without leaving.
Rick and Phil, the two vampires who ordinarily worked together at "specialty" parties for
Black Moon, had polished a juggling act. They would go on first. They were laughing
together (Phil only laughed when he was with Rick) as they stood clad only in floral
loincloths. "At least we don't have to wear the wigs," the taller Rick said, grinning as he
looked over the dancers.
"We look like a bunch of idiots," Julie said bluntly. She tossed her head, and the shoulder-
length black wig fell back into place flawlessly.
"At least we're getting paid to look like idiots," Karl said. The driver of the van that had
brought them all out to the Jaslow estate, Denny James, came in to tell Karl that the sound
system was all set up and ready to go. Denny, a huge burly ex-boxer, worked for Sylvia part-
time. Megan and Julie had told Rue that Denny had a closer relationship with Sylvia than
employer/employee, much to Rue's astonishment. The. ex-boxer hardly seemed the type to
appeal to the sophisticated Sylvia, but maybe that was the attraction.
Anxious about the coming performance, Rue began to stretch. She was already wearing the
jungle-print skirt, which draped around to look like a sarong, and matching bikini panties. The
bra top matched, too, a wild jungle print over green. The shoulder-length wig swung here and
there as she warmed up, and the pink artificial flower wobbled. Rue's stomach was a uniform
color, thanks to Julie and Megan.
Karl had brought the CD with their music and given it to the event planner who'd designed the
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