I approached him from far away, prowled slowly nearer and nearer, my hands locked behind my back, my expression as casual as it gets.

“So how are you doing, JJ? Got Internet addiction yet?”

He turned to look at me with an amused smile that showed that I didn’t fool anyone. As always, he looked fabulous. No unkempt Internet addict appearance for him. And I knew he washed his hair with more hair balms than I did, because he kept them in the bathroom. The result, these shiny golden waves, were worth every drop.

“It feels like the more I research, the more I find to uncover. The jump in technological and societal development is as fascinating as it’s befuddling.” JJ clicked his tongue. “Forgive me for not being able to be of much help for now.”

“Well, speaking of help… I need someone to man the counter of the shop, besides myself, and help to search for new merchandise. I think you will do. How about it? I can even pay you, though I should charge you rent instead.”

“This is a truly generous offer, ma chèrie. To offer me to work like a simple shopkeeper… Somehow, in my all long life, I had avoided it before.”

I narrowed my eyes at his mocking tone. “Well, that just means that you don’t have a job experience, meaning less payment for you. I’m sure you don’t have infinite buried treasures, JJ, and you live on my water and my electricity.” At least the blood was someone else’s.

Not that I planned to throw JJ out if he didn’t agree to work for a living, but business was business, and even with his money I was in a bad spot. I needed to cut corners everywhere I could.

To my surprise, instead of acting more offended, JJ grinned at me. “Don’t worry, ma chèrie, I understand a fair deal, and I understand a profitable deal. You saved me from a death so slow, generations of humans had changed and it still didn’t happen. Keep your payment for yourself.”

I raised my brows. “Oh, well. That’s just great. Now…”

Before I could finish my thought, JJ raised from his chair and closed on me. His fingers rose to my face, only millimetres away, but not touching it. “Though, if you really want to repay me, ma chèrie, I know of a way you can do it and leave just as pleased as I will be…”

My heart beat faster in my chest as I backed away from him, furiously shaking my head. “Nope, nope. No drinking from me, JJ!”

“Did I say anything about your blood?” JJ’s smile turned positively sly. “Not that I’m against it, but it wasn’t exactly what I meant…”

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

“Well, I say ‘no’ to that too!”

His expression was almost a pout, but it disappeared in the next instant. “I’m sure you will change your mind eventually, ma chèrie.”

I hoped not. But no matter how mysterious and dangerous this man was, no matter how much I ignored the potential of his power (for my own sanity, if anything), there was a part of me that was drawn to him. JJ looked and acted as the best one-night-stand a woman can get. Too bad I wasn’t into one-night-stands.

“Well, tell me if you need any money, anyway. I’d prefer if you got it legally if you could. Ah, and another thing, JJ,” I said when my thoughts finally turned away from the eye candy in front of me and towards business and money. “Say, can your hypnosis cure a man from an addiction? Forbid them from indulging?”

JJ inclined his head to the side and made a small step towards me. “It’s certainly possible. Is there a specific reason you ask, ma chèrie?”

I didn’t back off this time. “Well, since that life debt and all that, I need another favour from you…”

I explained to him about Kirill’s addiction and how he could cure it. I even came up with a story that could explain JJ’s ability: though it would’ve been easier to just force Kirill to forget about the hypnosis entirely.

“It would be a simple thing to do,” JJ concluded with an indifferent shrug, but his eyes were anything but indifferent. “Anything else from me, ma chèrie? My body, maybe?”

I rolled my eyes and crossed my hands on my chest. “I thought I refused that already… But actually, yeah. Please, don’t scare any of my employers. I will hire one more person to the counter, then there will be Kirill, and then…” I paused. “Well, there’s also a restorer, but she works from home, so you two probably won’t meet. But don’t scare her, anyway.”

“Scare? Me?” JJ asked with exaggerated incredulousness, a hand on his heart. “Ma chèrie, do I look scary to you?”

I pursed my lips. With his gaunt cheeks and sunken eyes, right now the only person whom JJ could really scare (outside of a dark alleyway, that is) was my grandpa, who’d have a stroke over his starved looks.

“You know what I mean,” I said instead of all that. “Anyway, since you had agreed to everything, I will contact Kirill. Enjoy your time in the Internet while I don’t need the computer for accounting. You do know you can use that new phone of yours for all the same things, do you?”

⠀⠀

“Are you sure this will work, Diana?” Kirill’s hands shook as he wiped his forehead from nervous sweat. “I don’t want to doubt you, Jean-Jacques, but you don’t seem to be, ah… Very experienced.”

“I assure you, Kirill, I have helped people with problems like yours before.” JJ gave Kirill a calming smile. I noticed how, during all that conversation, he never once flashed his fangs at the man. Though I don’t think Kirill would’ve noticed if he did.

He looked even more shrunken with his sorrows today, and I smelled a hint of spirits from him that showed he already took a little cure today. It didn’t seem like he was drunk, though. Good for us.

We sat in my office, a place professional, yet cosy. Thanks to all the paintings on the walls, massive, old furniture and floral wallpaper, it looked fitting to nineteenth century, except for the computer. But it was shut down now, and we sat around the clean desk, with JJ playing experienced gypsy, I mean, hypnotiser.

Kirill didn’t act very convinced by JJ yet, but it’s result that mattered. “Well… Is there anything I need to do?”

“No, no. Just relax and look into my eyes…”