But kissing me in public was a definite sign that things were better than ever.

After another kiss and a whisper in my ear to be careful, he left the main club area to return to his office to deal with last-minute paperwork regarding the ownership transfer.

Exciting stuff. Yawn.

"Ready?" Heather asked.

I nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be."

The new bartender had already signed in, so Heather and I left the club and headed the short distance to the café, a little place called the French Connection. It specialized in overpriced cappuccinos and pastries. Since my vampire stomach couldn't handle solid food now that I was on a purely liquid diet, I ordered a coffee. Black.

Heather's boyfriend, Josh, sat at a small table in the corner. He was cute, somewhere in his twenties, and had dark shaggy hair and liquid brown eyes. I liked him immediately.

He got up and embraced Heather, kissing her hard on the lips, and then shook my hand very firmly.

"Sarah, it's such a pleasure to finally get the chance to meet you." He settled back down into his chair. The café was empty except for the three of us, and the cashier behind the counter was busy organizing the display of scones and muffins and croissants into perfect high-caloried lines.

"You, too," I said. "Heather's been raving about how great you are. And thanks for giving me the opportunity to talk to you."

"No, I should be thanking you for agreeing to consider my offer." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small stack of bills. "Consider this a small sign of my appreciation. It's a four-hundred-dollar advance on your first paycheck."

I blinked. Wow, this was getting off to a fantastic start.

"Maybe we should skip the interview and I can start right away," I joked.

He smiled and glanced at Heather, who squeezed his hand. "I do have some questions.