“What’s the last thing you remember?” Gordon asked, harsher now. “It’s important.”

I swallowed hard. “We had a lovely dinner. Then we went for a walk”—I glanced around—“but not here. Over by the river and the bridge, the Bloor Viaduct. We were looking down at the river, and um… you were saying something…”

“How lovely you are,” he murmured as he ran a hand down my coat sleeve.

I gritted my teeth and jerked away from his touch. Why hadn’t I ever signed up for that self-defense course Amy was always begging me to join with her? My eyes narrowed at the thought. Amy. She was so dead for getting me into this.

“Right.” I tried to turn my gritted teeth into a pleasant smile. “Me being lovely. Or whatever. And then…”

I frowned as I tried to remember, but things seemed a bit fuzzy.

“I offered you eternity.”

Uh-huh. I did remember that part. That was the moment when I decided that the date was officially over. And then— My eyes widened as I looked at him. “Then you bit me, you weirdo.”

Gordon looked very apologetic. “It’ll heal quick. I promise.”

I touched my neck and then pulled my hand away, staring with horror at the blood left behind.

“You bit me on the neck? What kind of a sorry-ass vampire wannabe are you, anyhow?”

I grabbed for my dirt-covered purse that lay by my feet. I kept a can of pepper spray in it for protection, or at least I used to. Did I still have it? Did those things have an expiration date? Didn’t matter. If I had to, I’d just use it to bash him over the head.

“I’m not a wannabe.” He actually had the audacity to look insulted. “I am a vampire.”

Psycho , I thought. Total psycho.

“Look,” I said tentatively, “you’ve had your fun. I’m not all that into the role-playing scene, or whatever this is, but the bite doesn’t seem to be too bad. I think. So, let’s just say no harm done and leave it at that, okay?”