Chapter 5

It was awful. Well, not entirely, Lisa admitted to herself. The wedding ceremony itself was beautiful. And much to her surprise, her stubborn, pesky editor got all teary-eyed as Seulgi and Irene exchanged their vows. She explained herself when she handed her the handkerchief she'd placed in her breast pocket with such care by saying, "They seem so happy. They're obviously deeply in love."

Lisa merely grunted and hoped the ceremony wouldn't be as long as Mina's had been last year. She only had the one hanky.

Fortunately, Irene's minister wasn't as long-winded as the Hirai family's minister had been. Still, Lisa practically ran Jennie out of the church the moment it was done. Or tried to. Their escape was stalled by the bottleneck that formed at the exit as each and every single guest paused to wish Seulgi and Irene well. The couple had exited the church first, as per the custom, and were now standing atop the church steps, speaking to everyone as they left.

Of course, Jennie would insist on congratulating them and wishing them well, too, which Lisa thought was ridiculous. She didn't even know them! But the woman ignored her attempts to urge her down the stairs, and stopped to wish the couple happiness.

Irene and Seulgi weren't surprised Jennie was at the wedding, of course. The family grapevine was as healthy as ever. And much to Lisa's irritation, Irene was one of those social people who liked everyone and liked to talk. Seulgi was hampered with the same affliction, so they couldn't just say thank-you and let Jennie go. No. They had to actually speak to Jennie and ask if she was having a good time in Jeju.

Lisa felt herself tensing as she waited for her answer. She was vaguely surprised when she laughed and said, "Oh, yes."

Seulgi seemed equally surprised. She asked, "You mean, my sister is actually entertaining you?" As if Lisa were some sort of heathen, incapable of being a good host.

"Yes." Jennie nodded cheerfully. "She and your mother, too. Dara took me shopping and to the spa today. And last night, Lisa and I played Blood Lust Two until all hours of the morning."

"Oh!" Irene exclaimed. "Isn't that a wonderful game? Seulgi is so talented. Although I thought she'd drive me crazy with it when she was designing the end sequence. It gave her trouble."

"Seulgi?" Jennie glanced from Irene to Seulgi uncertainly.

"Yes. It's her game," Irene explained. Then she glanced at her sister-in-law with surprise. "Didn't you tell her it was Seulgi's game?"

"Yes, I'm sure I mentioned"

"No, you didn't!" Jennie exclaimed with a light slap at her arm. "Oh, my God! Why didn't you tell me?"

Lisa scowled. her editor didn't notice; she'd already turned back to her sister.

"I can't believe it! I love Blood Lust, both One and Two. They are amazing!"

She rambled on, gushing over Seulgi in a way Lisa found annoying, then suddenly stopped with a small gasp, before saying, "Oh! I just realized, the primary characters in Lisa's last book were named Irene and Seulgi. And Seulgi was a game creator, too. Oh, wow." She gave a laugh and grinned at Irene. "The next thing you'll tell me is that you're a coroner like the woman in the book."

Lisa, Seulgi and Irene all exchanged glances and shifted uncomfortably.

Jennie's eyes widened at their silence. "You aren't, are you?"

"I like to base stories as much in reality as I can," Lisa said to break the silence.

"But you write vampire books." Jennie sounded bewildered.

"Well, within reason," she amended, then took her arm firmly. "Come. We're holding up the line."

Lisa hurried Jennie to her car, saw her inside, got in herself and immediately turned the radio on. She cranked the volume up high to prevent conversation and drove to the reception hall where the wedding dinner was to be held. In her rush to get there, where she hoped Jennie would be distracted and forget the odd coincidence of the characters in her books matching her real-life family, Lisa somewhat exceeded the speed limit. As a result, they were one of the first to arrive.

Much to her relief, Jennie didn't mention the matter again. She and Lisa were seated at a table, and her mother and her sister Mina with her wife Momo soon joined them. Jeongyeon was seated at the head table with the rest of the wedding party, so it was just the five of them at the six-person table closest to the long head table.

Lisa spent the first several minutes simply fingering the glass of wine that was promptly set before her, her gaze darting nervously to Jennie as she talked with Dara and Mina. The three women were making her terribly nervous. They had their heads together, and there seemed to be an awful lot of giggling and laughing mixed in with their quiet talking. She was dying to know what they were saying, but couldn't have heard had she tried, with all the talk and disruption as people arrived and greeted one another.

"Mina!"

Lisa stiffened at her editor's exclamation; then Jennie turned on her. "Your sister's name is Mina! That's the name of the female vampire in your second book."

"Er yes." she shot a glance at her mother and sister. Were they deliberately trying to complicate her life?

"Seulgi and Irene in the last book, Mina and Momo in the second. And Dara!" She turned on Lisa's mother. "Your husband was named Jiyong, wasn't he?"

She nodded. "But, yes, my husband and my children's father was Jiyong."

"Oh." Jennie was silent for a moment, but was obviously thinking, looking for other similarities.

"Yes." Lisa shifted, feeling terribly uncomfortable, unsure how to explain. In the end, she didn't need to.

"I think it's terribly sweet of you to name your characters after your family like that," Jennie said.

Lisa gaped at her in surprise. Sweet? she wasn't sweet.

"It's obvious you care for them a great deal."

"Er" Lisa was feeling oddly trapped when a tap on her shoulder drew her head around. She found herself staring at Jeongyeon and Seulgi. Relief at the distraction made her smile hugely, which surprised them.

"We need a hand from both of you." Jeongyeon's look encompassed both Lisa and Momo.

"Oh. Oh, of course." Lisa turned to Jennie as Momo got to her feet. "They need us. We have to go," she explained.

Lisa stood, tossed a warning glare at her mother and sister, lest they say something else to put weird ideas in Jennie's head, then followed her sisters away from the table.

The foursome crossed the reception hall, left through a door half-hidden behind a decorated beam, walked up a long, narrow hall, then exited through another door that led into the parking lot behind the building. Jeongyeon walked along the row of parked vehicles to her van. Lisa didn't know what was going on until her sister opened the back doors and dragged a medi-vac cooler closer.

"I don't know about you guys, but with everything that had to be done, I didn't get to feed before the wedding today. I thought I might not be the only one with that problem, so I packed a picnic for us." Jeongyeon popped the cooler open.

Lisa grinned at the sight of the blood bags packed in ice. Good old Jeongyeon. She was always prepared. She would have been a Girl Scout as a child had they had them in those days.

"Oh, thank God!" Seulgi took the first bag Jeongyeon held out. "I was so busy rushing around, I didn't get a chance to feed. Neither did Irene, I'm sure."

"I brought enough for everyone," Jeongyeon assured her. She handed bags to both Lisa and Momo. "I'll bring the ladies out after we go back. I just didn't think it would be good if we all left en masse. The Manoban side would understand, but the Baes would be confused."

"Too true, my friend," Momo said with a shake of her head. "I'm still not used to all this." she gestured to the bag in her hand, then lifted it and stabbed her elongating teeth into it.

Lisa smiled as she followed suit. For someone who claimed the opposite, her sister-in-law did a fair imitation of someone who was comfortable with her new situation. Mind you, that might be different if the therapist had to bite people to feed, as in the old days.

The four women all fell silent as they emptied their first bags of blood. Jeongyeon then pulled plastic cups out of the van and split two more bags between those four cups, and the men stood talking as they drank. It wasn't long before the conversation came around to Lisa's unwanted guest. Seulgi was the one to bring it up, commenting that she seemed quite nice.

Lisa snorted. "Don't let her fool you. That woman is as stubborn as a mule. She's like one of those damn ticks, burrowing under your skin and staying there. She's burrowed her way into my home and just won't leave!"

The others all laughed. Momo suggested, "Why don't you just do some of that mind-control stuff Mina's trying to teach mejust get into her head and plant the suggestion that she leave?"

"Lisa can't get into her head," Seulgi announced with a grin.

"You've tried?" Momo asked Lisa with surprise.

"Of course I did. The very first night." Lisa scowled and shook her head. "But she seems resistant to suggestion. I can't even read her thoughts. The woman's mind is like a steel trap." she sighed. "It's damned frustrating."

"Yep. And don't tell Mother," Seulgi reminded her.

"Why not?" Momo asked.

Jeongyeon explained. "Mother says couples shouldn't be able to read each other's thoughts, so when you come across someone strong-minded enough to block you outwhich she says is rareyou should pay attention, they would make a good mate."

Seulgi nodded. "So if she catches wind of this"

"She'll be determined to put us together," Lisa finished for her. She immediately felt confused. The last thing she needed was her mother playing matchmaker and forcing her and her stubborn editor together. On the other hand, Jennie was a hell of a game player. And she was attractive, and somehow she became less annoying the longer she knew her. She was even getting used to having her in her home. If she were going to be forced into marriage

"So I wouldn't mention it to her if I were you," Jeongyeon said.

"I'd have to agree with Jeongyeon and Seulgi on this," Momo decided, looking at Lisa. "As much as I like your mother, she can be a tad persistent once she gets an idea into her head. If you don't want her interfering and trying to push you and Jennie together, I wouldn't mention that you can't read Jennie's mind."

"Too late."

All four women jumped guiltily at that sweetly sung comment. Whirling, they found themselves confronted by Dara. Lisa groaned at the predatory look on her face. She'd obviously heard everything. And judging by her expression, she was already plotting.

At least that was what she thought, so she was surprised when she took the bag of blood Jeongyeon offered and turned to smile at her oldest son. "Lis, darling. If you want to get rid of the girl so badly, why not just agree to do one of the publicity things she's on about? The moment you agree, she'll leave."

" 'Cause I don't want to," she answered, almost wincing as she heard how childish she sounded.

"And I don't want to listen to you whine, but sometimes we have to do things we don't like in life." Her words made everyone fall silent; then Dara stabbed her teeth into her bag of blood and drained it. When she'd finished, she turned to Lisa and added, "Jennie doesn't want to be here bothering you any more than you want her here. However, her job depends on being able to convince you to do one of those her horrified reaction, Dara patted her daughter's cheek affectionately. "I suggest you tell her you'll do R.T. From what she told me at the spa today, it's probably the best option for both of you."

"What's R.T.?" Lisa asked suspiciously.

"Romantic Times magazine," her mother explained. "Just tell her you'll do it." Then Dara Manoban turned and walked away, heading back along the row of cars.

"Hmm. I wonder how she found out Jennie's job depends on convincing you to do one of those publicity events," Jeongyeon murmured as they watched their mother walk away.

Momo shrugged. "She's very good at getting people to tell her things they never mean to say. She would have made a good therapist."

Lisa was silent, and they all handed their empty glasses back to Jeongyeon. She didn't know how her mother had found out what she had, but she didn't doubt for a minute that it was true. Which made her about as miserable as she could be, for now she knew for certain that she would never be free of the woman. She was desperate, and desperate people were both as persistent as hell and unpredictable.

"Here you all are!"

The four women whirled away from the van again, this time to find Jennie Kim facing them. There was a mischievous grin on her face as she took in their guilty expressions and the way they were all trying to hide something behind them.

"Irene was looking for you. I said I thought I saw you come out here and said I'd check for her," she explained, still eyeing them with amusement. "She tried to stop me and said she'd go, but it's her weddingI couldn't let her leave her guests to go chasing after you four reprobates."

Lisa exchanged a glance with the others. They all knew darned well that Irene had probably hoped to slip outside for a quick nip as their mother had just done. Jennie, in her kindness, had made that impossible.

"Why did you call us reprobates?" Momo asked.

Jennie gave an airy wave and laughed. "Because of what you're doing out here."

The four women exchanged glances and shifted into a tighter group, making sure that the open back of the van and the cooler of blood were hidden; then Lisa echoed, "What we're doing?"

"Oh, like it isn't obvious," she snorted. "Sneaking out here, crowding around the van." She shook her head and gave them a condescending look. "I may have been raised in province, but I've lived in Seoul long enough to be savvy about you artist types."

Now the looks the women exchanged were bewildered. Artist types? Lisa was a writer, Seulgi a program developer, Jeongyeon a businesswoman and Momo was a therapist. Artist types? And what did she think artist types did anyway? The only way to find out was to ask. Lisa did. "What is it exactly that you think we are doing out here?"

She gave a resigned sigh. "You're smoking pot-joints." She said it as one word.

The women all gaped at her; then Seulgi released a disbelieving laugh. "What?"

Jennie tsked with exasperation. "Pot. Marijuana. You guys snuck out here for a debbie."

"Er I believe it's called a doobie," Momo interjected.

"Whatever. That's what you were doing, right?"

"Er" Lisa began. Then she, Jeongyeon, Seulgi and Momo shared a grin.

"Yes. You caught us. We were smoking a debbie," Seulgi agreed.

"Doobie," Momo corrected.

"Yes." Jeongyeon nodded. "We'd offer you some, but we er"

"Smoked it all up," Seulgi finished.

The two women sounded disgustingly apologetic to Lisa's mind. Good Lord.

"Oh, that's okay. I don't smoke anything." She smiled crookedly, then added, "Besides, dinner is about to be served. I think that's why Irene was looking for you."

"Well then, we should go in." Stepping forward, Lisa took Jennie's arm firmly and turned her toward the building. They'd barely taken two steps when she heard the van doors closing and the other women fell into step behind them. Smoking debbies. Good Lord.

Lisa was distracted through dinner, merely picking at the food. It was apparently very good, if Jennie's comments were to be believed, but she didn't really have an appetite. She found her mind stuck on her mother's claim that Jennie's job depended on her convincing her to cooperate. Lisa didn't know why, but that was really bothering her. A lot.

" dance, Lisa."

Lisa glanced around in confusion. She'd only caught the end of her mother's words, she'd been so deep in thought. She peered at her in question. "What?"

"I said, you should take Jennie out on the floor and dance. To support Seulgi and Irene. Someone has to start everyone else dancing."

She glanced toward the dance floor, surprised to see that the bride and groom were dancing. The meal was over, and the first dance had begun. She, as the head of her side of the family, would be expected to join next. By all rights, she should be taking her mother, the matriarch, up there to encourage others to dance, but one look at Dara told her that she had started her matchmaking in earnest. She would not be dancing with her.

Sighing, she pushed her seat back and held out a hand to Jennie. her editor looked terribly uncertain as she placed her fingers in her and rose a fact that annoyed her no end, for reasons she couldn't possibly fathom and had no intention of examining too deeply. Telling herself it was just a duty dance, and that her mother couldn't force her to dance with Jennie again, Lisa led her onto the dance floor and took her into her arms.

It was a mistake. Jennie Kim fit in her arms as if she'd been made for her. Her head came up just short of Lisa's chin, her hand was small and soft in hers, and the scent of her perfume wafted tantalizing and vaguely exciting to her nose. Without even realizing it, she found herself urging her closer so that her body could mold with hers, her legs and chest brushing her with every step.

Lisa was used to hunger; she experienced it every morning upon awakening. While she slept, her body processed the blood she drank, repairing whatever damage the day had wrought and leaving her dehydrated and in serious need of more. Some days that hunger was worse than others. Some days it was mild enough that she could be distracted by other things as she had been this morning. Still, Lisa knew hunger. She understood thirst. She lived daily with a bone-deep yearning that could become so strong her body would cramp with it. And yet this

She lowered her head, breathing in the scent of Jennie's shampoo mingled with the spice and sweetness of her perfume. She smelled vaguely of vanilla, like a rich and luscious dessert or a bowl of ice cream, and she had the sudden mad urge to lick the nape of her neck and

Lisa straightened abruptly as she caught hold of her thoughts. Lick her nape? More like bite it. Good Lord, she needed more blood. She'd been rather slack on the consumption end lately. What with Jennie's presence and such, she hadn't been sticking to her usual four pints a day. She'd been running on mostly two which explained her odd hunger now. She was confusing hunger for Jennie's blood with hunger for her.

Relieved beyond measure, she smiled widely down at her when she murmured her name. She seemed slightly surprised at her smile, then asked uncertainly, "Is something wrong? You've stopped dancing."

Lisa peered around, surprised to realize that in her revelation she had stopped moving. She now merely stood in the middle of the dance floor holding her close. Very close. Her breasts, squashed against her chest, were being forced upward out of her gown. And they were very nice breasts. Round and a pale pink flesh tone that spoke of healthy blood. Lisa would have liked to lick her way over those orbs and

"I have to talk to Jeongyeon," she gasped. "Now."

Releasing her from her tight hold, she started to walk to where Jeongyeon was dancing, then suddenly realized what she was doing. Whirling back to the bewildered Jennie, who stood like an abandoned baby in the center of the dance floor, she took her arm and led her back to their table. She then walked around the dance floor, relieved that the music ended just as she reached her sister's side.

"Jeongyeon, after you've seen your dance partner back to the table, I need to talk to you outside. At the van," she said meaningfully.

"Sure," her younger sister said. "Be with you in a moment."

Lisa nodded, and Jeongyeon walked Irene's sister, who was the maid of honor, back to the head table.

"Did I hear you say you were going out to the van?"

Lisa turned to find Mina behind her. She and Momo had joined the dance floor just after Lisa and Jennie. The couple had been standing nearby, waiting for the next song to start. She wasn't surprised she'd heard what she said.

She nodded in answer to her question, and felt it necessary to explain: "I haven't been feeding enough since Jennie arrived."

Mina nodded in understanding. "Irene and I will join the two of you. She was saying earlier that, what with preparing for the wedding and everything, she"

"Fine, fine," Lisa interrupted. She didn't need the explanation. She was happy to have the women join them. "Go get her, then. Jeongyeon will Oh. She's brought her with her."

Jeongyeon was leading their new sister-in-law across the floor.

"I'll keep an eye on Jennie, so she doesn't come out and try to catch you with the debbies in hand," Momo said lightly as Jeongyeon and the bride arrived. She moved off to invite the editor to dance.

"Good, good." Lisa didn't even smile. She just nodded her thanks and ushered the other three out of the reception hall.

Jennie relaxed in Momo's arms the moment they started to move, something she hadn't been able to do in Lisa's embrace. She had seen the writer slip outside with her sister, Irene and Jeongyeon, and suspected they were out there smoking again. In her considered opinion, the woman could use it. It would help her relax, surely. The woman had been tense throughout the meal, and Well, she supposed she had just seemed distracted through the meal not that she'd let it bother her. She'd been busy talking to her mother and sister and listening to the amusing tales they told her about Lisa's youth.

If the mother and sister were to be believed, Lisa was really a very sensitive woman with a crusty, grumpy shell. Having read her novels, Jennie thought that was quite possible. There was a certain longing in the way she portrayed the couples in her book, a hunger that went beyond the bloodlust of vampires or even beyond sexual desire. her characters were lonely at heart, yearning for a soul mate to share their long lives. Jennie wondered now if it wasn't a reflection of her feelings, if she didn't yearn for love.

Momo gave her a little twirl, and she smiled at her. Mina's wife was a much more relaxed dancer than Lisa. Lisa had been almost vibrating with tension as she and she had moved across the dance floor, and it had transferred to Jennie, filling her with a low-grade tension that was rather distressing. Despite that tension, however, she'd found herself melting into her embrace, resting her head on her shoulder and slipping her fingers closer to the nape of her neck to brush the hair there. She'd been relieved if a little stunned when she'd stopped dancing and walked away.

Well, all right, she'd been more stunned than relieved. She had stood there, gaping after her, unable to believe that she was reverting to her trademark rudeness right there in the middle of the dance floor for all to see. If she hadn't suddenly turned back and seen her to their table, she might have chased her down and given her a swift kick to the behind. Yes, it was definitely a good thing she was outside smoking. Surely it would relax her.

"I think you should just agree to do something for her," Jeongyeon suggested. Of course, as ever, Jennie had been the topic of conversation since they'd reached the van. And much to Lisa's irritation, everyone seemed to have advice.

"Why don't you tell her you'll do one of those interviews? Like that R.T. thing Mom suggested," Jeongyeon continued. "Or tell her you'll do one of the publicity events, but only one and not the book-signing tour. Let her choose which is most likely to save her job. That way, she'll be happy and leave."

"Let her choose?" Lisa was horrified at the idea of giving her so much sway. "But what if she chooses one of the television interviews?"

Mina clucked impatiently. "It wouldn't kill you to spend half an hour in front of a camera, Lisa."

"But"

"Look at it this way," her sister added. "Half an hour in front of a camera during an interview, or Jennie Kim camping out on your porch."

Jeongyeon laughed. "If you even manage to get her out the front door."

Lisa glared at her, but her sister merely shrugged. "You've apparently gone soft on us, Lisa," she continued. "A hundred years ago you wouldn't have had any trouble tossing her out on her heart-shaped little behind."

"You've been looking at her behind?" Lisa asked in outrage.

"Sure, why not? She's single. I'm single." she shrugged. "Is there a problem?"

Lisa scowled. There shouldn't be a problem, and she knew it. But for some reason, she didn't like Jeongyeon checking out Jennie at all.

"Poor Lisa," Mina said. She peered at her in question, so she patted her arm as if she needed soothing. "Six hundred years old, and you just don't know how to deal with the feelings Jennie raises in you. Surely with age some wisdom should come."

Lisa remained silent, her thoughts in an uproar. Mina was implying she was unaware she was falling for the girl. She wasn't. She was aware of it. But she didn't have to like it or give in to it, either. As to the hunger she felt around her, Lisa admitted now it wasn't bloodlust she'd felt on the dance floor, but sexual lust. She wanted Jennie Kim, editor. And that was a complication she could do without. If her mind wasn't closed to her, she might have been willing to indulge herself and enjoy her body as she wanted to. She certainly hadn't lived as a monk for six hundred years. But her mind was closed, making such an action dangerous.

Shaking her head, she left the others by the van and headed back into the reception hall. As far as she was concerned, she was just suffering a crush natural affection caused by being forced into close proximity with someone else. She'd get over it just as soon as Jennie Kim was gone. She just had to get her gone.