Not About You

Chapter Four

The plan to go vampire hunting failed spectacularly. There were far too many others around the town on high alert for them to search inconspicuously. As the entire point of the expedition was to keep the attention off the Salvatores, they decided to put off using the compass for a day or two.

Once the decision had been made, Damon draped his arm around Lucy's shoulders. "Well, we gave it a valiant effort. We should celebrate."

Lucy hummed in agreement as a smile teased her lips. "And how do you propose we do that?" she asked as if she didn't already know.

"Drinks at the Grill. My treat." He steered her toward the car.

"You're paying? Holy shit. It is a celebration."

"Cute." He opened the door for her before flashing to his own side.

"I miss Stefan," she said as they drove. Her head laid against the window enjoying the coolness of the glass.

Damon grunted and tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. "Unfortunately, you won't be seeing much of him for awhile. Baby vampires take a lot of focus."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, it sucks. What about movie night?"

"We can still have them as long as you stay by me or Stef and Vicki's on the other side of the room." When she stayed quiet, he glanced at her from the side of his eye. He waited until he'd parked to break the silence. "What's up?"

She pursed her lips and shook her head. "Just thinking. Making a list in my head of everything that needs to be done. We should really restock the liquor. With a new vamp around we'll be going through more than usual."

"Good thinking, princess." He reached over and mussed the hair on top of her head.

"Damn it, Salvatore." She jerked away from him while he laughed then did her best to fix the damage he'd done. Jerk.

***

They were into their second game of pool when Damon received a call from his brother. "What do you mean she ran off?"

"That's a stupid question," Lucy murmured, earning a glare from her companion. She smiled sweetly and took her shot. She glanced at him over her shoulder when he hung up the phone. "So, baby vamp did a runner. Do we need to help?"

"No. She went home. Matt won't let Stefan in and Vicki's making it seem like he was holding her against her will or something." He tossed back the rest of his drink.

Lucy sighed and leaned against the table. "I can get in the house without permission but it won't exactly be inconspicuous. And then there's how I get her out of the house on my own after I knock her ass out with vervain."

"We'll keep that plan on the back burner. For now, Stef wants to see how it plays out. He's hoping Vicki will come back on her own when the hunger gets worse." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Now, get out of the way. It's my shot."

"That sounds like a horrible idea if I'm honest. Hope she doesn't end up eating her brother. That would be awkward." She shrugged and stepped away from the table so he could play. As she did, her eyes fell on the mayor and his wife. The mayor was leaving, but his wife's gaze kept finding Damon. "You have an admirer," she said in a low tone as he passed by her to take another shot.

He hummed and hooked a finger into her belt loop to tug her closer as a couple sat at one of the tables near them. He lowered his head to speak near her ear. "I'm going to go be friendly. See if I can learn anything. I don't think Zach is being as straight forward as he could be." He slipped his keys into her hand then stepped away.