4.Greed

Genre: Paranormal romance, drama
Type: Series
Characters: Leigh, Tamsyn, Devon
Prompt:21.Greed
Word Count: 1182
Warning: coarse language
Rating:  PG-13
Summary:Tamsyn reveals her true colors, Leigh takes the first step, and Devon goes through some changes
21. Greed 

__________

Bridgeport, present day

Leigh was on the phone with Krimsyn Frost when Devon walked in. She did a double take and firmly pressed her lips together to stop herself from screaming. He’d cut his hair, his gorgeous beautiful locks. Was he going through a midlife crisis? Because of her? No way! Devon was only thirty, three years older than her, and way too young to be going through a midlife crisis.

But why the sudden change? Stress? Pre-wedding jitters? Did guys go through that too?

“Ms. Starlington? Are you still there?” Krimsyn’s voice reminded her she still had bigger issues to worry about, and she mentally pulled herself from her brother.

“I’m still here,” she replied quickly, gripping the phone tightly.

“Well, after you didn’t get back to us, we had to look elsewhere!” Leigh’s heart stopped when she heard this, and she immediately craved the ice-cream Devon was reaching for in the fridge.

“But, we liked your résumé far better than the other applicants’, and the fact that you’ve traveled extensively is an added advantage. So if you’d called me a day later, the job wouldn’t have been yours!”

It took her a good two minutes to process Krimsyn’s words and when she thought they’d sunk in and were making sense, she screamed with glee.

“Thank you so much! I won’t let you down!” She cried again. She’d been so sure someone else had already taken the job.

“Let’s meet early on Monday to go over your contract, and you can officially start on Tuesday. I have to go now; we’re performing at Waylon’s Haunt at 3pm and I’m already running late!” With that, Krimsyn Frost disconnected the line.

She replaced the receiver on the cradle with unsteady hands, and turned on her brother.

“What’s going on? You know how much I liked your hair! Why did you shave it off?” She accused.

“It’s just hair Leigh, it will grow back,” Devon replied in-between mouthfuls of the mushy stuff.

 “Are you sure you’re okay? It’s not like you to be so impulsive, and chop off your hair!”

“I just felt like a change, that’s all,” he shrugged.

“I guess I’ll get used to your new look. Anyway I took the job, and I start on Tuesday,” she beamed at him, but he just nodded. Devon wasn’t good at hiding his feelings. He still hadn’t made peace with the fact that she’d be working for vampires.

“Dev, I’m doing this for all of us. We don’t have a choice. Tamsyn’s giving you grief over me; I can’t let you take the heat anymore. It’s not right,” she gave him her sad puppy dog look, before adding quickly, “besides, it’s only for six months, and it will be over before we know it,”

“Okay, okay, fine!” He melted in the end as he finished the last of his ice-cream. “But if he hassles you or comes near you, let me know. I know people!”

 “Thanks, I’ll remember that.” She frowned, not sure if she should laugh or be worried about his last statement.

Whoever said money can’t buy happiness lied. Leigh thought as she watched her future sister- in- law prance around the kitchen, preparing dinner. Tamsyn was in positive spirits now that she knew they would soon have a steady stream of income.

“Are you sure you don’t need help?” Leigh asked again in the background, but she waved her off.

“I can handle a green salad on my own. Besides, this dinner is in your honor, so I can’t let you lift a finger!”

It was too good to be true.  Leigh thought, almost choking on her salad, when Tamsyn launched her financial attack.

She wanted to know how much Leigh was planning to contribute to the household income.

According to her calculations, considering how Leigh had been practically sponging off of them for the past year, it was only fair she gave a minimum of fifty percent of her monthly income.

“What?” Leigh asked, her voice trembling with horror and disbelief. She quickly did her own calculations. Her face fell when she realized she’d have to kiss the possibility of getting her own place goodbye, and forget about the eco-friendly Prius. She wouldn’t even have enough left over to put away for a second art gallery.

“That’s enough, Tamsyn!” Devon’s quiet voice firmly put an end to the discussion on finances.

But Tamsyn wouldn’t be silenced. She didn’t seem to care that she was making dinner an unpleasant affair for everyone. “It’s only fair she pays back every cent she owes us!”

Thick tension hung in the air, making it hard for the other three to digest their food.

 “And she will, but fifty percent is a little too steep! She has to find her own place, and live too, you know!” Devon explained. He was a sweet natured man, and he rarely lost his temper.  His quiet voice had enough authority to make his opposition back off…At least it used to.

Leigh and the artist whose name she forgot as soon as they were introduced squirmed in their seats, listening to the heated exchange.

What’s wrong with wanting to live comfortably? Tamsyn wondered as she began tidying up the table, regardless of the fact that the other three were still trying to finish their meal.

She didn’t want to spend the rest of her life in poverty. Her office job didn’t pay much and Devon’s job…No, she shouldn’t even go there. At the rate they were going they’d never retire comfortably and she planned on retiring at forty!

She was seriously pissed at Devon, every time she glanced at him, she fumed anew. Of course she saw nothing wrong with her own behavior. She was only looking out for their future, and the Frosts were paying his sister loads of money…Enough for all three of them to live comfortably. Enough for her to splurge on her wedding! The wedding she’d dreamed about since she was five. She would walk down that aisle, in her Vera Wang wedding gown! That much she was certain of! And that’s one of the reasons she’d pushed so hard for Leigh to take the vampire job.

She was convinced if the stupid girl had pushed harder, sold herself and her ‘much sought after’ skills, the Frosts would have given her more money. They were vampires for fuck’s sake, and everyone knew vampires were rich. They had had eternity to build empires. With some of their strange abilities, like predicting the future, she firmly believed they made bucket loads on the stock market.

In fact if Leigh was smart, she’d pucker up to that alpha vampire.  What was his name again? Krisis, oh yes Krisis Frost. But she knew Leigh was such a timid little mouse, she wouldn’t know what to do with a man like that!

“You know what?” She turned on Devon and hissed icily. “I'm done trying to get through to you!”

 She stormed out of the front door, leaving stunned silence at the table.