Life's A Miracle

Chapter 2

Chelsie had barely lowered herself into the chair behind her desk when Tiffany stormed inside her office. She slammed the door, then propped both fists on her hips.

“What the hell was that about?” Tiffany demanded.

Tiffany’s anger didn’t move Chelsie. She’d prepared herself

for this sort of behavior from her sister.

Chelsie adjusted her glasses, then rested her forearms on her desk. “Be more specific, TJ.”

“How about this for specifics? How long have you been thinking about this turning business? And why haven’t you said anything about it to me or Mom?

Chelsie hated keeping things from her sister, and especially the real reason she wanted to turn. Normally she shared everything with Tiffany. They were more than sisters. They were BFF’s. 

“A while, and I was afraid to tell you the reason.” She wasn’t about to tell Tiffany the real reason, but she had a few surrogate ones that might get Tiffany off her back.

“Which is?”

“Envy. I want to live hundreds of years and age slowly. Who wouldn’t? Plus the psychic and telekinetic abilities vampires possess are marvelous and fascinating.”

Tiffany made a disapproving face, but Chelsie ignored her, and picked up a pen laying near her keyboard. She began fiddling with it.  

To Chelsie, vampires were wondrously and uniquely made. Granted they couldn’t survive without human blood, but as they’d evolved, they’d developed techniques to obtain blood from humans without harming them, and without the human ever recalling they’d been a donor. Of course these days, respectable vampires used blood banks. The point was, Chelsie would never tire of studying vampires as long as she lived, which was why she’d chosen to practice medicine for them.

Tiffany walked across the room, then plopped down in one of the two black, leather arm chairs in front of Chelsie’s desk. “I think you’ve lost your mind, if you want to know the truth. You’ve watched me, Mom, and Dannie all struggle with our own turnings. It’s no picnic to wake up in the middle of the night with an unholy lust so vicious you break out in a cold sweat. Not to mention, it’s a pain in the ass to wear sunglasses every day of your life.”

Chelsie sighed. “TJ, none of this is news to me. Yes, I’ve witnessed the fears the three of you faced in the beginning. Each of you got over those fears quickly thanks to your life mates. Speaking of life mates. You wasted nearly twelve years with Christian, because you didn’t want a relationship with a vampire. You’re turning finally let you see that Christian was the love of your life. So don’t preach to me about the downsides of becoming a vampire.” 

Tiffany had nothing to say to that it seemed, but she did appear a bit reflective.

Tiffany had been dying when Christian made the decision to turn her. In the beginning she’d been very ungrateful, furious in fact, but had Christian not made that decision she would have missed out on a wonderful life with him. That’s all Chelsie wanted. Just a wonderful life. In fact her life didn’t even have to be all that wonderful. She’d settle for ordinary and boring as long as she could continue breathing. 

Chelsie didn’t want to labor this subject with her sister. The matter was settled as far as she was concerned. “Tiffany, I’m doing this with or without the partners’ help. The only thing left for us to talk about is whether or not you’ll be my donor.”  

Tiffany snorted, and gave her a sour look. “Why me?”

Chelsie shrugged. “Do you think I want Dannie or Mom to be able to read my mind? I’m not exactly fond of the idea that you’ll be able to dip into my thoughts once we’re blood bonded, but the one thing I can count on with you is discretion.” 

That was true to a point. Thank God Tiffany didn’t have the ability to push into her mind now. Dying was all Chelsie ever thought about.

“So will you do it?” Chelsie asked, worried now because Tiffany appeared pained.

“How soon are you thinking about doing the procedure?”

“In a couple of weeks if all goes well.”

Tiffany’s eyes popped. “A couple of weeks? Are you nuts? You haven’t told a soul about this yet. You’ve got to give the family time to come to grips with this. And in case you forgot, your partners all shot you down. How do you plan to do this by yourself if they won’t let you use the V clinic to conduct the procedure? I’m not about to give you my blood, then stand back and chew my nails, waiting to see if you live or die.”

“You won’t have to as long as you tell Christian you’ve agreed to give me your blood. Christian won’t allow me to do this by myself. He’ll either help me, or convince Asa and Noah to let the procedure be done here.”

Tiffany’s brows knit, then a sage little grin inched across her face. “You’re sneaky as hell.”

Chelsie returned a smile in kind. “I can be, but I’d rather think of it as being fully prepared for battle by having all flanks covered.”

“True that, but what if I say no?”

Chelsie had this argument covered too, or at least she hoped she did. “Would you say yes if I told you I were dying?”

Tiffany’s amber eyes sparked with irritation. “Of course, but that’s obviously not the case.”

“It is the case. If I remain human you will watch me die. It may be forty or fifty years from now, but you will watch me die. And when you do, you’ll remember this conversation, and that I asked you to spare my life.”

“You’re a devious b***h, Chels, you know that?”

“Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

“s**t. You’re dead serious about this, and there’s nothing I’m going to be able to say or do to talk you out of this, is there?”

“Not a chance. So will you help me or not?”

Tiffany braced a palm on her forehead, and closed her eyes for a few seconds. Finally, she huffed, and said, “Okay, I’ll do it, but not in two weeks. I’ll do it in a month, provided you tell the family, and listen to any concerns they might have. Most importantly, after you hear them out, I want you to use the remaining time to decide if you’re making the right decision.”

“Damn it, Tiffany. I won’t wait a month!” She only had a handful of them left.

“Why not? That’s not such a long time.”

It was when you only had three or four months to live, Chelsie thought. Her symptoms were getting worse. In a month she might not be able to hide the headaches, nausea and weakness any longer. “Two weeks. Please T.J. I’m ready, and time isn’t going to change my mind.”

“God, you’re stubborn. You promise you’re telling me everything about why you’re bound and determined to do this?”

“Of course.” She stared at the pen in her hand, as she tapped it against her desk.

More lies. She hated them, but the lies would end soon. After the testing was complete, no matter the outcome, she intended to tell her family about the cancer. She’d kept this from them long enough, only because she kept hoping for a miracle.

She was nowhere close to a miracle yet. One of the tests for a turning involved a CT scan, which of course would reveal her tumor. The CT scan might also present problems with the size and positioning of the tumor. In other words, the turning might kill her, because the tumor could explode before the vampire blood cells killed it off. 

“Fine. I still think you’re hiding something,” Tiffany groused.

“Like what?” Chelsie snapped, exasperated with her sister’s constant picking.

“Is this decision in any way related to a certain hot doctor of the vampire persuasion?” She lifted her hand, and pretended to be interested in her short-clipped nails.

Chelsie felt her face flush with heat, from embarrassment partly, but also anger. She’d foolishly confided in Tiffany about her crush on Asa one night after a couple of beers, and her sister hadn’t let up on the issue since. “Don’t be ridiculous. What logic would there be in turning for Asa? Whether I’m human or vampire is irrelevant.”

“I know that, but I bet if you were vampire it would get you a second look from him, and maybe a third or fourth.”

“Not likely, TJ. He doesn’t even know I exist.”

“How do you know that? Have you ever asked him out for a cup of coffee? Maybe if he got to know the real you, he’d be intrigued. Does he even know about the band? I bet he’d be mesmerized by Chelsie the singer’s magic. You have an amazing voice and stage presence, and you know it.”

“Mesmerized? Please. Give me a break.” Chelsie pushed her thick glasses further up her nose, and pursed her lips. “No, he doesn’t know about Twisted Dixie, and I see no reason to tell him. Asa is my partner. We’re friendly, but not friendly friendly.”

“So? Maybe you could change that if you were to put a little effort into it.”

“Who says I want to change it?” 

At one time Chelsie may have tried getting to know hot Dr. Asa Bradley a bit better, but not now. Her plate was full, and it was a rancid one to stomach. Romance was not on her radar. Surviving a terminal brain tumor, while going about life as if nothing was wrong, was all she had time to deal with presently.

“I know you have a huge crush on him, Chels. Why are you trying to pretend otherwise?”

“What women wouldn’t be attracted to Dr. Bradley? He’s gorgeous, and like most vampires he’s tall and built like a Grecian god. I’m built like a Grecian hippo. He’d never look twice at me, so there’s no point in setting my sites on the guy. Besides, I’m not looking for a fling. Vampires, as you well know, are wired to hunt for their life mate. So a fling is all I could hope for.”  

“Geez Chels, when are you going to grow some self esteem? You aren’t fat. You’re very busty and full figured. Did it ever occur to you that some men like that kind of body type? As far as life mates go, you know as well as I do a human is just as likely to be the life mate of a vampire as a vampire. You pretty much said the same thing a few minutes ago about me and Christian.”

“But sparks haven’t arced between Asa and I the way they did between you and Christian. It’s a one sided attraction I assure you. I wish I’d never told you about my feelings for Asa. Right now I have so much going on at the V clinic and with the band, there’s no room in my life for romance.”

  “Not even Chad? You told me he wants to fire things up with you again.”

“Chad? Are you kidding me? Good God no. I’d sooner date a snake.” 

Chad was the lead male vocalist in their band, Twisted Dixie. She was the female lead. Once a lifetime ago, she’d been in love with Chad Raker, but no longer. He was a player, a cheat, and a liar, and time had not lessened those innate, disgusting qualities.  

Tiffany’s suspicions had merit regarding her and Chad. Chad was working overtime to re-k****e those old feelings she’d had for him in her teens. Not because he wanted her, but because he needed her to make the band a success. Chad was her first love, but her feelings for him now were barely friendly. Her life mate would be a man with a singular eye. She would always care about Chad, but facts were facts. Chad was a man w***e.

Tiffany crossed her arms, and leaned further into the chair. “Well, I am glad to hear that because he is a snake.”  

“No worries. Our ship to `happily-ever-after’ sailed nine years ago when I started Harvard.”

Unlike everyone else in her life at that time who’d loved her, Chad had been furious with her when she chosen a school halfway across the country. Not because of the distance or their relationship. No. When Chelsie left for Harvard, she’d left the band. Her choice had inadvertently destroyed Chad’s dreams of recording contracts, fame, and fortune. 

Without her, the band had floundered, until three months ago when she’d returned to singing with them. They’d gone from getting gigs in seedy bars, to playing in some of the best places in southern Louisiana once she’d joined Twisted Dixie again.  

Being a part of the band again fulfilled that artistic side of her, which had been missing for years. Chelsie loved sharing her talent with an audience who appreciated country music. However, getting it through Chad’s thick head that her medical career came before the band was driving her crazy, but she didn’t have time to think about him or the band right now. Tiffany was back on the Asa train. She was happily life mated, and apparently thought everyone else should be too.

“I still think you’re writing off Asa too easily. Apparently, you missed the way he was looking at you earlier.”

That pulled her out of her Chad and the band ruminations. “What are you talking about?”

She grinned conspiratorially. “He gave you the look. You know. The look.”

No she didn’t know. Asa had always been cordial and friendly toward her, but he’d never attempted to flirt with her. “You’re going to have to be more specific, because I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Tiffany rolled her eyes. “s**t. You are clueless. When you walked into the room, he stood, and stared at you like ‘Man I’d like to bite into some of what’s happening underneath that lab coat.’ You know, the whole blood lust look a vampire gets in his eyes when he’s thinking he’d like to taste what he’s beholding.”

Chelsie felt her face warm. She’d missed that completely, but Tiffany wouldn’t embellish something that huge. The news did give her self esteem a huge bump. She didn’t just hate the way her body looked, she despised it for turning on her. 

“I guess I am clueless, because I didn’t catch that at all. To me he just looked curious, but then I wasn’t really paying attention. My plate was kind of full at that particular juncture with my impending bomb shell.”

“Yes, that. When are you planning on telling Mom and the rest of the family?”

Chelsie stifled a groan. “If you and Christian agree to help me, then I guess this weekend I’ll call Mom. So will you do this for me, Tiffany?” 

Chelsie knew her sister worried, but she had to push the issue on a date for her turning. The headaches and nausea were so awful, it was all she could do some days to crawl out of bed, and get to the V-clinic. She had a monster of a headache presently, and tonight the band played at Cajun Refugees. It the pain didn’t abate, she was going to have one miserable night ahead of her.  

“Are you going to do this for me, Tiffany?” she pressed.

The serious look on her sister’s face grew more intense as she studied her. “If Christian agrees to conduct the turning, I’ll donate my blood. But you still got shot down by Asa and Noah. You won’t be able to use the V-clinic for this. So I don’t really know where this leaves you.”

“As long as you’ll give me your blood, I’m still in the driver’s seat. Christian will find a way to help me do this safely. He won’t let me down. But two weeks, T.J. I won’t wait a month. I’ve waited long enough.”

“You’re stubborn as hell.”

“Who isn’t when they want something badly enough?”

“Whatever. What time is the band playing tonight?”

“Nine. You and Christian are still planning on being there, I hope?”

“Of course. Cajun Refugees is one hell of a gig. That place books some of the best country artists in the world, and my sister is now one of them. I’m proud of you, Chels. Are you sure you don’t want to sing for a living? You could, you know. I’ve never met anyone with a set of pipes like yours.”  

“I appreciate that, but I’m quite happy being a doctor. As much as I love singing, it’s still just a creative outlet.” 

She adjusted her glasses. Chelsie was very nervous about tonight. Not because she would be singing in front of over a thousand people in a rowdy bar, but because she was afraid she might not be able to rely on her body to get her through the night. Occasionally, when she exerted herself, she had fainting spells. Preforming demanded extreme exertion, and today had not been one of her better days physically.  

“All right then. Christian and I will be there to cheer you on. In fact I may ride with you. I’d like to help you get ready for tonight. You are still planning on wearing that red dress I bought you for your first night at Cajun’s?”

Chelsie bit back a groan. “Tiffany, it’s too tight. I’d feel far more comfortable in jeans.”  

Her jaw dropped, and her expression turned incredulous. “I just agreed to help you turn into a vampire, a decision I don’t feel good about, and you can’t wear a dress I spent a small fortune on?”

“Fine! I’ll wear it. But if I’m going to get to the club on time, I have to go home now.”

“Then go. I’ll meet you at your place in a few.” Tiffany stood.

“Tell Christian I said thanks.” Chelsie smiled.

Tiffany snorted, then headed for the door. “Tell him yourself tonight.”

* * *

Asa turned off the conference room lights, then stepped out of the room, and locked the door. His destination was his office. He wanted to change out of his lab coat, but just as he made a right into another hall, he slammed into Tiffany. “Whoa, Missy Lou. Are you okay?”

She laughed, and brushed a stray curl off of her face. “I’m fine. Actually, I was looking for you.”

Asa arched a brow. “Why? If you’re here to plead your sister’s case there’s no need. Christian won’t leave her hanging if she’s determined to do this. Our stance remains the same. We all disagree with Chelsie’s decision, but none of us will allow her to risk her life. You should be trying to talk her out of this you know, but I’m guessing your sister got her way with you.”

“Yeah. I tried to reason with her, Asa, but she’s solid on this. Why, I don’t know, but I guess I can see her point. Now that I’m a vampire, I do appreciate the fact I won’t need botox for a couple centuries.”

He laughed. “It will probably be off the market for those purposes by then. I’m surprised it isn’t already. Women and their vanity, I suppose.”

“Speaking of women, I bet there’s something you don’t know about my sister.”

That peaked his interest, because there was much he didn’t know about Chelsie, and much he’d like to learn. Like if she was dating someone. “What about her?”

Tiffany had a brown leather handbag slung over her shoulder. She opened it, and began rifling through the thing. A few seconds later, she produced what appeared to be a ticket for some sort of event. She handed it to him, and said, “Did you know Chelsie is an up and coming country artist? She’s playing tonight at Cajun Refugees with her band, Twisted Dixie. Wanna come? Of course Christian and I will be there.”

Asa’s jaw dropped. There were many things Tiffany could have told him about Chelsie, but never in a million years would he have guessed this deep, dark secret. Obviously, her band was a big thing. Cajun Refugees was the swankest country/Cajun bar in the city.  

He looked at the ticket, which had the name Twisted Dixie, and lead female vocalist, Chelsie Peebles embossed across the front and the date, 10/02/2029. Asa was impressed. 

“Wow. She really sings in a band, huh? No I wouldn’t miss this for the world. Is she any good?”

Tiffany snorted. “She’s playing at Cajun Refugees, Asa. Of course she’s good.”

“Huh. Well, count me there. What time?”

“The band starts at nine, but you’d better get there early if you want a seat.”

Asa laughed. He still couldn’t fathom Chelsie in a band. She was so quiet and reserved, but cute as hell. 

“I’ll be there. Save me a spot.” Asa tucked the ticket into the front pocket of his lab coat.

“Will do. Later.” She closed her purse, then took off down the hall toward the front of the building.

Once she was out of vampire earshot—which was a ways, because their kind’s hearing was nearly as sharp as their stellar sense of smell—he let out a low whistle. Cajun Refugee’s was a nice gig for any band, and Asa had a feeling Chelsie would be dressed for the occasion. He let his mind wander to the vision of her ass bursting the seams a tight pair of jeans, and an equally tight V necked shirt, revealing ample cleavage.  

Yeah, he’d be there all right. With bells on.