March Madness (Challenge #137) -- PG-13

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librarian_7
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March Madness (Challenge #137) -- PG-13

Post by librarian_7 »

Okay, this time I need to thank not one, but three betas…Allegrita, Lilly, and an off-site buddy, caitricat. As always, no copyright infringement is intended. Mick and Josef, not mine. :sigh:

March Madness

I.

The last of the freshies had giggled her way out of the room, and the vampires were returning to their cigars and cards. Mitchell Rogers, a perpetually handsome vampire who appeared to be about 35, frowned after them.

“Damned gold-diggers, every one of them,” he said, and looked over at Mick. “I can see why you stick to the bottled stuff.”

Josef, who had paid for the refreshments for the evening, frowned a little. “I’m not sure that’s necessarily the case, Mitch.” Vampires, he thought. Once they hit 100 years, they think they’ve exhausted the wonder of the world around them.

One of the others, a younger vamp named Paul Stone, who looked a hard 45, with graying temples and a prematurely lined face, snorted. “Well, they often seem to have an eye on the main chance.” He looked over at the vampire to his right, Will Spence, and snapped, “Isn’t it your deal?”

Will tossed his thick blond hair out of his eyes, shuffled and started to deal the next hand. “I don’t know about gold digging, but I do think, if I were broke, I’d sure find it a lot harder to rustle up dinner.”

Taking a long sip from the crystal highball glass of blood Josef had thoughtfully provided, Mick set it aside to examine his cards. “I remember starting out poor. It was a lot harder to find a willing donor, back then. And the morgue stuff was expensive, too.” He paused, thinking about his hand. “But gold-digger seems a little harsh.”

Josef smirked. While he had no opinion about the motivations of the catered freshies, he’d personally dined on one of his exclusively contracted girls, and he was sure of them. “If you put in a little effort, they’ll be loyal. But I can understand why you’d have problems, Mitch.”

“Oh, nice.” Mitchell Rogers was possessed of a considerable amount of what Mick St. John would characterize as “basic vamp appeal,” but it was true that his looks and glib charm hadn’t ever attracted a regular roster of freshies. “I’ll take three cards. And I’m sorry, but I have better things to do than spend my time courting a bunch of flighty humans. It’s easier just to throw them trinkets.”

“You think so?” Josef responded. “Two, Spence.” He puffed on his cigar. It was a very good Havana, and he savored the flavor of it in his mouth. Nothing like the blood of a properly stimulated freshie, perfumed with desire, but nonetheless, a pleasure.

Stone might have been the youngest man at the table, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t been around the block a few times. “Give me two. It’s been my experience that these girls, they fall in love with their first vamp, and after that, everyone’s a rebound guy. And rebound guys never get the same—depth.” He studied his new cards, with a small disappointed sigh. “But it’s so hard, breaking in newbies.”

Mick gave a studied look at the bets on the table, and the expressions of the two vamps bracketing him. “I have to admit, very few of us have Josef’s luck—with freshies and finance, anyway. But it’s been a long time since I’ve had much to do with freshies. For biting, anyway.”

“Cards, Mick,” Josef growled. “None of us wants to hear about your neuroses.”

Mick leaned back and smiled, Josef’s bark was worse than his bite, as usual. “I’m good.”

Will tapped the ash from his cigar into a convenient ashtray, and ran his tongue over his lower lip. He’d found no fault with the evening’s fare, he thought as he sipped at the Macallan Josef was serving. No fault at all. “Well, it’s not as though you can’t afford the time—and the money, Kostan,” he said. He tended toward freelance girls, himself, although there had been exceptions to that, and he liked to think he’d inspired a little personal loyalty. “Dealer’s out. Can’t get a decent hand tonight to save my fangs.”

The bets on the hand went around a few times, and Josef ended by raking in the pot. “Anyone interested in a non-poker-related wager?” he asked.

“Depends. Does it involve the NCAA Championships?” Mitchell said.

“It may be March, but there are other things going on in the world,” Josef commented. “I was thinking of something a little closer to home.”

Mick sat up. This ought to be interesting. He didn’t know either Rogers or Stone particularly well, and he wasn’t sure that Josef had the full measure of them. Still, it never paid to underestimate Josef, especially when it came to a deal, or a bet.

“Depends, Kostan. What do you have in mind?” Mitch said.

Will was a bit more cautious. He’d seen Josef in action a few times before, too, and paid the price for over-confidence in going up against the elder vampire.

“Here’s the deal,” Kostan said. “I think I have a way to test the gold-digger hypothesis. I’ll tell my live-in freshies I’ve lost all my money.”

“So what’s the bet?”

Josef looked slightly exasperated. “The bet is, my ladies rally around me.”

Stone, a businessman both before and after his turning, narrowed his eyes. “And you’ll make it believable?”

“It’d hardly be a test, if they don’t buy into it.” Josef’s eyes glinted coldly. “I can sell it, trust me.”

Mitchell laughed. “I’ll take that bet.”

“So, what are the terms?” Paul asked.

Josef shrugged. “I tell my freshies I’m stony—“ he used the term deliberately, with a smirk at the younger vamp, who scowled, “—convincingly enough to make them think it’s for real, and we see their reactions to the news.”

“And who’s the judge of that?” Mitchell asked sharply.

“If you doubt my integrity,” Josef replied in a tone that made Mick smile to himself—he’d heard Josef go all silk over steel before—“I wonder that you choose to come to my home to gamble.”

Vampires don’t get paler, but Mitchell would have if he could have. He dropped his eyes back to the table. “It’s not that, Kostan.”

Josef sent a quick glance around the group, before his gaze lighted on Mick. “St. John’s here all the time. The girls won’t think anything of it, if he happens to be lurking in a corner when I break the news.”

Mick pursed his lips and nodded. “They usually treat me like furniture, anyway.”

Will Spence took another pull at his drink. “And why exactly is that, St. John? I’d think the ladies would find you damn near irresistible.”

Cocking an eyebrow, Mick replied, “I’ll take that as a compliment, I think. And I expect it’s because they’re Josef’s girls. Plus, they know I won’t bite.”

“Speaking of,” Mitchell interjected, “just how many resident freshies do you have, Kostan?”

The vampire stroked his chin and said, “Six, currently.”

Mick gave him a sidelong look. “I’d have thought seven, buddy. You getting too old to count?”

“Seven?” Josef countered. “Maria, Bailey, Lacey, Stephenie, Genesis, and Sasha. That’s six.”

“What about Lucky?” Mick asked, a slightly wicked glint in his eye. “She’s a freshie, right?”

Josef took a deep breath, looking thunderous. “Lucky is not—exactly—a freshie.”

“I’ve never known you to suffer from lack of definition before, Joz’f.” Mick cocked his head to one side, thoughtfully. “Look, buddy, one thing I know is, those girls of yours are smart. You’ve never picked them for looks alone. And if Lucky’s not there—for something this important—they’ll never buy it.”

“They know I’d tell her in private,” Josef snapped.

“Hey,” Rogers put in, “I think it ought to be all or nothing. You’re not going to hold out your favorite, are you?”

“Fine,” he snapped, “count her in then. For purposes of this bet, seven.”

“How many do you think will stand by you, then?” Paul asked.

“All—seven—if they know what’s good for them. But I’ll hedge it far enough to say, six.”

Mitchell smirked. “I’d say three, at most. And I’m a romantic.”

Spence looked thoughtful. He’d seen the Kostan Effect at work, before. “Put me in the pool for five.”

Stone opted for three, siding with Mitchell. Privately he thought it was a high estimate, judging from what he’d learned about freshies, these last few years.

“And what about you, St. John?” Mitchell asked. “Got your bracket sheet filled out?”

Mick hesitated. “Josef knows his cheering squad pretty well, but it never hurts to leave a little room for error. Six.” He looked Josef in the eyes. “And I’ll put in a side bet with any or all of you—no matter who walks away, it won’t be Lucky.”

Spence snorted. “I’ve met the lady. That’s a sucker bet.”

A little more discussion followed, on terms and amounts, but the deal was done, and finally Josef announced, “If we’ve settled this, gentlemen, I believe we have a card game to get on with.”

II.

Josef checked the mirror and loosened his tie. He wanted a convincing, slightly disheveled look. The stubble he’d been cultivating for three days while working long hours in his office was, he thought, sufficiently scruffy without overplaying his hand.

In the living room, the girls were all gathered, as he’d requested, and Mick was hovering in the background, looking like a crow in his long black coat. Josef spared him a look, and got a slight nod in return. Showtime.

He began by surveying them one by one, meeting each pair of eyes that looked at him so trustingly. Then he got to one particular pair of gray eyes, and felt as though he’d been kicked in the stomach. Damn, but he was pissed with Mick. He’d tried to leave Lucky out of this little exercise, but Mick had forced his hand. And looking at her now, sitting with the other freshies, it was not going to work. Josef admitted that he was an accomplished liar. He believed he was, as one former lover had memorably put it, a damned duplicitous bastard. It was a necessary facet of his existence, and had been for centuries.

So, why, now, was he so reluctant to look Lucky in the face and lie to her? Maybe, he thought sourly, because he liked the look of loving trust in her eyes, and he didn’t relish the idea of changing that. Not now, not yet.

He opened his mouth to speak, and closed it again, thinking. There was one way he might be able to do this.

“Lucky, doll,” he said, collapsing into an easy chair facing his waiting women, “come rub my shoulders, would you?” He ignored the twist of Mick’s mouth that bespoke suppressed mirth.

“Sure.” She rose gracefully and came around behind him, her warm hands immediately beginning to knead and stroke.

It was relaxing, and not for the first time, he cursed his big mouth. He’d rather not be doing this, but he wasn’t going to back down on a bet. He’d look like a fool, for one thing. And for another, it’d look like he’d lost confidence. Not going to happen.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. He’d thought of a dozen ways to approach the matter, and none of them seemed quite right. Well, there was nothing for it, but to plunge in.

“I’ve called you all together,” he started, his voice strangely tentative, “to give you some news. I—I can’t really explain exactly how it happened, but…I’ve—lost—everything.”

Lucky’s hands tightened on his shoulders, and there were multiple gasps from the other girls.

“Everything?” someone squeaked.

Josef sighed. “Yes, honey, everything.” He knew better than to make any lie too complicated, but he also knew these women would want details, and expect a little more than the bald statement he’d given them. “There’s this vamp—going by the name of David Xanatos—who’s somehow cleaned me out. Every company, every front, even the offshore accounts, he’s got them all.”

“Don’t you have hidden—assets, Josef?” Lucky said from behind him.

“I thought they were hidden. But not well enough, apparently.”

“This—Xanatos?—guy,” Bailey asked, “how could he get around you, Josef?” She was a long-haired brunette, with a studious look.

“It’s—complicated. But he did. And the bottom line is, well, that there is no more bottom line. I’m going to have to start over, from scratch. It’s going to be hard.” He paused, looking up and around at the ceiling as though realizing the extent of his losses. “The house, everything. I’ll be making plans, right away, where to go, what to do. I wanted to let you know—if anyone wants to walk away from me, I’ll understand. Under the circumstances, no hard feelings. I know this wasn’t what you signed on for.”

“Josef, we—“ Sasha started, but he held up his hand for silence.

“I know, it’s a lot to process. Believe me, I get that. It’s hard for me to comprehend, too. I don’t want to bore you girls with the ins and outs of how it was done, but Xanatos completely caught me by surprise.”

“You’re going to take him down, aren’t you, Josef?” Lacey asked, and he almost smiled. She was a fierce one.

“That’s my plan, babe,” he replied. “But it’s going to take time, and concentration. He’s got me at a huge disadvantage.” He sighed again, “Look, it’s going to be a bad time, for me. I know you ladies are used to a certain standard of living, and I’m not going to be able to provide that, for the foreseeable future. I don’t even know where I’m going to be laying my head, in a day or two. But it won’t be here, that’s for sure. This isn’t what I wanted, for myself or for any of you, but there it is.

“I suppose you might have some questions,” he finished, taking in their stunned looks. “Now would be the time.” He watched as they sent a barrage of glances to each other, Sasha to Bailey, Lacey to Maria, Genesis to Sasha, Stephenie to Bailey, and each to Lucky. He couldn’t see the tiny nod she gave them, and Mick was too busy looking at the rest of the girls to notice it, either.

He was still waiting for the first of them to speak up, when they all rose as one, and left the room. Even Lucky, with a last caress of his shoulders, retreated.

He was alone, with Mick.

Their eyes met. “Damn,” Mick said softly. “All of them.”

Josef felt like snarling, but settled for forcing a smirk, and said, “Guess I oversold it.” He’d rarely been less in the mood to snark, but there was no help for that. He stared at the empty couch, lost in thought, until Mick shoved a crystal highball of scotch into his hand. His mind had gone a little numb, he thought. He knew he’d have to take steps to dismiss each of them, and he thought that the severance packages might be a little less generous than usual. He’d been fond of them, too; Sasha and Bailey both had that particular blend of rare blood type, intelligence, and winning personality that he found so appealing, and the rest were each special in her own way. He’d handpicked them, as always, over an extended period of time, and the thought of losing one was a blow, let alone all six.

He took a slug of the scotch, and tried not to think about Lucky. Lucky, leave him? Over money? He couldn’t believe it. Not Lucky. He hadn’t felt so hollow since…since he didn’t wish to remember when. He took another drink, grimacing a little at the burn. It wouldn’t make him drunk, unfortunately, but it served as a distraction.

“Man, I’m sorry, buddy,” Mick said. “I never thought…”

“Shut up, Mick. I put my own foot in this.” He paused, and was about to tell Mick to just leave, when he heard an odd noise.

The freshies were coming back.

“Mick,” Lucky said, “be an angel and move that coffee table over in front of Josef’s chair, will you?”

A look of surprise crossed his face, but he moved quickly to fulfill the request, setting the low table in front of his friend.

Lucky, and one by one all the other freshies, deposited their jewelry boxes on the table, and topped them each with an envelope.

“What’s this?” Josef asked.

Lucky slipped into his lap, and put her arms around his neck. “Josef, we know you. All you need to get back on top is a stake. So…you’ve been very generous with gifts to us.”

“And you’ve always said our jewelry is ours to keep,” Sasha put in.

“Not to mention the other stuff,” Genesis added.

“I—I’m not sure I understand.”

“We want you to have it,” Lucky said. “Plus, the envelopes have ATM cards with PINs, safe deposit box keys, and car registration slips. You’ve been giving us lavish living allowances, and most us put a good bit away for the future. So, here it is. There should be several hundred thousand dollars’ worth of things, here.”

“That ought to be enough to get you started, Josef,” Bailey piped up. “And we’re betting on you.” All the others agreed.

“One more thing,” Lucky said, tossing her cell phone down on the table. “If that’s not enough to get you going, I’ve got the number of every former exclusive of yours for the past few years in my phone. You’ve been so generous in setting them up, I know they’ll want to help. Say the word, and I’ll start making calls. I’ll bet they all know others—there’ll be a chain reaction of funds pouring in, Josef.”

Josef buried his face in Lucky’s hair, hiding his expression. When he looked up, a few seconds later, his usual cocky confidence had returned. “You witnessed this, St. John,” he said.

“I did,” Mick returned. “I surely did.”

Josef nodded. “I’d like you to go, now, Mick. I have some thankyou’s to say. In private.” He paused. “And tell those bozos, I don’t accept morgue blood. If I’m going to drink bottled, it has to be from live donors.”

III.

The atmosphere at Pulse!, as always, was electric. The action on the dance floor was intense, with freshies vying for the attention of the vampires, and the vamps competing for the prettiest, tastiest freshies. Everyone seemed to be on the hunt for something: blood, a bite, true love…everyone except the three vampires sitting at a table tucked away in the corner of the VIP section.

Mitchell Rogers eyed the dancers, as though he had nothing else on his mind beyond finding a bite for dinner. Paul Stone was nervous, sipping frequently from his scotch. And Will Spence was reflecting that most of the vampires in Los Angeles these days were total jerkoffs, so, no change from decades previous.

“Where the hell is St. John?” he muttered, drumming his fingers on the tablecloth. “He should be here by now.”

“Could be traffic. And maybe Kostan put things off—again,” Mitchell replied.

“He told us, tonight,” Stone said, a hint of petulance creeping into his tone.

Spence cast his eyes over the crowd. He spotted a tall, lean figure in a long black coat, and snorted. “Only St. John could stand out wearing black in a crowd of vampires,” he said, and waved to let Mick know where they were.

A few seconds later, Mick slid into a chair at their table, and gave them an enigmatic nod. “Been waiting long?”

“Not especially,” Spence said, signaling for the waitress. “What’s your drink, Mick? Scotch?”

“Single malt, yeah.”

The waitress, who bore prominent fang marks on her thigh, just below the hem of her short skirt, batted her eyes at Mick, who ignored her blatant attempts at flirtation. “What can I get you?”

“Macallan, neat,” Mick said in his black velvet growl.

“Shall I blood it for you, sir?”

That got his attention. He looked up at her, startled. “That won’t be necessary.”

She pouted, and turned away.

“So what happened at Kostan’s?” Stone asked. “Did he talk to them?”

Mick raised his eyebrows. “Anxious?”

“Just tell us,” Mitchell said, his voice low and as menacing as he could make it.

Spence rolled his eyes. He smiled and shook his head. “Sorry, Mick. We’ve got a substantial amount riding on this.”

“Yeah, I get that.”

“And?”

Mick ran through the conversation he’d witnessed at Josef’s place. He repeated it word for word, as close as he could. At length, he said, “And then every one of them got up and walked out.”

“All of them?” Spence was disbelieving. “All seven?”

Mick nodded. Stone and Rogers clinked their glasses together, grinning.

“Gold-diggers. I knew it.”

“Hot damn, I’m up to my hips in liquid dreams.”

Mick gave them a lopsided smile, and held up one hand. “Not quite so fast.”

Stone was startled. “What?”

Mick took a slow sip of his drink, just to draw out the suspense. Setting it down deliberately, he looked around the table at the waiting faces. “And…then they all came back.” He kept the explanation of their generosity short, but got his point across.

Rogers narrowed his eyes. “And you’re sure there was no way he tipped them off?”

“I don’t see how. They were throwing off definite fear scent. And every heart in that room was pounding—not in a good way.”

“Huh.”

“Now, I believe two of you owe me for that side bet. And all three of you can settle up with Josef, later.”

Spence shook his head, and downed the remainder of his drink. “Well, that’s a gallon of B neg I’m going to be financing for six months.”

“I’m into him for twice that—and for me, it was AB neg,” Rogers replied mournfully. “What was the bet to you, Stone?”

Paul Stone shook his head, disbelieving. “I thought sure…I’m going to have to send him a pint every other week from my favorite freshie, for eight months. I don’t know what I’m going to tell her, but it’s going to cost me.”

Mick raised an eyebrow, and said sweetly, “Yeah, like you said, they’re all gold diggers.”

IV.

Much later, soaking in the gentle afterglow, and wrapped around Lucky, Josef stroked her hair and said, “So, tell me something, doll.”

“What?”

“Did you believe me? Did any of you believe me? Was all that for real?”

Lucky shifted her head on his bare shoulder, and smiled. “Josef, sometimes we—all the freshies—get into silly discussions, and oddly enough, this sort of scenario is something we’ve talked over. It’s almost like a fire drill, for us. If our vampire lost all his money, what would we do? So we had a plan in place.”

“Yeah, but…does that mean you really believed me, or not?”

She laughed softly. “What it means is that we didn’t care whether it was true or not. You told us it was, so we responded the way we’ve always planned.”

“Ah.” He reached up and toyed with a few strands of her hair. “It was much appreciated, sweetheart, even if it was a false alarm.”

Lucky smiled, and planted a kiss on his cool chest. “Although, next time you do a test, Josef, you might not want to make your nemesis have the same name as a bad guy from cartoon show we all watched as kids. I think at least three of us were big Gargoyles fans.”

“I’ll bear that in mind,” he said softly, rolling over to begin nibbling at her neck, again.

Lucky was sinking into a sensual haze, when suddenly her eyes snapped open. “Wait a minute.”

“Mmmmm?” Josef murmured against her throat.

“You knew, didn’t you? You knew we’d recognize that name.”

He lifted his head, bracing himself on his elbows, and continued the slow grind of his hips against her. “Now, how would an old vampire like me know anything about a children’s show from the mid-90s?” He paused long enough to note the extremely skeptical look in her eye. “And besides, you know my television viewing time is extremely limited.”

“Should I apologize for doubting you, or for giving you too much credit for deviousness?”

“Well,” he said with a sly grin, “I have to admit, you’d be amazed at what they re-run at 4 a.m.”
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allegrita
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Re: March Madness (Challenge #137) -- PG-13

Post by allegrita »

Yay, you posted it! :teeth:

Every vamp learned something this time. Josef learned that there are plans in place that even he doesn't know about. And I think his respect for his freshies (all of 'em, not just Lucky) just went up a few notches. Mick... well, Mick probably had his eating habits reinforced, but also I think he learned a little something about the loyalty of women who truly love a man. That is good for him.

The other three guys learned that you just don't mess with Josef, 'cause you'll always end up the poorer for it. :snicker:

And oooooh, Josef is a devious one, isn't he?? :winky:
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Re: March Madness (Challenge #137) -- PG-13

Post by jen »

Lucky

This is great!!!

Delightfully plausible in Josef's universe. Vampire or not, a poker game is a poker game and guys are guys.

Josef chose his freshies well. It is entirely plausible that the freshies would have a plan like this in place. Especially JK freshies.

Of course, Mick is no fool either. Betting on Josef is nearly a sure thing.

Thank you!

Jenna

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Re: March Madness (Challenge #137) -- PG-13

Post by francis »

I was pretty sure from the get-go that Josef would win this, because well, he's Josef, and the freshies are loyal. I just didn't know how they would pull it off, and what would happen.
This story is another true Lucky story, with lots of ambiance, atmosphere, great dialogue, fun and heart. I love how even the new characters of the vampires and the freshies had a distinct voice and feel. Great storyline, great end. :hearts:
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Re: March Madness (Challenge #137) -- PG-13

Post by cassysj »

I love it!!! Josef can always recognize loyalty. I really liked that he didn't want to lie to Lucky but a bet is a bet. I was actually tearing up when they all left even though I was sure something was up.
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Re: March Madness (Challenge #137) -- PG-13

Post by Lilly »

I love this. :hearts: You wanna know why? Because it's got all the elements that make Moonlight the show we love. It's got humor. It's got good-natured ribbing and snark. It's got enough heart to make me tear up big time in the middle section. :hankie: :happysigh: And it's got a bit of intrigue and suspense. :? Most of all, it made me feel really good by the time I was done with it. :blinksmile:

It also contains one of my favorite descriptions of Mick, EVER: :notworthy:
“Only St. John could stand out wearing black in a crowd of vampires,”...
:snicker: :heart:


Great take on the challenge, Lucky. After all, it was "madness" to think anyone could beat Josef at his own game. :teeth:
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Re: March Madness (Challenge #137) -- PG-13

Post by librarian_7 »

Oh, thanks! I always worry if twists are too obvious, or not workable.

alle--one of the central tenets in my view of the vampire/freshie dynamic, is that the enlightened vampire realizes over time that the better he or she treats freshies, the easier it is to make sure the food supply is assured. And obviously, Josef gets this. Because rich or poor, he's gotta eat...and you just know he's seen his share of desperate circumstances over the years. Yes, Mick has a different outlook, but you know, Mick has issues, and he doesn't yet have the long view Josef does.

jen--Absolutely, always bet WITH Josef, not against him. His integrity won't allow him to cheat on a wager, but he's not above manipulating things to go his way. I think one of Josef's mottoes is probably "Fortune favors the well-prepared." :snicker:

francis--aw, thanks! I do try to make all my characters, well, characters, because you never know when you might need them again. Obviously, you know Will Spence pretty well...and the freshies Lacey and Bailey are going to show up in a fic that's about half-written at the moment.

cassy--I'm pleased that my false lead on the freshies was affecting. I think they never thought when they left that he'd take it to mean they were bailing on him...because it was so clear to them that would never happen! Freshie Lucky, in particular, would be highly annoyed that Josef would think she'd walk out on him, even for a second, over money. The very idea!

And Lilly! Thanks SO much! I always love it when I can manage to actually pull off suspense...you just never know if that's working until you get reader responses. (And yeah, I was pretty proud of that particular description, too.)

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Re: March Madness (Challenge #137) -- PG-13

Post by Marigold »

Well done, Lucky! :rose:
librarian_7 wrote:Josef felt like snarling, but settled for forcing a smirk, and said, “Guess I oversold it.” He’d rarely been less in the mood to snark, but there was no help for that. He stared at the empty couch, lost in thought, until Mick shoved a crystal highball of scotch into his hand. His mind had gone a little numb, he thought. He knew he’d have to take steps to dismiss each of them, and he thought that the severance packages might be a little less generous than usual. He’d been fond of them, too; Sasha and Bailey both had that particular blend of rare blood type, intelligence, and winning personality that he found so appealing, and the rest were each special in her own way. He’d handpicked them, as always, over an extended period of time, and the thought of losing one was a blow, let alone all six.
:Mickangel: I felt sick while reading this, even though I knew you probably had something up your sleeve. Josef's girls are devoted to him. Even if one or two chose to leave, I knew Lucky wouldn't be one of them. I was so glad when all the freshies came back. :phew: I wasn't too surprised, though. I had faith in them. :ghug:

This will teach those other vamps to bet against Josef. :laugh:

Thank you! This was a great response to the challenge! :hearts:
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Re: March Madness (Challenge #137) -- PG-13

Post by cassysj »

This is one of my favorite freshie stories. :hug:
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Re: March Madness (Challenge #137) -- PG-13

Post by eris »

I somehow missed this one last year, Lucky, but it was a wonderful surprise to find bumped to the top of the list.

You have no idea how big I grinned seeing Xanatos as the nemesis Josef came up with. I was definitely a Gargoyles fan way back when, and there's no mistaking that name. :clapping:

Great view of a literal home court advantage.
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Re: March Madness (Challenge #137) -- PG-13

Post by MickLifeCrisis »

I missed this before, too! :blushing:

A great story! And I believed everything. I've never even heard of the Gargoyles tv show, so the name didn't ring any warning bells with me. And I never thought of the freshies having a "disaster plan" in place. :snicker:

A lot of great lines in this, too. This was a great read! So glad it got bumped!

:thanks:
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Re: March Madness (Challenge #137) -- PG-13

Post by librarian_7 »

I think that may be--if it doesn't sound too ridiculous of me--one of the beauties of my office. There's just so gosh darn many things there, I think almost anyone can find one they've missed, or forgotten, in there. :snicker:

Thanks for the comments, and thanks for the bump, cassy!
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Re: March Madness (Challenge #137) -- PG-13

Post by MickLifeCrisis »

It's March Madness time again... and this deserves a reread and a bump. What a great Lucky story! :twothumbs:

Cassysj's Little Lambs fic got me thinking of Josef playing poker, which reminded me of this story, and Carol pointed me right to it. Thank you Carol for the directions and thank you Lucky for the story!

:thanks: :ghug:
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Re: March Madness (Challenge #137) -- PG-13

Post by librarian_7 »

You know, if you dig deep enough in my office, there's another poker-playing Josef story... "Poker Night". It's before Josef and Freshie Lucky became so...close.
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Re: March Madness (Challenge #137) -- PG-13

Post by MickLifeCrisis »

What would March Madness be without this Lucky story?? :highfive:

As enjoyable as ever!
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