– So, what do you think of Brazil? – I heard Grayson's voice.
– I'm afraid I won't get to see it because of you," I told him grimly, walking obediently beside him.
– You have beautiful hair," he said suddenly, giving me a fleeting glance.
That out-of-place phrase made me smile mockingly.
We were getting further away from the airport building. The wind blew my hair around, tangling it, but I had no way to keep it out of my eyes as I dragged my wheeled suitcase behind me with my free hand.
People looked at us in surprise: we must have been something funny. Two men in black suits, hiding from the sun under big black umbrellas, were clearly asking for attention. I was the only one dressed for summer.
We walked and walked. I was starting to get exhausted from the heat and was breathing heavily. My loose hair only made it worse. Finally, we reached a small building and stood under its graceful shade. There wasn't a soul around. Grayson closed his umbrella, but didn't take off his gloves. As we reached the place, I noticed girls smiling at him as we passed, but he didn't seem to pay any attention to their smiles.
Grayson let go of my palm, pulled my phone out of his jacket pocket, and held it out to me.
– Call him.
I looked into his face and knew he wasn't in the mood for jokes: the blue pupils of his eyes were as cold and sharp as shards of broken ice. They dug into me with an almost physical pain.
The vampire left me no choice: I picked up the phone.
– I switched it to normal mode. But remember, no jokes," Grayson warned me in a serious tone.
I nodded absently and dialled Cedric's number. Tears of self-pity suddenly came to my eyes. I put the phone to my ear and held my breath as I heard the long beeps. Grayson was watching my every move, and I was afraid to breathe.
But suddenly the ringing stopped. Cedric hadn't picked up.
That fact startled me, and I froze, with the phone to my ear. Then I took a deep breath and closed my eyes: actually, my soul was rejoicing that Cedric hadn't answered, because now I had a chance to convince Grayson that I was nothing more than a distraction, a toy to Cedric.
– He lied to me! – I whispered, trying to look mortally hurt. But I didn't have to squeeze the tears out-they just flowed down my cheeks, and I didn't bother to wipe them away. Let the vampire think I was terribly upset!