Demon Girl (Keeley Thomson Book One) (21 page)

   “Alright, I'm lending you Freida and I want you to keep her for now. Tell your mom she's on loan to help with the flower business. We don't know what Quince is up to or anyone else right now, probably nothing to do with either of us, but I want you to have transportation in case you have to get out of town or something. Also, that way you can drive everyone else around at need, if I'm not around. So, part of the loan is about that, which will make my life easier. Oh, here...”

   She reached into the little purse she carried with her and pulled out a small blue card, handing it over without pause.

   It was a visa card.

   One with Keeley's name on it.

   “Just for gas and snacks, or if I send you on errands or what not. Or emergencies. So here you go. Oh, the insurance covers anyone driving it, all my cars have that, since I never know who's going to be in what vehicle. Obviously don't break any laws unless you have to. I have too many friends on the police force to have my own sister making their days harder.”

   With that she revealed Freida by opening the door, which had to be done manually. It was... Amazing. Ridiculous too, but in that old fashioned way that spoke of a lot of money having been spent on something.

   The car wasn't a car at all, but a van, a Volkswagen van that looked a little like a Twinkie, except that the whole thing had been painted in shades of cream, shining enamel paint that made the thing look at least twice as nice as it had any right to.

   “Regular unleaded. Here you go.” Darla tossed the keys to her gently, the end of the arc being the palm of the right hand.

   Keeley grinned. Freida was perfect. Wonderful.

   Powerful. The engine wasn't standard, that was for sure. It barely made a growl and instead of barely rolling down the street Keeley had to be very careful not to break the speed limit. She did it though. Driving carefully just made sense, especially if she wanted Darla to ever loan her another car. Now all she had to do was explain to her mother why she had a van and not make it seem like a big deal. It was, to her at least.

   Darla was so cool.

   Which was probably the other part of why she lent her Freida. To influence how she thought about her. It was subtle, but there. If she'd given her the vehicle that would have had a temporary bump, but by loaning it, she was ensuring Keeley's continued cooperation and good will. Of course Keeley didn't really get a choice in that, did she? That whole mentor thing kind of trumped anything other than cooperation, at least as long as she wanted to live.

   OK, she could be a pain in the butt and try to act like she was god's gift to demons, but that wouldn't work. Especially since god was imaginary. That thought was an odd one. She'd heard some Christians claim that demons didn't really exist, but to say that it was the other way around and actually hear it from a demon, yeah, that was different alright.

   It was a good five minute drive to her house, and since there were hours to kill before she needed to be at the library, Keeley decided to get her own homework done. She didn't have a lot, it was Monday, so some things had been assigned, but the only thing of note was a three page paper on “the new deal” for history class. It took about half an hour to write and another half an hour to put in a binder after printing it out, then she wrote the outline by hand. It was busy work, requiring an outline, but if that's what the school wanted, she'd do it.

   The paper wasn't due for three weeks, but now it was finished, so she didn't have to worry about it. Maybe she could do a poster project about it too? Those were easy enough.

   “Keeley?”

   The voice was her mom's, calling with a friendly but worried tone. The kind that said she needed to go out and explain something or... there would be more calling out in a worried tone. Sherry Thomson didn't go in for yelling much, or even speaking harshly.

   Stacking the project carefully she headed to the living room.

   The sight was pretty much as she expected, at first.

   Her mom stood talking to a man, one that she didn't place for about ten seconds, since the last time she'd seen him he'd looked old and had been dressed in silk. Now Finias had on a nice three piece suit and looked maybe a well-kept thirty, if not younger. It was the same face, just young.

   And kind of hot.

   That was why her mother sounded worried? Did she think this was Keeley's new boyfriend or something? Then, since she didn't know what the demon was going to say, he might be. Though if he tried to say anything like that he was catching a tennis shoe to the groin, she thought suddenly, then fought back her growing sense of panic.

   The man put his hand out to shake professionally.

   “Ah, there you are. Mrs. Gibson said that you'd be here.” The man blushed slightly and ducked his head, both fake, but Sherry seemed to buy it.

   “Oh, sorry, I should introduce myself. I'm Carmichael, Dan Carmichael from Coretechs? Just wanted to let you know that we've looked at your application and can indeed use you in the mail room. It's just sorting and delivery two days a week, but there's growth potential if you do well.”

   He said this as if she knew what he was talking about. Keeley forced a grin.

   “Mom! I got the job. I can't believe it. I... I promise to do a good job, Darla said there was an opening so I applied, her grandmother owns the place, but you know, I'm a bit young, so I didn't think... Cool!” She tried to sound genuinely enthused.

   “Dan” smiled at her and patted her hand, only one thing came across, the envelope he was going to hand her in the paperwork was for Darla. She needed to guard it until it got to her hands.

   Otherwise he could have just slipped it under the door.

   “Paperwork for you to fill out, if you want the position. We can actually use the help, but it's contingent on grades staying up, you understand? Part of our community outreach program.” This went to Sherry who nodded and smiled happily enough. She wasn't anti-work after all. Few parents were.

   “Say, do you know a Charles Thomson...” The demon asked carefully. “We've a man by that name at work.”

   “Oh yes,” Sherry smiled hugely, sizing the man up a bit.

   “My... husband. Are you friends?”

   “Hardly know him. He's new still, but we're all one big happy family at Coretechs. We should all get together sometime for drinks or something?”

   Sherry blushed slightly, below what a normal person would notice, but Keeley got it. She stared at Finias with a smile on her face and thought at him.

   'Dude, you are not hitting on my mother in front of me.'

   The demon, the other demon, Keeley realized, the thought sounding odd in her own head, laughed suddenly and put his hand out to Sherry, but not Keeley.

   “I need to run, really just dropping by to deliver these things.” He waved generally at the stack of papers Keeley had.

   “I do hope we'll get a chance to meet again.” This he directed at Sherry with enough eye contact and sexiness to his voice that no one missed the meaning of.

   Gah.

   Then, without making any other sign that he wasn't who he'd said, the demon left, driving away in a dark blue sedan. Sherry stood in the door for a minute.

   “Is... someone else here?” She pointed at Freida.

   Oh, right. Keeley hadn't actually explained yet. She decided to go with the truth.

   “On loan. From Darla. She said to tell you we could use it for the flowers. It's insured, universal coverage, so that part isn't a problem.”

   “Oh... well, that was nice of her.” Taking a deep breath, tensing and then looking down the woman spoke in a rush. Sounding suddenly... anxious.

   “So, um, is Darla your, um... girlfriend?” The voice that came out was tiny. Very small and soft.

   Keeley wanted to blink, but couldn't. She wanted to breathe and blurt out “no” loudly, but she had to relax first and managed to fix her mom with what she hoped was just a level and not an angry expression. She'd never done anything to make her mother think she liked girls had she? Yeah, she didn't date a lot, not at all, yet, but that didn't mean she played for the other team... Not as far as her mom should expect at least. For her own part, well, she'd never thought about it really. She avoided everyone as a rule.

   “Um, noooo.” Keeley managed a smile then, forced one into being, but the mortified feeling was being beaten back and she almost managed pleasant before she spoke. After all, her mom didn't know that Darla was her half-sister, did she?

   “Just friends. Um, if it comes up in the future, say if you're trying to set me up, I actually prefer guys, at least as far as I know. But even if I didn't I think I'd go after someone like Hally, you know the red-head from the other day? She's cute, and really sweet, don't you think? Plus, I think she likes me, you know, as in a little more than a friend?” It was true enough, so Keeley just held her face as innocent in look as possible.

   “Oh, I... Just “lending” a person a car like that, it's not normal is it?”

   “That's what I said. But she hasn't tried to get me into bed yet, so...” Keeley shrugged, hands coming up.

   It was early, but going to the library was a good excuse to get the heck out of there, one which Sherry was fine with until she got to the part where it was Hally she'd be meeting.

   “The red-head from the other day? The one that might like you?” Her mom said, sounding half shocked, half amused.

   “Don't worry, just tutoring. Though I suppose she might feel grateful later... I should be home before nine. Her parents are strict like that.”

   “Um...” Sherry smiled then. “Well, have fun honey. Remember, I support you no matter who you are. Or who you date.”

   Keeley laughed and waved goodbye, taking the pile of papers with her, just in case she met up with Darla at all. She wondered if the job offer was real?

   She'd have to check.

Chapter eleven