Page 14 of The Donor’s Dilemma

“What?” A middle-aged man a few seats around exclaimed.

“Let Verity talk please, Mike,” David said.

“Let her talk? She stole my client!”

“You can’t steal a client, Mike. You don’t own them.”

“Eight years!” Mike stood, almost knocking over his chair. “Eight years of my life and I’m cast out for her.”

He stared down his nose at her like she was shit on his shoe.

“It isn’t my fault,” Verity snapped, crossing her arms. It really wasn’t, but that didn’t stop her gut twisting. Eight years and Theo swapped him out like it was nothing? “Maybe he got sick of your bad attitude. I just took the client I was given.”

“Okay.” David stood, approaching Mike like he was a rabid animal. “Let’s all take a breath.

Mike snorted. “Oh, piss off Dave.” He marched for the door. “I don’t have to put up with this!”

The woman he had been sitting next to jumped out of her seat and dashed after him as David followed, calling on them both to wait.

The donors turned their gaze back to Verity and she wished she could vanish. The Queen-Bee smirked and a couple of her posse whispered and giggled.

“How did you find your first donation?” Vivienne asked, and the room stilled, waiting for her answer.

Fuck. Verity had forgotten about the “guest” and she really hoped David hadn’t been trying to impress her.

“It was fine,” she said. “Not as bad as I was expecting.”

The vampire smiled. “And Lord Chapel was professional?”

“Of course,” Verity said with a frown. Why would she even ask that?

“Good, that’s good,” Vivienne mused. “I understand how… intimidating it can be. The comfort and safeguarding of donors really are our number one priority.”

Although Verity doubted the vampire could really understand how it felt, she did appreciate the sentiment.

“Apologies everyone,” David declared, re-entering the room, Mike and the woman gone. “Where were we? Mr Chen?”

All eyes moved over to Adam as he started talking, apart from Vivienne who Verity caught watching her. They shared a smile and Verity wondered what exactly her job was. David hadn’t said but she must be some higher up at the Exchange to be sitting in on donor meetings.

Verity fidgeted with the list in her pocket. Her questions would have to wait another week, or forever.

At least Adam had made some friends, even if they shunned Verity. Vivienne and the rest of the circle nodded along as he spoke about how his vampire, Bea, was so much kinder than he’d expected.

“Yesterday at the club...” Adam started when the Queen-Bee gave him a not so subtle kick.

The circle shifted, eyes darting between David and Vivienne, whose perfect smile faltered for a split second before she caught herself.

“That’s great,” David interrupted, turning to another new donor. “Miss Perry.”

Yeah, subtle as a sledgehammer. Had something happen yesterday at this club? Something they didn’t want Vivienne to know about?

Once the new donors finished introducing themselves David declared they should go around the circle and everyone say something they wished they'd known as a new donor. Every answer felt far too safe and Verity decided that they were definitely on their best behaviour for the visitor.

The meeting lasted almost two hours and felt like one of those team-building events that made Verity want to doze off. So much for her list of questions. Since the cool kids were still giving her the side-eye and everyone who had sat near Mike was staring downright daggers at her, Verity didn’t fancy drawing any more attention to herself.

When the meeting finally came to an end Adam wandered over and gave her another hug.

“Sorry about earlier,” he said. “They all get a bit protective over their vampires. Politics or something, I dunno.”