Chapter 4

Moonlight Reflections

"Yes, but what was he doing in LA?"

Mick looked at the back of the photo, "That picture is from the day you arrived."

"What? Give me a sec, I want to call Janette. Hi Janette, do you know where LaCroix is. You don't and he isn't in Toronto. Thanks." He hung up the phone and looked at the other three. "My sire, LaCroix was in town the day we arrived. That is him," Nick pointed to a tall blond man with cold blue eyes.

"I've seen him before," said Mick. "I don't recall where, but I have. Do you see him in any other pictures? I'm going to see if Josef knows him." Mick scanned in a copy of the photo and isolated the picture of LaCroix and e-mailed it to him.

Mick's phone rang within 5 minutes. "Why did you send me a picture of one of my clients?"

"That is Lucien LaCroix, Nick's sire."

"I know him as Lucien Smith. He has been a client of Kostan industries him for about 5 years. We do some investments for him. Not much though. He will call us and tell us to invest some of his profits into certain funds. You know me Mick, not much scares me, but that guy scares me."

"Thanks Josef."

"I can try to do some digging when Nat and I get back to Toronto as well." Nick offered. "Of course, knowing LaCroix it will cost me and arm and a leg."

"Sounds like your sire is not very forthcoming with information," stated Mick.

"He's not forthcoming with anything besides how terrifying he can be or the fact that Nick will never find a cure for his vampirism," Nat said.

Beth looked at everyone, "Enough of the work for now. Let's go and have some fun tonight. What does everyone want to do tonight? I suggest the beach. We won't be as crowded and then afterwards we can head to the boulevard to explore it and if Nat and I are hungry we get some good ol' boardwalk food."

Mick looked at Beth, smiling remembering the last trip to the beach when he was mortal. "Sounds good to me. Nick? Nat?"

"I know Nat loves the beach so let's go for it," said Nick.

"Let Nat and I change into our swimsuits in case we decide to go in. Nick I think Nat brought and extra change of clothes for you if you decide to go in, and Mick do you own a swimsuit? If so bring it with us." With that said Beth and Nat went and changed into their suits.

While they were changing, the guys just looked at each other, Nick shook his head, "I think we are going swimming tonight whether we want to or not."

"Anything to make our women happy, right Nick?" Mick asked.

The two women were in the living room changed and wait at that point, "Why don't we take your car Mick? It makes sense to only take one car tonight."

"Sure, we'll put the top down."

"What is it and vamps with owning convertibles? Nick has a 1962 teal Caddy convertible."

"It's the open air thing," said Mick.

"That, and the fact that I can take right off from the seat and not have to open to door" said Nick.

"You and Mick are going to have to come to Toronto so we can show you the city. It's beautiful at night. Nick could probably get Mick his food and you can both stay at my place. I have a couch and we can figure out some way to keep Mick on ice."

"A bathtub full of ice works just as well as a freezer, I know some people who have done that when traveling," stated Mick.

"We will figure it out when you come and visit."

"Let's go to the beach, the night is wasting away and I want Nat to see our beautiful beaches. We can lay in the moonlight and enjoy the sound of the waves crashing. I don't think it will be very crowded, do you Mick?" asked Beth.

The drive to the beach was very uneventful, the two visitors enjoying the feel of warm air rushing by them.

They found the beach pretty empty and the four sat down on the towels they brought with them and just enjoyed the sound of the crashing waves and the moonlight reflecting on the water.

Natalie and Beth looked at each other then at the two men sitting beside them. "Time to go swimming," announce Beth. She and Natalie both took off their clothes and headed toward the water. "You two going to join us?" Natalie called back.

Both Mick and Nick took off their shirts and headed towards the two women splashing in the surf. Beth grabbed Mick's hand and tried to pull him in as Natalie tried to do the same with Nick. Both men resisted being pulled very far. "Come on you two, it's not like your going to melt. Let's go out deeper." Somehow the two women maneuvered the two men to have their backs to the waves and got them out deep enough that when a really large wave crashed to the beach, it crashed over their heads and soaked them all. Mick started to chase Beth as Nick did the same to Natalie. Both women were crying for mercy by the time that they had been caught. All four of them were laughing so hard they could barely keep swimming. Nat and Beth relaxed and started to float on their back. "This is so nice and relaxing. Hard to believe that we are still in LA. I almost hate to go home" stated Nat. After swimming for another 45 minutes they headed back to their towels and just lay on the beach relaxing cuddling their respective dates.

A sudden rumbling cut through the night, "Beth was that you?' asked Mick.

"Nope, must have been Nat."

"It was. I am usually at work now and have a snack about now."

"Let's go to the boardwalk and get you both some food."

After spending most of the evening, the four decided to head back to Mick's place for a night cap and to pick up Nick and Nat's car. "Can I offer anyone a drink? Beth picked up some soda and juice. What would you like Nat?" After pouring some soda for Beth and Natalie, Mick placed a glass in front of everyone, he sat in the other chair. "What time does your flight leave?"

"10 pm tonight. That way we arrive in plenty of time to get home before the sun rises. I really don't want to leave LA right now. It is so warm compared to Toronto right now. It's an icebox there."

"Will you stop by before you leave, Beth and I would like to say bye and maybe set up a time to visit you in Toronto. The cold doesn't bother me."

"Gladly. Will you be here Beth?" asked Natalie.

"Yes, I will"

"We hate to leave but I am getting really tired. We will see you tomorrow" said Natalie.

After they left, Mick looked at Beth, "You want to spend the night here? My couch is an open invitation. And I really need to buy a bed. I have a few spare rooms upstairs. You want to help me pick one out? I don't know anything about buying beds."

"I know, you don't sleep in one."

"I wish I did." Mick ran upstairs and grabbed some sheets, pillows, and a shirt for Beth to sleep in. After helping her make up the couch, Mick started to talk to Beth about the evening, "Did you have fun Beth? I did"

"So did I," her sentence was cut short by her yawn.

"Good night Beth," Mick tucked her in with a kiss to her forehead. "Beth, maybe you should start leaving some clothes here for when you sleep over. It would make it easier for you when you get up in the morning."

"I can do that, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind Beth. Good night and if you need me I am upstairs in my freezer."

"Night, Mick. Sweet dreams"

Nick and Nat entered Nat's hotel room where Nat sat on the bed and yawned. "Why do you think LaCroix is investing with an American firm?" She asked.

"I don't know, but I think that LaCroix knows more about vampires than he knows. I think he may know about different types of vampires. Getting him to tell us is another story though."

"Who knows, get him drunk on Curare and see what you can get from him." Nat jokily suggested.

"It may work, but it would be hell to pay when he came out of it." Nick said.

Nat yawned even harder, and laid back on her bed clothes and all. She closed her eyes for a minute while listening to Nick.

Nick heard Nat snoring and looked at her lying on top of her bed, fully clothed. Nick picked up Nat and pulled back the covers to lay her under them. He kissed her on the forehead before returning to his room to get some sleep.