Lurking & Smirking

cardigan walked into the pub, grinning. "what's on the menu, danny boy?"

"chorizo & potato burritos."

"i'll take two, and a guinness." he walked over to the bar to pick up his beer. "is the Lurker here?"

blake shook his head. "nope, haven't seen her."

"hi, gavin!" Mysterious Lurker waved to him from the table in the corner, where she was sitting with sierra and marian.

"when did you--oh, never mind." blake shook his head.

"bring her a beer, too. or whatever she wants." cardigan walked over and handed the Lurker a yellow rose.

"thank you, gavin. it matches my hair." the Lurker accepted the rose with a smile. "does this mean you found the mother?"

"yep. she's a landscaper, and has the contract for the city cemetaries," cardigan explained. "the first funeral home i checked knew who she was right away."

"you're awesome!" marian beamed at the Lurker.

"you're spooky awesome!" sierra agreed. "are you sure you're not a vampire?"

the Lurker puller her shirt collar to the side, revealing a tattoo of two bloody puncture wounds on her neck. "you are a vampire!" marian giggled.

"what is it?" blake asked as her placed the beer and burritos down. the Lurker turned her head to show blake. he looked at the yellow rose on her neck, "what do roses have to do with vampires?"

"who said anything about vampires?" sierra looked around innocently.

marian asked, "are mother and daughter going to get together?"

cardigan nodded, chewing on a burrito. "they're both a little apprehensive about it, but they're going to meet up tomorrow."

"that's great, gavin. i'm glad it worked it for them," the Lurker stated.

"thanks to you. keep those cards handy." cardigan clinked beer glasses with her.

"well, i have news of my own," sierra said. "i got a new job!"

"'grats!" cardigan clinked glasses with sierra. "what is it?"

"i'm a judge on a new celebrity dance show called Suds & Studs," she explained. "it pairs up soap opera stars with famous athletes, and we vote a different couple off each show."

cardigan laughed. "that's about the lamest gimmick i've ever heard of. what do you know about dancing, anyway?"

"that's how she got discovered!" marian reminded them. "dancing in a cage in a zz top video."

the Lurker nodded, "that's true. although, that wasn't much of a dance. she basically held onto the bars and squatted up and down every now and then."

"well, i don't really have to be a dancing expert to be a judge," sierra admitted. "i just have to say that they obviously worked hard and showed some mad skillz, and sympathize for the people who get voted off. i get to be the nice judge."

"who are the other judges?" marian asked.

"a russian ballet dancer i've never heard of named boris something-sky, who gets to be the jerk, and a broadway choreagrapher named billy monsoon. he'll be the funny one. it'll be aired on the network network."

"i've never heard of the network network," cardigan said.

"it's on cable cable," marian said helpfully.

"and satellite satellite," the Lurker added.

"it's best known for...well, i don't know what it's known for," sierra admitted. "but it pays."

"doo doo," theorized cardigan.