“Cassandra watched him go, slumping a little as the distance between them grew. "He was so nice.""Yeah.""And look at that butt."I considered said item. "Definitely superior. But not for Cassandra hands?"She shook her head sadly. "Another person stands between us now. He'll meet her within the month.""Is she prettier than you?"Cassandra started to smile."Well?""No""Ha!""Jaz!""Honey, we've got to take our victories where we can find them.”

“Cassandra,” he said, “I hope you know that poaching Muppets is illegal in this country.”

“Excellent."As soon as Bergman left earshot Vayl said, "I am going to buy you some pom-poms and a short pleated skirt-"Hey, if Bergman needs a cheerleard, that's what he's getting."Vayl tipped his head to one side and smiled wickedly. "I was just thinking perhaps I need a cheerleader as well."Cassandra got up. "If that's where this conversation is headed, I'm leaving."She wants some pom-poms too," I told Vayl.I do not!”

“Cole!" Cassandra smacked him on the shoulder."Wha-?" When he opened his mouth all you could see was half-chewed goo."How old are you?" I demanded. I threw shrimp at him and it got stuck in his tangle of wig hair. Bergman fished it out, wiped it off, and put it back on the serving dish."Now, thats disgusting," said Cassandra."Children!" Vayl's voice boomed in our ears, loud and sudden enough to make us all jump guiltily. "I trust you are all preforming actual work right now.""Chill out, Vayl," I replied. "Bergman is just conducting and experiment to see how vampires respond to ingesting brown hair dye.""That makes me curious, Vayl," said Cole in a sticky, goodie-between-the-gums voice that reminded me of Winnie the Pooh after a major honey binge. "Have you ever colored your hair? You know blonds have more fun.""Not when they are in the hospital.”

“I sat up. Slowly. Between the belly dancing, the fire, the visit to Dave and it's aftermath, the night had taken its toll.You look like crap!" Cole said merrily. "I like the hair though."He made a camera frame with his thumbs and forefingers and in the genie voice from Aladdin said, "Now what does this say to me? Homeless women? Tornado victim? Britney Spears? I've got it! Preschooler who's misplaced her gum!"I regarded him balefully. "You're a morning person, aren't you?"You make that sound like a bad thing."Not if you stop talking.”

“Now, here's what we do. You and I will find a back way out of this place. If we come across someone else, we make like a couple of lovesick teenagers. People generally hurry past heavy breathers. I get you to the parking lot, you vanish. Got it?"He nodded. "There's just one thing I've got to do before we go," he said. Before I could inquire, he grabbed me and planted a kiss square on my mouth. It was short but fiery, despite the grape flavoring, and when he let me go I wan panting.Holy crap!"He smiled, not at all apologetically, and said, "I've wanted to do that ever since I saw my first Bond movie.”

“Cole - I just thought of a new game.Jaz - What's that?Cole - Splat the Specter.Jaz - Rules?Cole - You can help me make them up. Right now all I know for sure is that it involves water guns filled with grape Kool-Aid and two ferrets named Biff and Chlamydia.Vayl - Why Ferrets?Jaz - Really? You want to know about his choice of pets when he's named one of them after an STD?”