Alexander Ruveaux didn't mean to walk in to the Sinful Sundae's Ice Cream Shoppe with the intent to show disdain, yet somehow he felt as if he did. Maybe he thought it beneath his culinary talent and experience. Or maybe he was still piqued that his brownie-vanilla cream sandwiches didn't make first place in the Lone Star Connoisseur magazine, the most elite periodical in Texas for distinguished tastes.

Even vamps had particular tastes. Well, his sort of vampirish clan did. Vamperians needed more than blood to sustain them, something different for their discerning, varying appetites. His mother and her tea-traveling friends always came up with something different to tell him about those odd food tastes anyway, which often gave him the ideas for his famous concoctions. His mother had entered his brownie-vanilla cream sandwich recipe in the TCM on a whim. And he had come in second place.

A renowned chef of a five-star restaurant and a long time Chef Manager at one of Houston's most elite hotels had come in second place! He shouldn't have been aghast at the thought, but it bothered him--especially when his mother Elenor thought it was a toss-up. His own mother, the traitorous witch-vamp, thought the second-rate, first place winner was close to his talent in pastries. So he had night-flown to Spellfire, where the winner lived. Elenor had only visited the town briefly with her traveling cronies, but that they had had a marvelous time. Lex remembered some of the descriptions she had told him. He'd always loved his mother's lively chats about her travels. His father was regal and dour. Lex often wondered how the two met, but his mother always said that was a story best left buried, like his father's bi-annual hibernating period.

He felt he was often too fastidious like his father, but he had his mother's curiosity and stubbornness. He had to know just what made Strawberry Veinilla frozen cream puffs better than his brownie concoctions. He stood just inside the door, scanning the place over. It was a fairly large shop for an ice cream parlor. Yet, on second glance he saw that more than ice cream was served. The place was bustling on this Sunday afternoon. He'd thought small towners would be shopping at Sears or some other old department store.

He looked to his left and noticed a large, refrigerated display unit that contained frozen cakes, pastries and other delights glaring up at him, tempting him to partake of their ethereal, mouthwatering sweetness. His nose twitched, and his uncanny sense of smell detected the delectable, teasing scent of vanilla, not just any ordinary vanilla, but a soothing, lip-lingering flavor that sent spells of shiver up his long spine. There was something else in the air. He hadn't quite figured out what it entailed, when the parlor door swished open and hit him smack dab in the ass.

He jerked back, and his jaw dropped. A ghost wearing a pinstriped suit and derby hat floated in front of him. He stared at the transparent dead man astralizing in the corporeal world. The ghost man gave him a cursory glance, snarled his nose and harrumphed at him before floating off into the crowd of customers. Lex shook his head and did a double take around the large dining area. A rude ghost in a public place? Yes, he knew ghosts existed and often made themselves known, but to enter a place as if it were a regular customer to the eatery was another thing. Lex widened his eyes as it finally hit him that trays of empty plates floated towards the back of the main counter into another room, probably the cleaning area of the establishment.

Several witches in hats taller than a wizard's cap sat hunched together in one booth. At another of the dozen or so booths huddled a group of mummies in various Egyptian garb, and at a table across from them, a boisterous group of goblins, gremlins and trolls dressed in construction gear ate hamburgers and hot dogs. That's when it hit him. His mother had said this establishment was different. He just hadn't realized she meant supernaturally diverse. His bones twinged with some uneasy familiarity. The shop catered to the paranormal set. Did that mean the whole town with a population of some fifty thousand had paranormal inhabitants?

His shades darkened within the lighted place. The specialty lenses kept him from burning up in the sunlight. As long as he kept his eyes shut or wore self-darkening sunglasses, he could withstand any light intensity. Unlike some legendary vampires, or TV and movie vampires, he could walk around in warm sunlight and not go poof or blow up, as long as he wore them. Sometimes he needed his rose-colored glasses to tone down the glare of overhead lighting.

He moved further into the shop, feeling several pairs of eyes upon him. Perhaps, he thought, he should sit down and order so he would be less conspicuous. He looked towards the main counter and almost froze on the spot. His fangs moistened with need as his scrutinized the dark-skinned beauty. Tawny red curls crowned the amply endowed vixen's tall, peppery body. They teased and framed her oval face, making her look like she was aglow with an extra aura of life. Her graceful arms and elegant hands moved swiftly but confidently as she moved back and forth behind the counter, waiting on customers sitting on the stools and ringing up departing customers at the computerized cash register.

Her full lips widened with a teasing smile at some, while at others her golden brown eyes seemed to darken. He wondered how golden they would get if she lighted up with passion. His fangs tingled and he knew he needed a sweet fix if he was going to keep them and his hard-on from showing. He sat down at one of the small bistro tables. A medium-height buxom blond bounced up almost immediately. Her chest badge read "Harpy", but he didn't know if it was her name or her species.

Her green eyes lit up appreciatively, and his male delight made his chest puff a bit outwards. "What can I get for you today, fine sir?"

"I need ice cream."

"We have forty-two flavors and many tasty pastries and cakes to go with it. Would you care for the house specialty? The Strawberry Veinilla Surprise Sundae is on sale only on Sundays."

She was a bit too animated for him, but he remained polite. "What's in it? I only like certain kinds of ice cream."

"Why, our Strawberry Veinilla is so scrumptious even fairies and shifters like it." She shuffled from foot to foot waiting for his order. "It's vanilla ice cream with swirls of sweet strawberry jam buried within it. Our beloved shop's owner created it.

He glanced at the counter quickly and saw that the amazonish beauty behind the counter scrutinizing him. "That the owner?"

She nodded. "So what'll you have, stranger?"

His nose took in the smells again, and he couldn't resist the temptation of the competition. "I'll try that. No, nuts, my fangs ... er my teeth are sensitive to them."

She nodded her head and was off to take another order as fast as she had come to him. Like the word "Harpy" on the name badge she almost flew off like a legendary mythical creature. While he was waiting, he took another look around the place. This was definitely not a normal Texas town.