Interlude: Lola's Playlist

Lola is Seth's hitherto absent, wayward vampire daughter - a flighty, flirtatious posh girl who fully embodies the spirit of youthful vampire hedonism that comes before the age and addiction that have worn down Seth and Mallory. "An English Girl in Prague" tells the story of how Lola became a vampire - the following songs are what she might have listened to once she went her own way.

11. An English Girl in Prague

Christmas Eve, 2009

“Love you too, Mum.”  Lola slaps a particularly bold, probing hand away from her thigh and switches the mobile phone to her other ear.  “I’ll be home before you know it.  Say hi to Dad for me.  Yeah, I will.  Yeah, merry Christmas to you too.  Love you.  Bye.”  She slides the phone shut and turns to the owner of the hand.

“That was my mother, you pig,” she says, helping herself to a cigarette from the pack in his shirt pocket.  “I thought you were going to the bar, anyway.”

“I did,” he replies.

“So where’s my vodka?”

“I drank. You talk a lot.”  His hand makes its way onto her hip, and Lola suppresses the urge to stub it with her cigarette.  Andrej might not exactly be the kind of man a girl would write about in her diary, but since meeting him this afternoon Lola hasn’t had to put her hand in her pocket once.  She might judge another woman for acting in such a way, but she can’t afford to have any feelings about it one way or the other just yet.  Can’t afford anything, full stop.