I noticed the past tense. “He’s passed?”
“Just a few weeks ago, if you can believe it.” Rita shook her head sadly. “He was a strange man, believe you me, but he was always kind. His wife, Margaret, never was big into the costume parties, but Howard loved them, so she put up with them. I can’t believe she’s going to continue on the tradition without him, especially after what happened.”
Some of the air went out of me then. What I’d thought of as a chance to get to know Will better was now starting to sound more and more like it might end up being a somber affair where Howard’s wife and friends would lament his passing by holding the party he’d held so dear. I would feel like I was imposing, not having met the man.
Rita leaned forward even more, so that she was only a few inches from my face. “And let me tell you something about William Foster . . .”
I held up a hand before she could go on. “No,” I said, taking a step back. “Just, no.”
“No?” She said it like she’d never heard the word before. “No, what?”
“I don’t want to hear it.” I picked up my cooling coffee and took a sip, shaking my head all the while.
“I don’t know what you could mean?”
“No gossip,” I said. “No secrets. I want to discover these things on my own.”
Rita stepped back, looking mildly offended. “I don’t gossip!” Someone sitting at a nearby table snorted. She glared over her shoulder at him. “Well, I don’t.”
I knew for a fact that Rita spent most of her life gossiping about the people of Pine Hills, but I decided not to press the issue. It would get me nowhere but on her bad side, which in turn would turn me into a major target of her gossipy wrath.
“Well, I should run,” Rita said, hand going to her hair. She’d recently curled it, though with the coming rain it was starting to sag. “You must tell me how the party goes.”
“I will,” I said, knowing I wouldn’t have any choice. I’d either tell her everything, or she would find someone who would. At least if I told her, I could make sure everything she heard was true.
She gave me a simpering smile before walking away.
“Party?” Vicki asked, startling me. Apparently she’d come downstairs at some point during my conversation and was standing behind me. “What party?”
I turned away from Rita, and with a grin that nearly split my face in half, I told Vicki all about it.
2
“This is going to be amazing! I can’t believe we’re both going to be there.”
Vicki beamed at me as we entered the costume shop, Halloween Queens. We’d both gotten up early so we could be at the store just as it opened so Vicki could get to Death by Coffee and start her shift. Lena was opening today, which was a big deal for her. Usually, either Vicki or I was present when the store opened and closed, but not today. We both trusted her to do a good job, even if she was going to have to train Jeff in some of the basics by herself.
“Mason’s invite came because of Raymond.” The elder Lawyer and all-around jerk. “He didn’t want to go, but when he told me about it, I insisted. I mean, it isn’t every day you get to go to a big Halloween party! It’s been so long since I’ve been to anything this large, I’m kind of nervous.”
Vicki had definitely been to her fair share of parties, and mostly under protest. Her parents were both small-time actors, but they were still able to attend quite a few cast parties since they held a few minor roles here and there. They’d dragged her along, kicking and screaming, not caring if she wanted to be there or not. Even though she got to meet quite a few famous people at these events, Vicki just wasn’t interested in the lifestyle. It was part of the reason she’d moved to Pine Hills in the first place. The only acting she wanted to do was on the small stage, in front of friends and neighbors; not on the television or movie screens.
Not many people understood her choices. I, for one, was glad for them.
“I’m worried,” I told her. “I won’t know anyone and I’m sure I’m going to look like an idiot.”
“I’ll be there,” Vicki said, glancing around the shop. It had opened its doors only a week ago and would be gone by the end of next week. “Mason will be there. And of course, Will.” She winked at me and grinned.
I sighed, unable to get into the spirit of things. “Yeah, well, there will be a lot of other people there, too, many of whom won’t want me there.”
“You’ll be fine.” Vicki patted me on the arm. “You’re just nervous. It’ll pass.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Trust me.” She gave me a winning smile and then turned to start poking through the aisles.
Halloween Queens was full of costumes and decorations fit for the holiday. There were the requisite gravestones and giant spiders, along with a battery-powered witch’s broom that swept the floor all by itself while it cackled madly. Screams and moans filled the air, all mechanical, and all a bit tinny. I breathed it in, hoping to regain some of my love for the holiday, but I just couldn’t manage it.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go to the Yarborough party with Will, because I did. It’s just that I’d never felt comfortable around a large number of strangers who might expect me to be social with them. Stick me behind a counter, and I’m fine. Put me in public with others, and I turn into a scaredy-cat of the highest order.
I think the reason I was so frightened was because Rita had told me how big of a deal the party was. If it’s so important, did that mean the mayor of Pine Hills would be there? What about out-of-town guests; people with money and social standing? Why would they let someone like me into a place like that? I would stick out like a sore thumb.
“What do you think?” Vicki drew my eye, saving me from more self-deprecating thoughts. She was holding up one of those sexy fairy costumes that always left so little to the imagination, it made me wonder, why bother?
“It doesn’t really cover much, does it?” It consisted of what looked like a green bra, green panties, and strap-on wings. Oh, and the tiny little wand with glittery streamers on it. Couldn’t forget that.
Vicki replaced it on the rack and laughed. “You’re right. Why can’t women’s costumes be a little less . . .”
“Revealing?”
She nodded.
There was no way I was going to a party of any kind, Halloween or otherwise, dressed in a sexy anything. I didn’t have the figure for it, and while I’m not obese, I was pretty sure I’d look twice my size the moment some ultrathin sexpot strutted up next to me in her sexy she-devil outfit. It was best I stuck to something a little less exposing, and a whole lot more concealing, like maybe a full-body wardrobe, mask and all.
“I’m not sure what I want to do,” I said, eyeing a naughty policewoman outfit. I’m pretty sure no officer worth her salt would ever wear a midriff–exposing shirt pulled that tightly.
“Find something that catches your eye,” Vicki said. “Mason told me to choose something I feel comfortable in and not to worry about anything else. He’s going as a gangster, if that tells you anything.”
I raised my eyebrows at that. “His dad got him the invite, so I’m assuming Raymond is going, too?” I wasn’t Raymond Lawyer’s biggest fan, nor was he mine. I doubted he would tolerate his son dressing in something that put him in a bad light.
Then again, he didn’t tolerate much of anything now that I thought about it.
“I think so,” Vicki said. “Mason said he was going to try to get his dad to go as one of the Godfather characters so they’d match, but Raymond balked at the idea. I don’t know if that means he’s not going, or if he’s going to go dressed as something else.” Her eyes widened. “Oh!” She scurried over to a rack full of fake guns, wigs, and gangster outfits. “Maybe I should get something that matches!”
“You should,” I said.
As she started poking through the rack, I wandered off to find something for myself. While the gangster outfits were far less revealing than what I’d seen so far, I di
dn’t want to ride on Vicki’s coattails the entire night. I should have called Will and asked him what he was wearing. Maybe it would give me an idea what to look for. We could match, just like Vicki and Mason.
There were only a handful of people in the shop, mostly college age. I figured once school let out, the teenagers would be in full force, throwing plastic eyeballs at each other. I could call Will without anyone overhearing.
No, Krissy. I was a big girl; I could find something on my own. I didn’t need to go running to a man every time I was unsure about something.
I glanced at a rack of horror movie character costumes. Would Will have a problem if I went as Jason from Friday the 13th? The mask would give me something to hide behind, as would the baggy overalls. The machete had fake blood inside that sloshed around when you moved it.
I started toward it, thinking I’d give it a few swings, when another costume caught my eye. The red twine wig and the red and white socks would surely draw the eye. I picked up the blue polka dot dress and checked the size. There was nothing sexy about Raggedy Ann, and it wasn’t as manly as Jason. With the face paint and wig, I might not be easily recognized. It might save me from embarrassment the next day if I made a fool out of myself at the party.
The costume looked like it would fit, but the thought of going as a character that was more appropriate for little girls curdled my stomach. I shoved it back onto the rack and continued to search.
And then I saw it. The costume was in the men’s section, but I thought I could pull it off. I took it from the rack and held it up to my chest to see if it would fit.
“It’s perfect!”
I turned to find Vicki grinning at me, her chosen gangster costume folded over one arm. She was wearing a cheaply made fedora pulled down low over one eye.
“I don’t know,” I said, loving my choice, but worried about it at the same time. What if Will didn’t like it? “It’s for men, and it’s, I don’t know, a little too on the nose, don’t you think?”
“Will it fit?”
I double-checked the size, though I’d just held it up and knew it would be fine. I picked up the hat that went with it and tried it on. Perfect fit. “Looks like it.”
As soon as the hat was on, Vicki pulled a plastic gun from somewhere and pointed it at me. “You’re not going to take me in, Holmes,” she said in a surprisingly good British accent. “Not this time, you won’t.”
I laughed but refrained from attempting a Sherlock Holmes impression, knowing how badly it would go. I considered the costume a moment longer and then walked over to Vicki. “I guess it’s decided then.”
We carried our wares to the counter and paid for them. I wondered if I told Will what I’d chosen, if he would go ahead and be my Watson. Matching outfits could be cliché, sure, but I was positive we’d make a cute couple. The more I thought about it, the more, I don’t know, romantic it seemed.
We left the shop and started the short walk back to Vicki’s car. Would Will be offended if I recommended a costume to him? I doubted it, but I wasn’t sure I could bring myself to ask. The party was only a few days away, so I was pretty sure he’d have a costume picked out by now, anyway. It was probably best I didn’t make things more difficult than they needed to be.
A police cruiser rolled past and vanished around the corner, causing me to pause midstride. It wasn’t until Vicki spoke that I realized I’d been staring after it like some sort of lovesick fool for a good thirty seconds.
“Hear from Paul lately?”
I grimaced and shoved my costume into the backseat of her car. “Not since he saved me from my would-be murderer.” I got into the passenger seat and waited for Vicki to get in behind the wheel. “I think that ship has already sailed.”
“Good thing you have Will to take your mind off him then.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
She started the car but didn’t put it into drive right away. “You aren’t interested in him?”
“I am, but . . .” But what? He was good looking, had a stable, well-paying job if his appearance told me anything. And he genuinely seemed to be interested in me, despite my shortcomings. So what was I so hung up about?
“Look, Krissy.” Vicki turned in her seat to face me. “Don’t pass up on a good thing just because you are scared.”
“How do I know if it is going to be a good thing or not?”
She gave me a flat look. “How else? You take a chance, put yourself out there. You’ll never get anything you want if you don’t try.” She gave me a sympathetic smile. “We all go through the what-ifs. ‘What if he doesn’t really like me?’ ‘What if I scare him off?’”
I gave her a skeptical look. I couldn’t imagine Vicki ever worrying about what a man thought about her. She was physically perfect and had the personality to boot.
“Me too,” she said, holding up her hand as if swearing on it. “I’m always afraid I’m going to trip over my own two feet, or drip sauce all over my shirt when I’m with Mason. I get over it. You will, too.”
“But what if he runs screaming in the other direction after getting to know me?”
“Then he’s not the right man for you.”
I was beginning to wonder if there was a right man for me. “It’s just . . .” I heaved a sigh and spilled my guts. “Will’s great, but what if he turns into another Robert? I’ve always had a knack for choosing real ‘winners.’” I framed the last word with air quotes. “He already left when he saw me talking to another man. He never even let me tell my side of the story.”
“But he came back, right?”
“Well, yeah.”
“And he apologized, right?”
“I suppose he did.”
“Men do stupid things all of the time,” she said. “We all do. He realized his mistake and came back to you and admitted it right to your face. Not all men do that. Just think about how Robert handled the situation.”
Oh, boy. My ex was like a sore that wouldn’t go away. He kept popping up, insinuating himself into my life, even though I’d much rather forget he ever existed. And never once, not during any of those conversations, had he ever sincerely apologized for his actions.
“It’ll work out, Krissy, I promise you that.”
I nodded. Vicki was right; she always was.
She turned and put the car in gear with a look on her face that said she thought she’d proved her point. And I guess she had. I was letting the doubts win, and it was going to ruin my chance at a real relationship. Why was I always so hard on myself?
I checked my phone at least a dozen times on the ride back home, hoping Will would suddenly call. I wanted to hear his voice in the worst way, as well as ask him about my costume. If he didn’t like it, I’d still have time to go back and get something else, even though I wasn’t sure what that might be.
We pulled up in front of my house a few minutes later. “Do you want to come in for a few minutes?” I asked, checking the time. Vicki still had an hour before she needed to be at Death by Coffee.
“Can’t. I’m going to meet Mason before I go in to work.” She just about purred his name.
“It sounds like you two are getting serious.”
Her eyes gleamed. “I think he might be the one.” She looked just about ready to burst from excitement.
“That’s great!” I said, and I meant it. Vicki deserved to find someone nice, and despite the rocky start to our relationship, I thought Mason very well might be it.
Vicki’s gaze moved past my shoulder. “You have company coming, anyway,” she said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I glanced back to see Jules Phan walking across the lawn between our houses, his white Maltese, Maestro, in his arms. Jules owned the local candy store and, as far as I could tell, was the only person to work there. I was surprised he was here now.
I got out of the car, grabbed my costume bag, and waved as Vicki backed out. I turned just as Jules reached me.
“Is everything okay?” I asked him, worried. “Has so
mething happened to Lance?”
Jules looked surprised. “No, I hope not!” He laughed, dispelling my anxiety. “I thought I’d pop on over to say hi since I rarely get to do so so early in the day.”
“Who is working at Phantastic Candies then? Are you closed today?”
“Oh no. Lance decided to give me a day off and is working in my place. I check in every hour to make sure he isn’t getting overwhelmed. Once school lets out, I’m thinking of stopping in and helping him. The rush can be brutal when you’re not used to it.”
I reached out and ruffled Maestro’s soft fur. He licked my hand and gave a happy little yip. “I’m glad everything’s okay.”
“It is.” Jules’s eyes went to the bag in my hand. “A Halloween costume?”
“Yeah.” I held up the bag, though he couldn’t see what it contained. “I’m going to a party with Will Foster.”
His eyes just about popped from his head. It seemed to be a common reaction when I told anyone about the invite. “The Yarborough party?”
I nodded, my trepidation coming back. I was starting to feel as if the party was too big for me, that I’d made a huge mistake in saying I’d go. “Should I cancel on him?”
“Oh, Lord, no!” Jules just about shouted it, which caused Maestro to bark in surprise. He lowered his voice as he went on. “It’s a huge event. Lance and I are going this year. Normally, we never get invited, which is understandable; we don’t really fit in with the usual crowd. But Lance got us an invite thanks to a friend, so . . .” He shrugged as if that said it all.
A big part of me relaxed, glad to know I’d know at least two other people. “I’m worried I won’t fit in, either.”
Jules patted me on the hand. “You’ll be fine. They’ll all love you just as much as the rest of us do.”
If only I could be as sure of that as Jules. “I don’t know the woman who is holding the thing at all. I think her name is Margaret?”
Jules nodded. “Margaret Yarborough. Used to be a McAllister, if you can believe it.” He said it like I should know what that meant. “She’s . . . an interesting one. Her husband, Howard, was pretty eccentric, but since she married him, it made her even stranger.”
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