I took a seat at the small table in the corner. Luke and Charles rushed back down with the items she requested. She wiggled her eyebrows at Luke and opened the jar of goop. With a healthy layer of it in her hands, she attacked my hair mussing it up and sticking it out all over the place. She teased and matted a few pieces to help her achieve the style she thought would work before attaching those damn ears to the side of my head.
I started to get up but hesitated when she shook her head at me. I sighed and sat back down. She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a black pencil. Was that…? “No. No way in hell am I going to wear guyliner!”
“Deal with it. Both Luke and Beau have it on. So it’s not like you are going to be the only one.” She started toward me with the eyeliner in between her thumb and forefinger. Luke and Beau clamped their hands on my shoulders to keep me seated as she slathered the kohl on my eyes. She pulled back after her assault with a huge grin on her face.
“Charles hand me that shirt and a pair of scissors.” She put the cap back on the eyeliner and dropped it back in her bag as she turned around to him.
He handed her the small shirt and scissors. She held it up and began her attack on it. She cut the neck down in a v, shredded the stomach and gave the back three long rips before handing me the item. “There. Now put it on. After that we’ll fasten the tail to your jeans.”
I shrugged out of my normal shirt and squeezed into the three sizes too small one of Charles’s. The sleeves of the shirt cut into my biceps exaggerating their size. The front exposed hints of my pecks and abs. I looked up at them and shook my head. “This is ridiculous.”
She gave me a sideways grin and elbowed Luke as she giggled. “I doubt Hunter expected him to look like that. Now for the teeth!”
I walked over to the counter and looked down at the four caps sitting on the counter in a bowl of hot water. I thought she was mixing an adhesive she must have been dropping them in hot water instead. “Do I have to wear all four?”
“Uh… yeah. Here stick these two on your canines and bite down the mix inside will mold to your teeth. After a few minutes we will take those out and drop them in cold water so they will harden then we will do the bottom ones.” She slid a small bowl of ice water next to me after ten minutes and motioned for me to put them in there. When I did, she handed me the smaller ones for my bottom teeth.
After that mess, I slid the teeth in expecting to talk like I had a mouth full of marbles but was pleasantly surprised. “Hopefully that’s all the torture you are going to inflict on me, little bit.”
“Just the tail and then that’ll be all.” She attached the tail to the back of my jeans and stepped back resting her head against Luke’s chest. “Beau, can we take my car? Your truck will be a pain to get in and out of.”
“I thought you had the R8 today?” Beau adjusted the tiny braids in his wig.
“Only for school. He and Mom wanted it for tonight.” She held out her keys to him.
“Fine.” He snatched them out of her hand and headed to the door. “Well, let’s go people.”
*****
Marie
He hadn’t tried to talk to me once since I snuck into his room that night. You’d think if he were really interested in getting back together, he would have at least attempted to find the time. I understood he had to work in the evenings but that left before school and during lunch that he could have pulled me aside. Hell, even a simple text would have appeased me.
I sighed as Jess walked over to me holding up the red outfit Mrs. Jackson had provided. When Beau had dropped us off here, I was seething in my budding hostility. Here I was doing what was told of me, yet again. This was the last thing I wanted to do but at the sight of that red corset with black laces and white peasant blouse that would hang off my shoulders, my spirits soared at the possibility of wearing that sexy of an outfit.
Mrs. Jackson walked in with a small bag and a pair of hooker boots as Jess called them. “Here these used to be mine before I had kids and lost my figure. They’re a size eleven so you may have to stuff the toe with toilet paper.”
“I wear a size ten that’s perfect!” I reached for the shiny black boots and inspected the four-inch heel.
“In here is a pair of fishnets and the cape that goes with that.” She placed the bag on the bed. “After you put that on I’d really like to help with your hair and make-up. It has to be something wow worthy. Hunter told me that this was to help you get your boyfriend back. I think that’s just so sweet that he’s helping you out.”
I grabbed the outfit from Jess, the fishnets from Hunter’s mom and started changing in the bathroom leaving the door cracked. “I can’t believe that you let him throw parties like this.”
I heard her chuckle. “It’s better for him to have them here than in a field somewhere trying to drive afterward. This way I can make sure no one drives drunk.”
“But isn’t that contributing to a minor?” I put on the fishnets and pulled up the white crinoline slip up fastening it before pulling red skirt over it. The white blouse was next. I gently tucked it in the top of the skirt and pulled it off the shoulders.
“Who is going to arrest me… my husband?” She cackled.
Jess chuckled with her. “Hurry up you still need to put this corset on and I think you’re going to need help with it.”
I stepped out of the bathroom and grabbed the red and black contraption. I pulled it over the white blouse, fixed the straps on my shoulders and adjusted the material around my chest. Jess stepped behind me and pulled the black laces tight before tying them in a bow above my butt. She draped the cape over my shoulders and took a step back. I turned around breathless from how tight the corset was and saw her Cheshire cat grin.
Mrs. Jackson smiled clapping her hands in front of her. “Now for the final touch.”
*****
I stared at my reflection. There was no way that was actually me. My hair was in loose spiral curls framing my face with a red ribbon threaded through the crown. My lips were a dark red while my eyelids were black with the hint of red. She had lined them with a sparkly red liner that swept up like a cat eye. I shook my head at myself. While it looked hot, I felt like a slut wearing this much makeup.
I pulled on the above the knee shiny black boots and looked over at Jess. She was wearing an Elvira costume, wig included. I raised my eyebrow at her. While she had the alabaster skin, she lacked the bust to make it perfect. Though she had more than I did in that area, she definitely wasn’t Elvira size.
“Ready?” I asked hesitantly.
“Hold on I just want to check something.” She stood in front of the mirror and jumped up and down a few times. “Okay, they’re good. Sorry I just wanted to make sure they were taped down enough.”
“You girls have fun. If you need me for anything I’ll be up here after I’ve collected all the keys.” Mrs. Jackson smiled at us opening her bedroom door.
“Thank you, Mrs. J.” Jess gave her a quick hug before following me out the room.
We walked down the steps with the music was already pumping. Payne and Scott walked in the door and dropped their keys in the clear bowl to the right. Scott was dressed as a gladiator and Payne wore a pair of black baggy pants and a baseball cap.
“What are you supposed to be?” Jess asked him when we reached the bottom step.
“Magic Mike, baby. Wanna see me dance?” He grabbed the top of his hat and grinded up against her jokingly.
She smacked his butt and pulled a dollar out of…. Wait, where the hell did she have that? My eyes widened in disbelief as I turned away from them and made my way into the living room. Half of the football team were already there dressed in everything from Iron Man to a walker from the Walking Dead. I slipped by them into the kitchen and spotted Angie and her crowd. Their outfits ranged from a slutty cat to a slutty nurse.
Madison dressed as a nurse spotted me first. “Marie? Is that you?”
My lips twitched up in nervous smile. “Yup. It’s me.”
“What are you supposed to be?” Angie the slutty cat looked down her nose at me.
What the hell did I do to her? I pulled my shoulders back and stretched up to my full height. “Little Red Riding Hood.”
“Oh. Yeah, I guess I can see that.” She turned back to her friends and whispered something to them before she giggled.
I rolled my eyes at them and grabbed a red cup. I was not going to drink anything stronger than soda tonight. There was no way I was going to get drunk. I walked out onto the deck and spotted Hunter dressed as the Woodsman. He even brandished a plastic axe. He spotted me and a huge grin spread across his face.
He waved his axe in the air. “Hey Red! Come on over and I’ll protect you from the Big Bad Wolf. If he shows.”
“Whatever.” I muttered to myself before leaning on the railing. I can only imagine who he had as that character in this little scheme of his. To be honest, I didn’t really want to talk to him right now.
Jess made her way out the kitchen door holding the edge of it yelling back in. “Angie, shut the fuck up! No one wants to hear your bullshit tonight.”
I pushed away from the railing heading over to intervene in whatever way I could. Jess’s grip tightened against the door before she laughed. “Yeah, whatever. You’re just jealous, bitch.”
I raised my eyebrow at her when she turned around closing the door. “What was that about?”
“Nothing. She’s just pissed because all she could think of to wear is something trite like a slutty cat.” Jess leaned against the railing. “So are you going to drink tonight or is it just going to be me?”
“I really hadn’t planned on it. Last time I turned into a bit of an Alco-ho and a mean one at that.” I took a drink of cola from my cup.
“Just a few? You can spread it out throughout the night that way you don’t go all ho-ish but you still get the warm fuzzy feeling.” She pouted clasping her hands in front of her pleading. “I don’t want to be the only one of us to drink tonight.”
“Fine. Just a few.” I relented.
*****
The house started filling up over the next thirty minutes. By the time my brothers showed up everyone was shoulder to shoulder. Scott and Payne helped Hunter move the furniture in the living room to create a bigger area for people to dance. That was where Roxy found us. I was trying to teach Jess how to dance like Rihanna but she had no rhythm at all.
“Roxy!” I shouted as I spotted her walking over to us. I laughed pointing to Jess. “Has she always been this uncoordinated?”
Roxy turned her head just in time to see Jess try to twerk, though it looked like she was having a seizure. Roxy giggled. “She’s gotten better though. Well, kinda.” She looked at my outfit her lips curving up in a half grin. “Killer outfit.”
“Thanks.” I looked over her green and yellow bodysuit with brown jacket. It wasn’t until I saw the X in a circle on her chest and the white in her hair that I placed it. “Rogue right?”
“Yup.” Her green eyes twinkled. “Luke came as Gambit. Though I swear if he lets that accent out, I’m going to jump him.”
“Gross, I don’t want to hear that.” I pretended to gag. We both know though that it didn’t matter if he did or not she still wasn’t medically cleared to participate in any ‘strenuous’ activity.
She took a drink of her water bottle and motioned to the archway leading into the living room. “You should see Drez. He looks hotter than usual.”
I refused to look in that direction. “Not talking to him.”
She looked up at me in surprise. “What? Why?”
“He hasn’t spoken a word to me since Tuesday night. Not one single word.” I adjusted the cape around my throat. “I’m not going to go to him. If he wants to mend things, he has to make the next step. Not me.”
A hand slapped my ass startling me. I turned around to see Hunter grinning wide. “Sorry it slipped. Get ready, Red. Here comes your wolf.”
I looked back over to the entryway and lost my breath. His shaggy hair was mussed and spiked in all directions giving it the look that someone had just spent hours running their hands through it. His grey eyes were intensified by the line of black encircling them. That shirt showed off his muscled arms to perfection and gave small glimpses of the golden toned flesh underneath every time he moved. My legs felt wobbly and every cell in my body tingled in excitement the closer he got.
I unconsciously licked my bottom lip as he stalked over to me. The heated gaze he gave me as he slowly looked me up and down sent a shiver down my spine. I quickly downed the drink in my hand trying to get the cotton out of my mouth.
He sent me a wicked grin showing off the fangs he wore with the costume causing my heart to triple its rhythm. I suddenly felt like the main course at a buffet. He stopped in front of me and tilted his head to the side. “‘Ello, pet.”
*****
Drez
My god she was beautiful. Her honeyed hair cascaded around her face in soft ringlets. Her smooth shoulders were bare exposing the faint dusting of freckles that graced them. That corset cinched in her already tiny waist accentuating her slight curves. I had to stop myself from drooling over her stocking covered legs and that flirty red skirt. When I stopped in front of her, I noticed her topaz eyes were alight with blatant hunger as she checked me out. My breath stumbled when she licked her darkened lips and ducked her head bashfully.
Roxy cleared her throat beside us. “I’m going to find Luke. Laters Marie.”
Marie waited until Roxy had left before she turned toward Hunter. “Go with her. I know she won’t admit it but I think she’s in some pain.”
He nodded at her before casting me a warning glare. “Sure thing, Red.”
He shoulder checked me as he walked by. I tensed up glaring over my shoulder getting ready to go after him. Marie placed her hand against my arm instantly stilling my need to punch him. I looked back down at her ducking my head to her ear. “Do you want to go someplace quieter to talk?”
She pursed her lips at me and raised her eyebrow her face slowly contorting into her mother’s ‘stink eye’ look. “Oh. Now ya wanna talk?” She took a step away from me while mumbling. “I need a drink.”
I stood there feet glued to the floor flabbergasted. What did I do this time? I started to head in her direction with every intention of sorting this mess out when Scott and Payne waylaid me. “Look, mates, I need to go talk to her.”
Payne laughed grabbing my arm steering me in the opposite direction. “And you will. Trust me. In the meantime Beau would like a word with you.”
Scott shot him a confused look before sucking in a deep breath. “Oh yeah. I forgot about that. Come on this way, brother.”
I reluctantly followed them. Something was definitely going on. If Beau wanted to talk to me then he would have done so before we walked in the front door. I braced myself for any possibility as we walked out on the deck. Payne handed me an empty cup before motioning to the tapped keg. I shrugged and filled it to the brim. I faked taking a drink as I waited for what was to come. I glared at Scott not breaking eye contact trying to make him as uncomfortable as I could.
It didn’t take long for him to crumble under my scrutiny. “All right, brother, Beau didn’t want to talk to you. Hunter did.”
“So where is he at?” I stuck my hand in my pocket and lifted the cup to my lips.
A slight tap on my shoulder had me turning around. The fist connected with my jaw leaving me stunned. I stumbled back bumping against the side of the house trying to regain my balance. The cup flew up in the air slinging beer in a giant arch.
Scott jumped in front of me with his hands up stopping my attacker. “Brother, you said there would be no violence.”
Hunter shrugged shaking out his hand. “And there won’t be. I owed him that from my last party.”
I rubbed my jaw trying to ease the sting from the strike. He walked around Scott and held his hand out to me. I looked at him then it. What was his game? I grabbed hol
d of his hand. He nodded smiling at me before clasping my elbow with his other hand. “Truce?”
I raised my eyebrow at him. “What’s the catch?”
He laughed releasing my arm bent down to pick up my cup and refilled it before handing it back to me. “No catch. Seriously, there is no catch.” He nodded to Payne and Scott to go back in the house. They looked at each other then over at me. I gruffly nodded my head. They reluctantly went back in the house.
Hunter sighed before taking a drink. “Look, I know you think I’m moving in on Marie. In truth I was at first, until I found out she’s a Savioe. When Beau left the team last year, we made it an unwritten rule to leave them alone. All of them. That’s what I was trying to tell her that night before you sucker-punched me. Since then I just flirted with her to piss you off.”
“So what was with you smacking her bum earlier?” My voice was void of any emotion as I assessed his sincerity.
“Well, just to piss you off.” Hunter smirked over the rim of the cup. “After that kiss, yeah the only thing I feel for her is strictly platonic in nature. She’s cute yeah, but damn I felt like I was kissing my cousin or something.”
I nodded my head and drained the cup. “So, this whole evening was for what?”
“Want a refill?” I handed him the cup as he continued. “To make amends for my meddling and well just to see the girls dressed like that. Have you seen that much skin before? Damn, I have been half-staff most of the night.”
I chuckled at him shaking my head then motioned to our outfits. “These costumes?”
“Oh come on. It’s sorta funny. The entire school sees you as this big badass and me as some white knight, when we both know the opposite is true.” He placed his hand on my shoulder.
“Yeah, you are a bit of a bell-end.”
He frowned in his confusion. “A what?”
“A dick, idiot, git, wanker, ponce, or as Marie likes to say jackass.”
He looked startled for a moment before he cracked a smile. “Bell-end huh? I’m going to have to start using that.”
Lost in the Moment (A Savioe Family Novel) Page 27