27 Dates: Spring Boxed Set: Vol. 1-7

by B. N. Hale

  “Don’t fall in love with her!” Jackson called brightly.

  “I won’t,” he cast over his shoulder.

  He shut the door on his room and sank onto his bed. It had been three years since Aura, but the ache had yet to subside, and he’d begun to wonder if it ever would. He’d never spoken to anyone about what had happened, and only his sister knew the whole truth.

  He reached into his wallet and pulled out the picture he hid in the back pocket. Holding it aloft, he looked at Aura’s smiling face. He stared at it until he could no longer bear the regret, and then returned it to his wallet.

  Vacillating between regret, worry, and excitement, he stood and got ready for the evening. Choosing jeans and a comfortable button up shirt, he brushed his teeth and then stepped into the living room.

  Mercifully, Jackson was occupied preparing his nightly bowl of cereal, and Reed took the chance to slip to the door and depart. Jackson called out as he left but Reed pretended he didn’t hear. Shutting the door, he sat on the stoop.

  It had begun to rain, the storm bringing sheets of water upon Boulder. Rivulets of rain coursed down the driveway to merge with the current in the gutter, the sound a soft patter that filled the street. The door opened behind him and Jackson sat next to him. He didn’t speak, and instead munched on his cereal in silence.

  “You’re a loud chewer,” Reed said. “Did you know that?”

  He snorted and spoke through a mouth of Golden Grahams. “Shelby may have mentioned it.”

  Reed grunted. “She is always honest.”

  Jackson continued to chew, the sound matching the rain. They sat watching the storm for several minutes but neither moved. When it became clear Jackson was not going to leave, Reed threw him a look.

  “Is there something you need?”

  “Can’t a friend enjoy the rain with a friend?”

  “No.”

  Jackson glanced his way and shrugged. “Normally you’re excited about a date, but you’re acting like me after I lose a game.”

  “I’m fine.”

  Jackson waited a moment and then looked his way. “Just make sure you don’t hurt this one,” he said.

  “I’m not going to hurt Kate,” he said, a little heated.

  “Good,” Jackson said, unperturbed. “Because it’s the ones we truly care about that we hurt the most.”

  “Did you get that on a fortune cookie?” Reed asked.

  “Maybe,” Jackson said. “Look, you’re the best dater I’ve ever known, but we both know you keep your distance. You need to be careful with this one, or you’re going to regret it for the rest of your life.”

  Reed released a long breath, his anger dissipating. “Do you think I should end the challenge?”

  “Of course not,” he said with a bark of laughter. “I think you’ve found the one you’ve been looking for.”

  “I wasn’t looking for anyone.”

  “I know,” Jackson said. “But you’ve still found her.”

  Reed raised an eyebrow. “Since when have you been the dating master?”

  “Since I had a fortune cookie,” he said.

  Reed grinned. “I’ll try to be careful.”

  “Good,” he said. “And can you pick up more cereal? We’re out.”

  “What kind of person eats cereal for dinner every day?”

  “The kind with taste,” he said, shoveling another spoonful into his mouth.

  A car appeared at the end of the street and Reed recognized it as Kate’s. Rising, he waved to let her know she didn’t need to come to the door in the rain and then turned to Jackson. His roommate was also on his feet and now leaned against the porch post.

  “Have a good time,” he said.

  “I will,” Reed said, and then added, “And thanks.”

  Just as Kate’s car came to a stop, Reed jumped off the porch and raced through the rain to the passenger door. Pulling it open, he stepped into the car and shut the door. Then he turned to Kate, his words dying on his lips.

  Dressed in a black robe and a scarf of blue and bronze, Kate also had a pointed hat on her head. She smiled as she endured his scrutiny. Then she reached to the back seat and retrieved a robe, scarf, and hat for him.

  “Just where are we going?” Reed asked.

  “Didn’t you guess?” Kate asked, her green eyes shimmering with delight.

  Reed examined the black cloak and then the red and yellow scarf. Although he’d only seen a few of the movies, he recognized the clothing as belonging to Gryffindor. Wrapping the scarf around his neck, he held the hat aloft.

  “Harry Potter?”

  Her smiled widened. “You’re a wizard, Reed.”

  Chapter 3

  “You have no idea how long I’ve waited to hear those words,” Reed said fervently.

  “When I turned twelve I stayed awake all night waiting for my owl,” she said. “I was heartbroken when it didn’t arrive.”

  “Little kid problems,” he lamented.

  They shared a grin, and he stole a look while her attention was on the streetlight. Her green eyes sparkled with amusement and excitement, and he suddenly realized the concerns of the last two weeks were gone. The moment he’d stepped into the car his worries had evaporated.

  He stole another look and realized that right now the reasons didn’t matter. He may not have made his choice, but in this moment, all he wanted was an evening with Kate. Resolving not to think about Aura the rest of the night, he turned to face her.

  “How did you ever get your wizard friend to do your invitation?”

  “He is Brittney’s ex,” Kate said.

  “And he agreed to do her a favor?”

  “Not at first,” she said. “But then Brittney unleashed Ember, and he didn’t last long.”

  Reed smiled at the image of the diminutive redhead berating the poor guy until he agreed. He may have been a wizard, but no amount of magic would protect him from Ember. Still, he appeared to have enjoyed the opportunity to perform a trick.

  “He was flawless,” he said. “Did you like planning the invitation?”

  “Enormously,” she admitted. “Although it was difficult coming up with ideas. The best person to ask was the one person I couldn’t.”

  “Perhaps,” he said. “But you did pretty well on your own.”

  “You think so?” she asked.

  He heard a trace of nervousness in her voice and smiled. “Like I said, flawless.”

  She smiled. “I’m still getting used to creative dating. It’s fun, but it takes more time than I thought.”

  “It gets easier,” he said.

  “Does that mean it was hard for you at first?”

  “It was,” he said.

  “What was your first date like?”

  “I was sixteen—”

  “So late?” she asked with a smile. “I assumed you started dating in grade school.”

  “I was actually pretty shy until late in high school,” he said. “I also had enough acne my face looked like the surface of Mars.”

  “Really?” she asked. “You look great now.”

  “Don’t patronize me.”

  She laughed. “Seriously. I think the word Marta used to describe you was ‘dreamy.’”

  He raised an eyebrow. “I think that’s a bit much.”

  “I think you grew up good,” she said, a touch of pink appearing in her skin.

  Uncomfortable with the attention, he said, “I didn’t actually date much in high school. It wasn’t until my second year here that I started dating like this.”

  “What changed?”

  “I just got tired of waiting,” he said with a shrug, hoping he didn’t sound evasive.

  “Everyone is waiting for the right one to come along,” she said. “But that doesn’t explain how you started to date like this. What was your first creative date like?”

  “A disaster,” he admitted. “I tried to do a breakfast date but the girl didn’t eat carbs. The breakfast was homemade waffles.”

>   She laughed. “So you started doing research?”

  “I adapted,” he said. “And like I said, it gets easier.” He suddenly realized they were staying close to campus. “So what’s this date you have planned?”

  “Why do you ask when you know I won’t tell?”

  “Perhaps I’m just hoping we’re going to Hogwarts.”

  Her smile was smug. “You’ll see.”

  He’d expected them to travel off campus, but instead they returned to her house. The other cars were absent from the driveway and she parked close to the front door. They ran through the rain to the porch and caught the door handle. Her smile was excited but nervous as she swung the door open. He stepped on the threshold and came to a halt, stunned by the transformation of the room.

  Sheets made to look like stone covered the walls, while flickering candlelight glimmered in brackets. A golden snitch made of paper hung in the corner, spinning and twirling above a strategically placed fan. Books had been wrapped to look like spellbooks, the one on the corner table labeled Hogwarts, A History.

  Other candles hung from the ceiling from barely visible fishing line. Although plastic, they glimmered like real floating candles, casting the room in a spooky light. A sign above the kitchen had a crooked arrow beneath the words To Hogsmead.

  A cauldron sat on the kitchen table, smoke bubbling up from the interior and flowing off the table to dissipate above the floor. Plates on the counter contained what appeared to be treacle tart and cauldron cakes. A bag had a note marking its contents as Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans.

  The table had the main course, including a salad and corned beef sandwiches. Next to the table, the TV had been set on the floor and showed a roaring fire, the flames crackling on the screen. Boxes had been painted like bricks to resemble a hearth.

  “It’s stunning,” he breathed.

  “Welcome to Hogwarts,” she said.

  He spared her a look and found her veritably bouncing on her feet with excitement. It was abundantly obvious that she’d spent the entire two weeks preparing the room, and likely enlisted the help of her roommates—as well as anyone Ember had coerced into helping—to finish by tonight. The sheer volume of effort was both impressive and humbling, and he offered a short bow.

  “I tip my hat to you, good witch.”

  She pulled him through the room, pointing out every detail. He admired each in turn before she led him to the table for dinner. As he took a seat she dipped a ladle into the cauldron and filled a cup.

  “Butterbeer?”

  “I assumed it was root beer,” he said, peering into the smoke.

  “Nope,” she said. “Brittney wanted it to be authentic, so she put a pitcher in the middle with dry ice, and then filled the rest with butterbeer.”

  “Clever,” he said.

  “She actually did all the cooking,” Kate admitted. “I’m a decent cook, but I would have needed a wand to do what she did.”

  He laughed and sipped the butterbeer, which tasted deliciously like caramel. Throughout the meal he continued to praise both the decorations and the food. By the time they moved on to desserts they were sitting on the floor in front of the fire.

  He nibbled on the cauldron cake, which tasted like hot fudge wrapped in a warm brownie. Savoring every bite, he sampled the treacle tart while polishing off another glass of butterbeer. She enjoyed the food just as much, and sighed as she licked chocolate from her fingertips.

  “You missed a spot,” he said, reaching out to brush a streak of fudge off her cheek.

  The motion made her flush. “Thank you,” she said.

  His touch had been instinctual—yet pushed against his rules. Surprised by his own action he covered with a smile. There was an awkward moment of silence and then he spotted the bag of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans.

  “Are those real?”

  “Actually, they are,” she said. “Brittney bought them on her trip to Orlando and ate two. Then she refused to eat another.”

  “What were the flavors?”

  “She swears they were band-aid and blood.”

  He grimaced. “Do we dare brave them?”

  “I will if you will,” she said. “But you first.”

  He grabbed the bag and selected one that looked like chocolate, but turned out to be burnt toast. She laughed at his expression and then chose a green one, which she announced was evergreen.

  Choosing another color, Reed said, “I can’t believe you pulled this off.” He swept his hand at the room.

  “I liked your idea of a theme,” she said. “And when I was trying to come up with one I was in my room.”

  “I remember your posters from St. Patrick’s Day,” he said.

  She cocked her head to the side. “You know, you’re the only non-boyfriend that has been in my bedroom without me.”

  He grinned. “I hope I didn’t leave it too messy for you.”

  “Actually, it was quite messy,” she said, and then flashed a smile. “But if you’re not careful, you’re going to make my roommates fall for you.”

  “I did warn you about dating like this,” he said. “Spend this much time on a date,” he swept his hand at the house, “and the guy will think you really like him.”

  “Perhaps I do,” she said with a smile.

  His heart thumped in his chest and he covered by throwing a bean at her, making her laugh. “Don’t think you’ve won this competition yet,” he said. “We’re just getting started.”

  “Oh are we?” she asked, throwing a bean back at him.

  The ensuing Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Bean War lasted for several furious seconds until they ran out of beans. Laughing, they set about cleaning it up and then returned to the table. Once there, he refilled her butterbeer and she nodded her gratitude.

  “I hope you’ve enjoyed Hogwarts,” she said. “But we still have the activity.”

  “There’s more?” he asked.

  Her eyes sparkled with amusement. “Of course. Are you ready for more?”

  He understood the secondary meaning but could not resist the answer. “Always.”

  Chapter 4

  They exited the house and made their way to the car. After all the effort to decorate the house, he’d expected the activity to be inside Hogwarts, but instead they got in the car and headed to downtown Boulder.

  “Where are we going?” he asked, unable to contain the question.

  “Are you always so demanding of your dates?” she teased.

  “Yes.”

  She smiled and shook her head. “When you give answers, I will.”

  It was after eight and traffic was light, but as they entered the downtown area it became progressively more congested. Even on a Thursday, the downtown clubs were packed. Passing them by, she entered the lot of the large downtown mall and found an empty parking spot.

  “Do we need to remove the robes?” he asked, pulling at the wizard’s robes.

  “Nope,” she said. “We’ll fit right in.”

  They exited the car and made their way through the rain soaked lot to the mall. Reed expected people to stare at their clothing, but the moment they stepped inside it became clear that they were not alone.

  Hundreds of people were dressed in Harry Potter garb. Most were in robes, but some were dressed as wizard-muggles, with one boasting a purple suit and top hat. Others wore outrageous combinations, and wands were in abundance.

  Children in robes rushed about, pointing wands at each other and shouting spells. Teenagers wore scarves of various houses and huddled in groups whispering and laughing. They passed a group and Reed noticed they were holding lists for a scavenger hunt, each specific to the Hogwarts houses. Then Reed spotted the giant banner hanging from the rafters.

  Diagon Alley

  March 25-30

  Reed leveled an accusing finger at Kate. “You are far more clever than I anticipated.”

  “This is date number four,” she said, delighted by his response. “I figured you expected an easy w
in and I wanted to dissuade you of the notion.”

  “When did you hear of this?” he asked, motioning to the mall.

  “I actually didn’t until yesterday,” she admitted. “I had planned a different activity but when I learned of this I couldn’t resist. It wasn’t very well advertised.”

  “It’s certainly well attended,” he replied, gesturing to the wizarding crowd.

  “Word got around quickly,” she said. “And Marta heard it from one of her cousins, who works at Cold Stone,” she pointed to a restaurant that now had a sign for Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour.

  Other shops were also changed, and the mall now contained Eeylops Owl Emporium, Flourish and Blotts, Gringotts Wizarding Bank (formerly US Bank), and of course, the Leaky Cauldron. The Gap had become Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions.

  Reed looked about himself in wonder. Every shop was giving away Harry Potter themed candy and treats, with some doing drawings for clothing or real wands. Children dressed in wizarding robes lined up at the bookstore where they were given bookmarks and entered into drawings for books, movies, and cauldrons.

  The playground in the mall had been turned into Hogwarts. Kids crawled in and through the castle, their squeals of delight adding to the din. To Reed’s surprise, many of the parents were also dressed up, some apparently choosing specific characters. A Professor McGonagall was so perfect, the wizards she passed called her by name. Another wore stilts and resembled Hagrid, right down to the beard.

  Kate turned into the bookstore and threaded her way through the crowd. Harried workers rushed about, but there were smiles on their faces. They too were dressed in robes, most in black but one in garish orange, another in lime green.

  Kate came to a halt in the fiction section of the bookstore. “Ready for the game?” she asked.

  “I already own the Harry Potter books,” he said.

  She shook her head. “We each have nine minutes to read a book, but the book is chosen by the other. We have three minutes and forty seconds to pick out a book. Then we start anew.”