My attention drifted to Lola. She sniffed her way around the bushes lining the grassy area we stood at. Another breeze kicked up, blowing fallen leaves across the ground and giving me goose bumps. I glanced up at the night sky. The giant full moon captured my attention.
Didn’t it mean something when there was a full moon on Halloween? Maybe it was what had me so out of whack. People always acted strange whenever the moon was full, didn’t they?
A car barreled through the parking lot toward the exit. They barely slowed for the speed bumps, sending their bright fluorescent headlights into my eyes like a strobe light, blinding me as they passed. I blinked rapidly as dots danced across my vision. Lola tugged on her leash, startled by the car, and nearly pulled me to the ground. I gripped her leash tighter and tugged it back.
“Chill out. Are you done yet?” I asked her.
She ignored me but still hunkered down to do her business. I sighed and returned my gaze to the moon. I pulled in a deep breath while still staring at it. For the first time today, my body and mind fully relaxed.
Nature always had that effect on me.
A stream of moonlight a few feet away seized my attention. There was something floating in it. It was silver, and from where I stood, it looked like a piece of paper.
Before I knew what was happening I stepped toward it, pulling Lola along with me. It continued to fall from the sky in the same way I imagined a feather would—light and soft. When it was right above me, I held out my hand, hoping to catch it, and smiled when it landed in my palm. It was a scrap of paper, I’d been right, and there was writing on it.
The Monster Ball.
What the heck? I glanced around to see if someone was watching me. Surely this was a joke. A trick of sorts. My gaze drifted to the balconies above. The couple in 400 H were making out hardcore, and the old man who lived two apartments down from them was on his porch, smoking a cigarette.
There was no one else around that I could see.
My gaze dipped to the paper again. Even in the dark, I could make out the elegant calligraphy the words were written in. I flipped it over in my hand. Something was written on the back.
Just as the moon has brought me to you, so shall the moon bring you to the ball.
Underneath that was: October 31st, The Witching Hour.
Okay, this had to be a joke.
I glanced around again but didn’t spot anyone who might have been waiting to see my reaction to their floating piece of paper. The fine hairs along the back of my neck stood on end as I skimmed over the paper again. Where had it come from? Better yet, who had it come from?
Chills crept along my spine from being equal parts freaked out and excited.
I pulled on Lola’s leash and forced her toward the stairs of the building with me. She didn’t protest. Unable to bring myself to part with the scrap of paper, I tucked it in my coat pocket. As I started up the stairs of the building, my gaze drifted to the moon again. All I could think about was how cool it would be to travel by moonlight like the paper had said. I blamed it on the amount of wine I’d already consumed.
As I neared the door of my apartment, my mind raced with one thought after another. What was the Monster Ball? A Halloween party? Where was it held at? And had the invitation really been meant for me? Why? I didn’t even like Halloween.
I chuckled to myself as I slipped inside because whoever had sent the paper obviously had the wrong girl.
Chapter Five
The desire to call Ren—so I could hear his voice or to create an excuse so he would have to visit the shop—shifted through my mind as I absentmindedly created another centerpiece for the party at town hall. I fought against it, knowing I needed to hash out the details of the contract with Brielle first, which meant I had no reason to contact him other than my raging libido.
Unless I had him bring more of his designs by for me to look at.
My gaze dipped to the box of vases tucked under the counter. That would be the perfect excuse but did I have time to waste this morning? My lips pinched into a thin line and I sighed already knowing my answer.
No, I didn’t.
I needed to knock the rest of this order out before noon. Afterward, I could call him if I still wanted. In fact, calling him could be my treat for a job well done.
Treat for a job well done? What the hell was wrong with me?
I reached for another plastic bat secured to a stick and worked it into the bouquet of orange and yellow flowers in front of me. The bats reminded me of the moon from last night for whatever reason, and soon I found myself thinking of the slip of paper again.
Had the invitation truly been for me?
My logical mind began to rationalize the entire thing. How could a slip of paper have floated to me from the sky on purpose? Also, how could a person travel by moonlight?
It had to be a joke, like a Halloween prank or something.
Who would be screwing with me though?
My cell chimed with a new text, pulling me from my thoughts. It was Brielle.
Just getting in. Last night’s party was a blast! You really missed out. Bonus: I met the cutest guy. I’ll tell you all about him tonight.
I smirked at my phone. Every time Brielle went out she always met ‘the cutest guy’. She was a magnet for them. However, she never allowed any of them to spend the night with her, and they rarely came back for a second date.
Brielle was either picky or not looking for something serious.
Can’t wait to hear all about it. - Ivy
I pocketed my cell and shifted my attention back to the centerpiece in front of me. I was almost done. How many did I have left? I started counting, but my cell went off, signaling another text. It was Brielle again.
Have you changed your mind about coming out with me tonight? I still have that costume in the back of my closet for you.
Curiosity as to what she’d chosen for me built inside me. I knew better than to give into it though. If I did, she’d think it meant I was agreeing to go out with her tonight, and that wasn’t the case. I still had more episodes of iZombie to watch.
Plus, there’s the invitation to that Monster Ball, a tiny voice in the back of my head whispered.
I don’t think so. You know Halloween isn’t my thing. - Ivy
I know. Figured I’d give it another shot. Talk to you later. I’m beat.
I bet. Party animal. - Ivy
I sent her a crazy face emoji.
You know it!
I pocketed my cell and went back to work. Five more centerpieces and I was done with this order. I needed to focus if I was going to be able to get them done on time.
The bell above the door jingled, letting me know a new customer had entered the shop. I glanced up to greet them, and my breath caught in my throat. Ren stood in the threshold with a box in his arms. My lips quirked into a wide smile, and the strange sensation I felt when he was around pumped through me.
“Hey, I was going through my other pieces last night and found some I thought you might be interested in. They’re holiday-themed, so I figured it might be something you’d be able to use. There’s also a couple pieces I thought you might enjoy personally.” His lips hooked into a half grin as he crossed the shop and placed the box on the counter near where I was working.
His warm brown eyes never moved from mine, causing delicious tingles to slip up and down my spine from the intensity of his stare. I licked my lips.
“Oh, great. Thanks.” The words fumbled from my mouth, making me sound awkward. Why was I so tongue tied around him? I was twenty-two not twelve. I swiped a few stray hairs from my eyes and cleared my throat. “I’ll take a look as soon as I’m finished with this order.”
Ren leaned against the counter. I became acutely aware it was the only thing separating us. His kissable lips were closer than ever before. The breath in my chest stilled as I noticed interest in what I was doing shift through his brown eyes.
“What are you working on there?” he asked. His voi
ce was low, a deep rumble in his solid chest.
“Centerpieces.” I inhaled his masculine scent and my heart picked up pace. “They’re for the Halloween party down at town hall tonight. They do a big bash every year.”
“Cool.” He grinned. “Have you ever been?”
My stomach somersaulted. Was he about to ask me out on a date? To the Halloween bash?
Would I go?
My breath hitched in my throat, stiffening my next words unintentionally. “I went once about four years ago. It wasn’t anything to write home about.” Not that I could remember. All I had to go off of was a picture of me and some guy manning the bobbing for apples booth. “It’s targeted toward little kids. There’s bobbing for apples and face painting. Stuff like that.”
That much was true. However, once nine o’clock rolled around, it became a kid-free zone, and the adults got to have their fun. I knew this because there was always someone making an ass of themselves and everyone talked about it for weeks. Last year it was the new kindergarten teacher. She’d gotten sloppy drunk and tried to kiss one of her students’ very married dad minutes before she puked her guts out in the flowerbed out front.
From what I heard, she doesn’t drink anymore.
“Sounds fun.” Ren picked up one of the plastic bats on the counter and spun it around.
“Yeah, I guess. If you’re into that sort of thing.”
I reached for more orange lilies and crammed them into the center of the bouquet for more texture and variety as well as something to busy myself with. I didn’t want to continue staring at him awkwardly like I was. A flower fell on the counter and I reached for it at the same time Ren did. Our fingers touched in the process, and I swore time stood still. My heart skipped a few beats before hammering to life again as the spark of energy I’d felt since he stepped into the shop intensified tenfold.
Could he feel it too?
I glanced at him. From the expression on his face, I knew he could. He averted his gaze from me as conflicting emotions seemed to war within his eyes.
“Sorry.” He handed me the flower. “Here.”
I took it from him, careful not to touch him again. I was positive if I did, I’d lose myself to the strange sensation, and I didn’t know if it would be a good thing. “Thanks.”
I stared at him, utterly unable to look away. He licked his lips, and I found myself wondering what it would be like to kiss him. Right here. Right now. Would what I felt zipping through my veins intensify?
What was I feeling?
It was something stronger than physical attraction; it ran much deeper. I bit my bottom lip, struggling to figure out what it was while at the same time trying to keep myself from crushing my lips to his.
“I should get going,” he said. Was it just me or was his voice sexy and full of desire? “Happy Halloween, Ivy.” When he murmured my name, his warm breath washed over me, and I swore I could feel his lips caressing against my skin.
I was freaking losing it. What the hell was wrong with me? I’d never reacted this way to a guy before.
Sure, Ren was good-looking but I’d been around handsome guys before. There was something different about him, something that made me crave his nearness in a way that scared me.
“Call me when you get that contract put together. I’ll come by with some coffee or something, and we can hash out the details.” Ren called over his shoulder as he pushed the shop door open. A crisp fall breeze slipped inside, sending his cologne to my nose once more.
God, he smelled good.
Wait. Was that a date? It sounded like a date.
“Sure! Sounds great. I’d love to have coffee with you.” I cleared my throat. My quick response had made me sound too eager. A breath of amusement escaped him as his lips twisted into a grin. “I mean, so we can go over those details together.”
He nodded and stepped outside. When the door closed behind him, I let out the breath I’d been holding. My fingers gripped the edge of the counter, and I forced my body and mind to chill out. If I was going to work with Ren, I needed to get my shit together. I couldn’t let him affect me as much as he did. It made me seem weak and stupid, which were two things I refused to ever believe about myself, regardless of what life tossed my way.
I reached for my cell and put on some music to calm and motivate me to finish up the last of the centerpieces. My deadline was looming close. Strands of music filtered from my phone as I picked up another bunch of flowers. My gaze dipped to the new box Ren had brought by. Curiosity ate at me, but I refused to give in. I didn’t have time. The centerpieces needed to be to Janice soon.
An hour later, I’d finished the centerpieces and placed them in a box ready for delivery. With thirty minutes to spare before I had to drop them off, I decided to take a peek inside Ren’s box.
A few vases cut into the shape of Christmas trees and cornucopias stood out to me, but they didn’t capture my attention the way three others did.
They were wooden statues of fairies.
Each was crafted in a different pose, but all three had their hands touching a smooth cylinder, which I figured I could use like a vase or planter. I soaked in the details of each, but when I reached the third, my heart stalled out.
The fairy looked exactly like me.
Chapter Six
I crept into the apartment, trying to be as quiet as possible. For as late as Brielle had stayed out last night, she had to be sleeping like the dead by now, but I still wanted to be courteous. Low voices made their way to my ears. The TV was on. Had she fallen asleep on the couch? That was something I did, not her.
“Hey,” Brielle called from the couch. Her eyes widened as though she was shocked to see me. “You’re home early.” Her school books were spread out around her, and there was a glass of deep red wine in her hand.
I set my things on our catch-all table and slipped out of my coat. “I finished the centerpieces for the party at town hall, dropped them off, and then decided to come home.”
It wasn’t lost on me that I’d closed early two days in a row. I’d have to do some advertising next week to make up for any losses the business suffered because of it.
Honestly though, I didn’t think the shop would have earned much today anyway. People were too concerned with candy and parading their kids around in costumes to think of much else.
“Are kids already out snatching up your candy?” Brielle asked. She downed the rest of her wine. It seemed thicker than it should and appeared to have coated the inside of her glass.
Which bottle was that from? It looked like potent stuff.
“Oh yeah.” I kicked off my shoes at the door.
Brielle stood and headed to the kitchen. She rinsed out her glass in the sink. “How much did you spend on it this year?”
“Too much.” I grinned. “Only because everyone likes chocolate, not that taffy crap.”
I headed to the kitchen and grabbed a wineglass from the cabinet by the sink. I glanced in the fridge for the bottle she’d opened without me but couldn’t find it. “Polished off an entire bottle by yourself this afternoon?” I smirked.
“Something like that.” She tucked her inky hair behind her ear. “All this legal jargon is short-circuiting my brain.”
I fumbled around inside the fridge until I found an unopened bottle. Brielle handed me the bottle opener and then went back to the couch.
“You’re not going to have a glass with me?” I asked.
“Nah.” She situated herself and then reached for her notebook. Lola shifted around beside her, irritated she’d been disrupted. I cracked a grin. She did that to me all the time. “I should get back to studying. I want to go to that party tonight but can’t unless I finish studying. I completely forgot there’s a massive test tomorrow.”
“Want to order takeout for dinner tonight?” I asked.
“Are you freaking kidding me?” She glanced up from her notebook. “I bought all that food in there, and you’re asking if I want to eat out?”
&nbs
p; “I know. I just don’t feel like cooking.” I shrugged.
“There’s pizza rolls in the freezer. All you have to do is pop them in the oven.”
“Dinner of champions,” I said with heavy sarcasm. I opened the freezer and grabbed the bag. “You want some? We can split the bag.”
“I’m not hungry. I’ll probably get something while I’m out later.”
I preheated the oven.
“What time are you leaving?”
“Seven,” Brielle said. “Are you sure you don’t want to come?”
I rolled my eyes. “For the fiftieth time, no. I’m staying in tonight.”
“I wish you’d change your mind. I always feel bad leaving you here alone. Halloween is a fun night. I don’t understand why you have such a grudge against it.”
“I don’t have a grudge against it, per se. It’s just not my favorite holiday. I don’t get what all the fuss is about, I guess.”
I rummaged through a cabinet for a pan to cook the pizza rolls on.
“Because you get to dress up as something you’re not. It’s the one night of the year you can be anything and not have people think you’re a freak.”
I glared at her, knowing her well enough to know that wasn’t the reason she enjoyed it so much.
“And, it’s also the one night of the year women are allowed to look slutty without being judged.” She winked.
I chuckled. Her costumes were always a little on the slutty side.
“What are you going as this year? You haven’t shown me your costume yet.”
“That’s because you haven’t asked.” She set her notebook aside and headed to her room. “I think it’s the best costume ever!”
I tried to guess what her costume was before she returned, but with Brielle, you never knew. What had she been last year? I couldn’t remember.
She came out of her room holding a long black leather dress. I could feel her eyes on me, waiting for me to say something about it, but I didn’t know what to say. It was a black dress. So what?
The Monster Ball: A Paranormal Romance Anthology Page 45