Page 20 of A Hot Sauce Halloween

Charlotte takes it with a wide grin. “Thank you,” she says, polite and perfect as always.

Vincent returns and I get a better look at his outfit as he walks behind the bar. It’s a simple style with khaki pants, a battered, white tank top, and thin, beige suspenders hanging down his waist, but still oddly familiar.

“Hey, Vin. What’s your costume?” I ask.

He pauses beside Evey and sips his own drink. “Streetcar,” he says.

“Streetcar?”

Evey rolls her eyes. “He always dresses like Brando.”

I look at him again, recognizing it. “Oh, I see.”

“Every. Single. Year.” She glares at him.

Vincent shrugs. “It’s iconic and comfortable.”

“It’s boring and never matches any of my cute stuff,” she argues.

“I think iconic and cute make a pretty decent match,” he says, planting a kiss on her nose.

She looks at me and sighs. “There he goes again. Twisting my words around, reminding me why I love him.”

They kiss once and I catch Vincent giving her belly a hidden touch behind the bar before he wanders away again. It makes me miss Anna. It makes me want to run home and give her a hug and make love to her. Tommy was right before. Men absolutely can catch baby fever and I’ve got it bad. I’d give anything to go back in time and hold my daughter as a baby, but I can’t. I can just look forward and wait for the chance to hold our next child… whenever that’ll be.

A woman appears beside me. For a second I don’t recognize her beneath the thick, cat ears and whiskered cheeks but the bright, red hair gives her away.

“Hey, Monica,” I greet with a laugh.

“Hey, guys!” she says, waving a paw.

Evey grins. “Mon, you look purr-fect!”

Monica slouches in a tipsy curtsy. “Thank you. May I have a cherry bomb and a dry martini, please?”

Evey nods and gets to work, reaching below the counter for two martini glasses.

Monica turns to me, her eyes bouncing back and forth between me and Charlotte. “Love the costumes, Jake,” she tells me. “I wish my dad did stuff like this with me when I was little. You’re a lucky lady, Charlotte.”

I smile. “It was all her idea. I’m just along for the ride.”

She adjusts her headband in the mirror above the bar. “Where’s Anna?” she asks.

“Oh, she’s at home,” I answer. “She hates Halloween.”

Monica pauses and gives a knowing nod at Evey. “Oh, that’s right.” Her smirk deepens. “So… are you thinking of getting back into the taco business one of these days?”

I shake my head. “No, that ship has sailed.”

“Boo!” she whines. “Well, Boston misses you. Your old truck spot got replaced with this new guy who does fish tacos but it’s just not the same.”

“Yeah, I heard that,” I say. “Nice to know I left a good legacy.”

Evey lays her drinks on the counter. “Added to your ever-growing tab, Monica.”

“Thanks, Evey!” Monica picks up her martini glasses. “See you around the ovens, Jake.”

“Seeya,” I say with a wave.

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