Page 43 of Haunt the Mall

I sighed and bagged up a corseted pirate outfit for a waiting customer. “Have a nice day.” Go get some booty, I almost added.

Why was this my default setting after one date? I wasn’t some twenty-year-old pervert anymore. I hid in the stacks and snuck peeks at my phone, hoping for a notification. Victor said to text him. The ball was in my court, but I kinda hoped he’d sneak into my DMs with strong, sexy initiative. God, if he ever left a voicemail, I’d play it on repeat.

Maybe that's what I needed—a repeat. Get this lust out of my system. I could play my part as the strong, badass lady who seduced strangers in movie theaters.

My fingertips ghosted over our chat, summoning typing ellipses on my end. But what should I say? Last night…

“You came,” AJ cheered.

How did he know?!

I exited the chat and clutched my phone. Clunky soles strolled across the wood floors. I stiffened and peered around the display.

Bree, still in her clothes from last night with an oversized hoodie, flashed him a closed-lipped smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I couldn’t let you deal with Kat’s bitching because of me.”

“Bitching, really?” I crossed my arms and marched over to the desk.

Color drained from her face. Why so pale? Was she actually sick or was she more embarrassed I’d caught her being shady?

AJ winced. “I didn’t phrase it like that.”

“I didn’t think you did.” I raised my chin to Bree. “Are you feeling better?”

“Yeah, a little.” She slicked back the flyaway hairs in her updo and averted her gaze.

AJ gestured widely. “I only asked how she was, and I said that you were covering, so you’d be opening and closing.”

Bree huffed through her nose.

“Okay,” I said, dragging out the second syllable. Either she didn’t care, or he wasn’t telling the whole story. “So, you rallied?”

Bree ran her finger along the bottom of her lip. “Yeah. I couldn’t let the team down. And this way, you get a break, for a few hours at least.” There was that fake smile again. Or maybe it was weak because she wasn’t feeling well.

I rubbed my neck. “Listen, if you’re really sick—”

She gasped and widened her eyes. “Oh my god, what is that?”

“What’s what?” I furrowed my brow and looked around.

“That…bruise.” She inched closer, her head tilted. “Is that a bite mark?”

I clamped my hand onto my collar. “No.” Fuck, my voice cracked.

“It is.” She glanced at AJ in shared shock. “You got freaky last night.”

“I…yeah, I hang out with vampire enthusiasts. We got carried away reenacting, and someone was hungry,” I rasped, rolling my eyes so they couldn’t tell if I was serious. “Whatever happened, it was off-hours, and none of your business. We’re talking about your unexcused absence.”

“I’m here now, no absence,” she said, raising her shoulders.

Wow. I took a deep breath in the hopes it would calm the raging urge to kick her out for being so callous.

Stress from our busiest season was probably getting to the whole team. I liked Bree. Usually.

“I’m taking my break, but we’ll discuss this when I get back.” I twisted away from them and marched to a secluded mirror by the jewelry display. Was the bite that bad? I stretched my shirt for a private examination. How could I go from no mark last night to purple-yellow dots today? I prodded the nearby skin with macabre fascination, my stomach twisting from the pleasant ache.

Would Victor like to see?

My heartbeat pulsed under my fingertips.

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