Page 12 of Bewitched By the Werewolf
“Unfortunately. My whole life.”
“I’ve been considering moving from my tiny apartment in the city. Get out somewhere with a lot of space and away from the hustle and bustle. I think I’m getting tired of city living. Not enough green for me.”
“Well, there’s plenty of that around here. I would give anything to be a city girl. I’m tired of the slow and mellow. I need more excitement in my life.”
I finish slipping on the dress and step out of my fitting room, walking over to the full-length mirror to take a look. It fits perfectly just as I suspected, no surprise. Rotating I check out my ass in my reflection. I look good.
“That looks amazing on you. I have the perfect thing to pair with it. If you don’t mind?”
“Please, pair away. As long as it’s not neon green,” I add because standing out is not my plan.
“Okay, no neon. Got it.”
Larken steps back into the racks of the store and returns a moment later carrying a wide brimmed hat and a pair of tights in a sealed package. She hands over the tights and lifts the hat to my head.
“You look like the type who could pull off sexy goth. The stockings are thigh highs, black lace.” She winks. “You’ve got great legs. Put on some killer heels or boots and you’ll have anyone doing your bidding.”
“Thanks.”
I check out the hat in my reflection. It really does top the outfit, the red of my hair a perfect compliment to the black of the outfit.
“So, what is it about this town you don’t like? Anything specific? Or weird?” I phrase the questions as casually as possible only stealing glances of her in the mirror, trying not to seem too interested in her answer. I’m just an everyday customer asking basic casual questions about her town. Completely normal for a out-of-towner.
“Well, having to drive multiple hours to get to a good shopping mall is one. Plus, I want to work in fashion. Can’t do that from the middle of nowhere. All the important fashion houses are located in cities like New York City, London, and Paris. Plus, there’s all the tacky town celebrations.” She rolls hereyes and plucks at my hair positioning it on my shoulder as she speaks.
“Like what?”
She blows a lazy raspberry with her lips and leans back against the mirror inspecting my outfit and me. “Christmas cookie contests, karaoke night every single week, boxcar racing down main street, seasonal equinox parties in the woods. Everybody in everybody else's business.” She ticks the items off on her fingers, one by one, then crosses her arms over her chest.
“And the blood moon? I hear there’s lots of people coming into town for that too.”
“Yeah, that too,” she agrees slowly, eyeing me up and down. “Is that whyyou’rein town?” Her gaze narrows on me and now I feel like I’m the one under the microscope.
“Yeah. I read that being out of the city, in a place where the lights don’t block out the moon, makes for the best viewing of the eclipse. Seemed like a good opportunity to try out small town living. See if it’s worth the hype.”
Larken relaxes and laughs. “It is not worth the hype. Trust me. Take your vaca and then run back. You’ll be bored in a week living out here.”
“Then why do you still live here if it’s so boring?” I ask. My question takes Larken off guard and she drops her gaze to her hands and fiddles with her jacket buttons.
“Oh, you know, family and friends and stuff. But I have plans to leave.”
She seems to perk back up at her plans for the future, but the look is complex and maybe even a little sad. The corners of her lips falling. She quickly shakes it off, her perky retail smile back in place. “Anyways, is there anything else I can help you with?”
“Is there anything special going on in town for the eclipse I should know about? I’d love to attend a midnight picnic in the woods or something.”
“You don’t strike me as the picnic type of girl.” Larken smirks at me.
I guess all the black and leather doesn’t exactly scream picnic girl. I shrug and adjust the hat on my head, eyeing my reflection. It does look good on me.
“Never know, midnight picnic in the middle of the dark woods, under a blood red full moon eclipse, seems like the only kind of picnic I would be into.”
“Well, when you say it that way. This would be the perfect outfit for such an occasion.”
“I’ll take it then.”
I change back into my own clothes and Larken rings me up for my purchases. We part with promises to come back soon. Larken seems like a good source of information and equally chatty. Though it doesn’t escape my attention that she avoided answering my question. My morning hasn’t been completely fruitless though. I’m learning more and more interesting things about this small unknown town of Snowberry, and I want to know it all. I think it’s time I check outDottie’s.
Chapter 7: Tess
