Page 6 of Love at First Bite
But as I turned and scanned the bustling store, I caught how my friends were all enjoying themselves. Picking up things, laughing and smiling. Even oooing at a couple of things. They were totally in their element and loving the excitement I couldn’t deny sparked for me. I wasn’t going to pout and ruin their shopping trip.
I turned and focused my attention on a rack filled with what seemed to be sexier costumes while I tried to keep a smile on my face. I was going to make the best out of the situation. The whole point of our activities was to be together.
Even if it meant doing something scary.
I picked up a sexy cop costume and wondered where the rest of the dress was. I tilted my head trying to picture myself in it, but I couldn’t. I was a fourth grade teacher, for god’s sake! I couldn’t be seen in that!
Jesus! When did you start sounding old? You’re only twenty-eight,a voice in my head reminded me. I exhaled slowly. It wasn’t like I was going to wear it in my classroom.Just to a haunted house.My stomach tightened at the thought.
I didn’t like scary stuff.
My mom had loved everything creepy and gory. I shook the thought away. I wondered if she and my dad hadn’t been struck by that drunk driver, would I have ever got into the whole spooky thing they had loved once upon a time?
But if they had lived, would I have found Ember, Abby, and Rosie? Would I have known the beauty Moonlit Pines held? I glanced out the big window of the store that stared into the parking lot of the brewery, where all of this was going to be held, and tried to breathe.
Think happy thoughts,I reminded myself.
Hay bales were stacked high up, like walls, and set up like a maze. One that I would have to go through in the dark, waitingfor things to jump out at me.So much for happy thoughts. I sighed.
“Hey! That’s cute!” Rosie popped up behind me. We both looked at the short, very short, dress. “But you can’t be a cop.” I turned to her.
“Why not?” I found myself asking even though I had no plans of buying it.
“You need something with a mask.” She took the dress that was more like lingerie from my hands and hung it back up on the rack.
“Oh, that’s right.” I pressed my lips together. “What about one of those pink jumpsuits and the sparkly pink ghost face?” I asked, half-joking, and she poked my side.
“No!” she laughed. “Something cute. Sexy.”
“You don’t think I would look sexy in that cat suit?” I gave her my best puppy dog eyes. She rolled her eyes, immune to my charms.
“You’re sexy in anything you wear. Sexy is a state of mind.”
“Pfft,” I snorted. If only it were that easy. I groaned, letting my fake-it-till-I-make-it mask slip. She hip-checked me.
“Hey, I’m serious.” I nodded as if I agreed. “For reals.”
“Rosie,” I deadpanned. She’d known me since I had moved to town as a scared eight-year-old. We’d gone through our awkward teen years and grew into ourselves together. She knew me.
“You’re beautiful,” she said softly. Her blue eyes almost twinkled before she winked. “We’re all hot shit.”
Staring at her, I could see why she thought that. Rosie Baker dripped sexiness. Red hair, light, fair complexion that turned the prettiest pink when she blushed or got too much sun,, and the brightest blue eyes known to man. She turned heads wherever she went. Not that she ever let the attention go to her head. Evenwhen she did some modeling, it was just something she did.A job.
Her attention was laser-focused on the rack in front of us, like she was looking for something perfect. Something she somehow knew was buried treasure and only she would know it the moment she saw it.
And she wasn’t rushing, either. She took her time as she contemplated each costume.
“You know… I’ve been meaning to tell you, it’s pretty cool how you’ve taken all this,” she said softly, and I stilled.
“All what?” I asked, even though I had a feeling I knew exactly what she was talking about.
“Our plans.”
“It’s just one day.” I shrugged. “It isn’t a big deal. Like prom.” She turned, and our eyes connected.
“Now I know you’re lying. You love book club night,” she said before quickly adding, “And you hated prom.”
“It’s fine,” I said and kind of meant it.
