Page 58 of The HalloQueen

I shook my head trying to focus on the creature in front of me that was somehow wearing an unstained white top (even though it was evening), ignoring how my side boobs were slightly pinched under my armpits or how the wine was giving me heartburn.

“Uh, hello, can I help you?”

The woman slowly assessed me from top to bottom before plastering on an ingenuine smile, “Hello, I am sorry, I may have the wrong house.”

I snorted, quickly pulling my hand over my breast to pop the tissue out from under my arm, “yeah I’d think so.”

Her eyes narrowed on my jiggling chest, pulling her lip back slightly in disgust and I instinctively shrunk back, leaning against the open door and remaining on my side of the threshold.

“I just… I thought he would be here. I am looking for a dear friend of mine and I… swore he had been in the area. …Do you know Thomas? Is he inside?”

I stared at her, “Thomas?”

“Yes, do you know him?” She tilted her head slightly, obviously smelling the alcohol on me - maybe even smelling him on me too - and wondering if I held more than three brain cells.

“Um, yes. Are you…. You wouldn’t be…. Are you Monique?”

Eyes widening slightly in surprise, she quickly schooled her expression, “I am, yes. You know of me?”

I chuckled, “Oh yeah, I fucking know of you. You’re‘Monique’.He’s only been looking for you for a fucking year,” I slurred slightly while gesturing toward her goddess-like body, “Obviously he’d be looking for you. Jesus, I’ve had one peek at ya and I’d probably look for you too.Fuck me!”

“And just who are you, dear?”

“Oh, hi. Sorry. Bels.” I extended my hand to her over the threshold which she hesitantly accepted.

“Bels,” she elongated my name as she spoke it like I’d given her one with no vowels and too many digraphs.

The finger guns I shot at her came out of nowhere and I cringed internally, “That’s my name, don’t wear it out.”

She pursed her lips and dropped my hand, “Charmed to meet you, Bels.”

“Ditto. So, dude, you’re really here? When I ran into Yusuf yesterday I thought he was alone.”

“I’m sorry, did you say you saw Yusuf?” She asked, stiffening and tilting her head like she’d suddenly become hard of hearing.

“Yep.” I said popping the p, “Looks like the band is getting back together.”

Monique took a sharp intake of breath, and then scoffed before saying my name, “Bels, it is very important that I find Thomas as quickly as possible, but I do not have any contact information for him. Do you know how I can reach him?”

“Oh yeah, I’ve got his cell,” I said patting down my body, “shit, my phone is in the kitchen, come on in and I’ll get it for you.”

“Thank you.”

We walked down my foyer together, and I noted that she seemed to stick her nose up like she was scenting the house to make sure he wasn’t there. She was pretty absorbed in the smell of my stairs before she screeched at Tim, who’d jumped out from behind a corner and slashed at her with his claws.

“Timmy! Sorry, he’s not usually cranky unless he’s hungry, though, truthfully, same. Hanger is danger, am I right?”

Monique hummed and lightly shoved Tim away from her leg and continued to click-clack her stabby heels after me to the kitchen where I pulled a scrap of paper and a pen out of my junk drawer. The whole room smelled amazing from the cleansing pot, and I figured that if she left while it was still on that it would kick her back out too.

I looked up at her to see her sniffing and lowering her brows before rubbing at her nose and sniffing again. I considered that the simmer pot might be making her itchy or trying to kick her out, but it could also be the scent wasn’t fully masking the fact that her partner of 200 years ripped an orgasm from me the night before only three feet from where she stood.

“How long have you known Thomas?” she asked me, leaning to tap an immaculate nude-colored manicure against the countertop.

“Like a week,” I shrugged.

“And yet you know about me?”

“I thought we established that Mo-mo.”

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