“I was hoping you’d say that … because there is no way my boobs would fit in that dress.”
At midnight, Monday and I stood outside my front door. The fat white moon hung directly above, and darkness floated everywhere. My mother’s dress fit seamlessly on my body like a second skin, and Monday’s dress dripped of gold down to her feet. Something a Greek goddess would wear, with a matching band around her forehead.
“Okay,” she said, shaking out her hands. “This is it.”
“This is it,” I agreed.
Silence.
An owl hooted.
“Do we just walk there? I mean … we can’t exactly ride scooters in these dresses.” Monday turned to me.
“I didn’t think about that.”Silence again. “My scooter is broken. We’d have to both fit on yours.”
Monday laughed. “Yeah, okay … because that would work.” As soon as she’d said that, an idea came to mind. I took off my heels, held them in my hand as I flew down the porch steps and toward the garage. “Where are you going?”
“We could take my Mini Coop, but there’s one thing I want to check first.”
In the garage, there was a car under a cover. I hadn’t found the time before to see if it worked, but it was worth checking. I latched my fingers around the handle on the bottom and pulled the garage door up. It rolled open and slammed against the top with an echoedbang!
“That isn’t what I think it is, is it?” I heard Monday ask as I uncovered the vehicle. “No way. No. I can’t believe it.” Under the white cover sat a black vintage car. I pulled the dusty cover into a heap in the corner, swiped my hands together. “The Mystery-mobile.”
My gaze swung to hers. “The what?”
Monday laid her hand over her chest as she approached the car, walked around it. “Every Winter Solstice, this car would be in the parade passing out sparklers to the kids before the bonfire. No one has seen it in years. Geez, it’s been like five years, maybe?” she shook her head as if in amazement, “It was Benny all along … I can’t believe it. Cranky Benny was the man in the Mystery-mobile.”
I eyed the vintage Phantom. We couldn’t be talking about the same man. “My grandfather?”
“See if it still works. Do you realize how amazing this is? Showing up to the Pruitt Ball in the Mystery-mobile? Iconic.”
“Don’t get your hopes up,” I warned her, opening the car door. I sat in the driver’s seat, searched around for a key, then one fell into my lap as I flipped down the visor. Monday got in beside me. I tossed her one last look before inserting the key into the ignition. Turned it.
The car rumbled at our feet, and Monday squealed. “Oh, this is all very Cinderella.”
Chapter 44
Fallon
Cars linedthe circular driveway to the Pruitt mansion. Bystanders gawked and whispered as we pulled up.
Monday wore a proud smile as we exited the dusty Phantom, and my gaze followed the pale-yellow mansion to the black sky. The bones of the estate had white Victorian architectural elements, mixing both the coastal charm and something belonging not of this time. Almost as if a church had found its way into Weeping Hollow on the cliff of Maine. Somehow it worked.
A tall, thin man greeted us at the door, wearing a butler tuxedo, and checked off our names before we entered. Haunting music bounced off the pristine glossy floors. My vision flooded with cocktail dresses, black tuxedos, and masquerade masks. Monday grabbed my hand and led me between the grand staircases, where I looked skyward. A crystal chandelier hung in the foyer, the music filling my ears. All around me, people laughed, smiled, and drank from brass and pewter goblets etched with the Sacred Sea symbol and scrolls.
“I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” Fable placed her hand on my arm, and I turned when she hugged me, “Fallon,” she gasped. “This dress is gorgeous. Monday, too. Wow, you two look so beautiful.”
I pulled away to admire her emerald green dress, her fawn hair lying lazily around her shoulders like mine. “Yours, too.”
“Fallon!” Adora shrieked, hugging me as my eyes widened. I hadn’t seen her in so long. She pulled me away to look at me and wrapped one of my locks around her finger. “Dance with me.” She smiled in all blue. Her glassy green eyes glistened through her embellished white mask.
“She’s already drunk,” Fable whispered, patting my arm to drag me away. “Soon, Adora. Let’s get her a drink first.” Then her voice lowered, “This is going to be a night you willwantto forget.”
As we walked between bodies and chatter and laughter, my eyes looked for him, my heart begging him to be here amongst the sea of masked faces. Ladies in beautiful gowns danced in the main room as men surrounded them, watched them. My head whipped, and I stood on my toes when we came to a standstill. Fable placed a drink in my hand, and I shifted my eyes in front of me when they met with silver ones.
“Julian,” I whispered, his name falling like mist. He was okay.
Julian cleared his throat, and when I thought I could breathe again, another breath was imprisoned in my lungs. I stood motionless, listening to my heart knock inside my chest above the music as my eyes locked on his expressive ones. He was wearing a fitted black tuxedo with a crisp white shirt underneath, a white mime mask covering his face. Very few times had I seen his lips, the ones I’d kissed numerous times now. The mouth that whispered to me in the dark of sweet nothings and feelings and once-upon-a-times. Delicate lips with sharp edges and painted in the color of blood yet tasted like cinnamon and a dash of sweet wickedness.
