“Come with!”
“I don’t wanna invite myself.”
“Nonsense. I’ll clear it with Karlo, but I don’t see why not. It’ll be a monsterrific time.”
“Alright. If you don’t think they’d mind,” I reply.
“Of course not. I promised you friendship, and I’m delivering.”
“I think I’d like that. Text me the details.”
“Certainly.”
“Goodnight, Skyler Dillinger.”
“And goodnight to you, too, sir.”
With that, I hang up and take a deep breath. In my reflection in the TV, I notice how hard I’m smiling. I’ve been having a lot of reasons to smile lately, and I can’t say I mind.
CHAPTER 9- SKYLER
DAGAT, THE WATERSIDEbar and club, is bustling tonight. That checks out since it’s Halloween, the number one party day of the year. Allegedly, it was already a popular event before the Halloween Wave morphed a chunk of the populace into monsters. Harpies and ogres intermingle with humans on the dance floor as the bass pumps out pop music. I snicker at the shifters dressed as other monsters as their Halloween costumes.
But there’s only one monster I’m interested in. My heart lifts when I see the handsome Korean man walk through the doors carrying a small gift bag. He looks utterly nervous, but mighty fine in his light blue button-down and black slacks. The dancing crowd seems to part as he approaches our table.
“Reed!” I wave, not caring about how eager I’m acting for a guy who doesn’t want to date me.
His growing smile as he gets closer is so worth it. “Skyler. I almost didn’t recognize you.” He points to his face, and I adjust the mask on my cheeks.
“Ah, yeah. Incognito mode.” We share a chuckle, and I readjust the dark cape on my shoulders. “Generic superhero costume alert.”
“You wear it well.” Maybe it’s the delusion talking, but I swear he looks me up and down. Maybe he likes the black tank top and matching leather pants combo I’m rocking.
“And you? What about you? What are you supposed to be? And don’t say hospital administrator!” I point at his plain clothes, and we both laugh.
“I didn’t know we needed costumes!”
“This is a Halloween party!”
“I’ve never been to an adult Halloween birthday thing!”
“You could always just shift.”
His smile falls, and I kick myself for making him uncomfortable. Still, I want so badly for Reed to show me his monster form. And maybe the rest of his naked body…
The awkwardness is halted when the rest of my friends return to the table with the drinks. “Reed Sung!” Razorjaw says. He’s flanked by a smiling Karlo. Ardsley and Tyson are behind them, with all four dressed as different playing cards.
“Mr. Shaughnessy,” Reed says. “I heard it was someone’s birthday.”
“Me! It is my birthday!” Razorjaw grins and puts out his arms. He looks adorable with black spades all over his shirt.
Reed chuckles and hands him the little gift bag. “I got you something.”
RJ promptly digs into the bag and pulls out the present. “A bottle!” he proclaims.
“It’s filled with sparkling wine, babe,” Karlo says.
“Ah,” RJ replies. “Thank you, regardless.”
