I slink out of the changing room and head toward the shop counter. Olive is already at the front, talking to the older woman about our costumes.
“Oh, I have the perfect eyebrows in the back,” she coos, walking toward me and pulling me back to where I came from. The look on my face makes Olive giggle. I had no warning, just an old lady with pink hair leading me toward her back room. I’m not sure what Olive signed me up for, but hopefully it’s innocent. The only person in here I have eyes for is her.
Sally leads me into her office. She digs around in a desk, then hands me the bushiest pair of eyebrows I’ve ever seen. “These will be perfect for your costume,” she says, turning and exiting just as quickly. I follow, finally making my way to the front of the store. Immediately, I can sense something is off. Rather than saying anything, Olive hands me a flyer with one hand and I place my credit card on the counter for Sally with the other. I can hear the way Olive swallows hard when I’m reading thepaper. Neither of us say a thing while we wait for our items to be packaged up.
Once we’re back on the sidewalk heading toward Olive’s cottage, I speak first. “So, Irina’s going to be at the Halloween Bash.” It’s not a question, just a simple statement.
“Looks like it,” Olive says, a deep breath whooshing out of her.
“For what it’s worth, I don’t think you need to find her. I mean, aside from the people you’ve deliberately told, no one knows about the tattoo. It’s not like it’s changed your life in any way other than physical appearance,” I mutter.
She stops walking. “Sam, it has changed my life, changed me. I don’t know what’s real or what’s this stupid curse, anymore.”
“No, you’re right. I’m sorry, that was insensitive. Of course it has changed your life, I just meant that I care for you either way. Going to see her is dangerous, look what happened before,” I defend. I mean, yeah, it has changed her life in that she is marked with signs of, from what I can tell, our relationship, but is that really such a bad thing? Does she not trust what we have together?
I don’t want to fight with her, but she won’t ever tell me exactly what she’s thinking. I know she tries to keep her emotions close to her chest, to not become too much for me to handle. But from my perspective, I want everything about her. I want her funny sarcasm, her too-fancy-for-Mage wardrobe, her messed-up mother, her wild friends, all of it. The good, the bad, the ugly.
twenty-nine
Olive
It's Practically Magic
8.5 Hours Until Midnight
“What time did they say they were going to be here?” Sam asks, pulling me closer to him under the covers of my bed.
“Five, I think,” I reply, scooching back against him, the feel of his naked body pressed against my skin soothing me.
“It’s only three thirty. You know what that means . . .” Sam peppers kisses along my shoulder.
“Yeah, that I need to shower and start getting ready because it’s later than I thought.”
“Not what I was hoping you would say, but okay.” Sam blows out a breath and rolls onto his back taking most of the covers with him.
“You’re insatiable.” I roll with him, grasping for a bit of warmth as I place a quick kiss on his lips.
Sam spent the night after he got off work yesterday. We christened every available surface in this place at least twice and then again after breakfast this morning. I can’t deny that there is chemistry between us. Sex with Sam is the hottest thing I’ve ever done. And it never gets boring. He’s always trying new things and working to learn what I like best. I don’t think I could deny him, even if I wanted to. But right now, the anxiety of knowing I’m a few short hours from facing Irina again, a few hours from making a potentially life-changing decision, I guess that’s the mood killer I never thought I’d have.
“I promise it’ll be worth the wait.” I wink at him, hopping up from the bed. The lie churns my stomach. I doubt after he finds out I plan to go see her that he will want anything to do with me.
“I’d be celibate if it meant I could spend every day with you, it’s fine. Just go get ready so we can have some fun with our friends.” Sam lifts up, scooching toward the edge of the bed and hugging me around the middle.
“That’s a lie, but okay, Sam.” I chuckle as I shake my head and go to shower. Somehow, he always knows exactly the right thing to say. But I’m naked, so maybe my arm told him what I want without my consent.
An hour later, after showers are had and costumes are put on, I walk into the kitchen and find Sam, who very much looks like Johnny Rose if he had a beard, mixing up what appears to be a cocktail.
“What’s this?” I ask, peering around him into the glass pitcher he’s stirring.
“I’m not sure what to call it, but it’s basically hooch.”
“What the heck is hooch?” I ask, hovering my face over the pitcher to sniff the concoction.
“It’s like . . . Didn’t you ever go to parties in college where they mixed a bunch of alcohol with fruit punch?” Sam asks.
“No? I don’t think so.” His eyes nearly bugging out of his head when he realizes I have no clue what he’s talking about.
“What are we saying no to?” Ariella’s voice chirps from the entryway.
