“No, Santa Claus.” I shot him a look. “Yes, Alec.”
“Oh.” He rubbed his brow with his index finger as if I’d presented him with some challenging riddle he needed to puzzle out.
“If there’s one person who has the means and would be willing to help you, it’s Alec. Plus, if you put out a single with his label, wouldn’t your fans be less worried?”
Xander stared at me as he contemplated my words, and I stared back, transfixed by his soft green gaze. He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat, and my eyes unconsciously lowered to his lips.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“I’d love to hear you say that again,” I said, smirking up at him, “but this time in more detail.”
His mouth twitched in amusement. “If I’m unhappy, I need to do something about it. Maybe writing a new song will be cathartic for me.”
“So you’ll ask Alec for help?”
Xander nodded.
“Good, then I just have one question for you.”
“What’s that?” he asked.
I took a deep breath. “What are your plans for Halloween?”
Chapter 12
I spotted Xander as soon as I pulled into a parking lot marked by familiar golden arches. He was leaning against the same Range Rover he’d driven to Soul Harvest, his nose buried in his phone, and my lips curled into a smile at the sight of his costume. He wore a moss-green jerkin with a matching cloak, which was fastened at the neck by a silver brooch in the shape of a leaf. His forearms were covered by black bracers, and on his feet were decorative leather boots. The best part, however, was the long platinum wig. Or the pointed ears. It was hard to choose.
“Oh. My. God,” I said, stepping out of my car. “Youdidn’t!”
Xander looked up at the sound of my voice and grinned. “I did. You’re the one who said you pictured me as Legolas, so I figured, who am I to deny you that particular fantasy?” He pushed away from the SUV and, holding out his hands, turned in a slow circle. “What do you think?”
That you’re a dork. A freaking adorable dork.
“You look like you belong on a movie set,” I said, moving forward to get a better look. Up close, I could see the intricate vine-like pattern stitched into the garment. The costume was clearlycustom-made, not some mass-produced piece of crap anyone could buy off Amazon. “I love it.”
When I invited Xander to the Halloween party, I told him he wasn’t required to dress up because I didn’t want to give him a reason not to come. Most people did, but as long as he was there, I’d be happy. Xander, however, insisted he would find a costume. With that being said, I never expected him to go all out. Not like this. That he had put so much effort in made my chest feel warm and light.
“I’m glad you approve.” His mouth quirked as he scanned my outfit. “So…what exactly are you supposed to be?”
I laughed. Besides the tailcoat Sofia had altered for me, I was wearing black leather shorts, knee-high boots, and a pair of chemistry goggles on my head. Around my wrist hung a bracelet made of wine corks and hex nuts. I’d also used a temporary dye to color my hair the same deep blue as my jacket and glitter gel to add some sparkle to my roots. “A character fromLady Phoenixcalled Kelina Stardust. She’s a time-traveling alien who has zero understanding of Earth fashion.”
“Wow,” he said, looking me up and down again. “I need to start reading pronto.”
“Why’s that?”
He blushed but said, “Because this Kelina character is kinda hot.”
Holy. Freaking. Hell. Was Xander hitting on me?
Thank the Lord for the thick layer of foundation I was wearing, because my cheeks went up in flames. “Do you really think this looks okay?” I asked, tugging at the tailcoat, “or are you just beingnice? Because I ran into Violet before I left, and she told me I look silly.”
“It’s Halloween. You’re allowed to look silly,” Xander said, “but I don’t think you do. Quirky, sure, but in an intriguing, let’s-take-a-ride-in-your-spaceship kind of way.”
“Was that a sexual innuendo involving aliens?”
“Maybe,” he said with a grin, and before I could come up with a clever reply, he jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. “Come on. There’s something I want to show you.” He retrieved a long, flat case from the back of his car and steered me in the direction of the sidewalk.
“What’s in there?” I asked, trying to get a better look at the plastic box as I fell into step beside him.
