Page 86 of Yearning Difficulties

‘You’ll see,’ she told me, her eyes sparkling. ‘Gonna help me find that crap so we have a shot at all the money?’

‘Always.’

The two of us started to search the upper level of the large house.

‘This is like the house from Clue,’ Cherry said as we ran up the stairs. ‘Ever see that film? Bet there are really fancy ghosts here.’

I’d already swiped up the rubber rat from its hiding spot. That would do for unwanted and genuinely scary. We were now urgently hunting for a broomstick, bandages, a bedsheet and the ace of spades.

Most of the guests were still preoccupied with downstairs so we were able to find a pile of bandages in one of the upstairs bathrooms.

‘You’re on fire, Blass!’ Cherry cried as we dashed down the hall, ready to search the next room.

We flung open the door and both made sounds of mortification as we realized we’d interrupted two lovers. The man wore pinstriped trousers and a clean white shirt with braces.

And the woman underneath him was Jasper Montgomery.

‘Hello!’ Cherry cried, delighted.

Arthur Lancaster rolled his eyes while Jasper covered her mouth to smother a laugh. She hid her face in his chest as he barked at Cherry and me. ‘Get out, both of you. There’s a broom behind the door. Take it and scram.’

‘Thanks, Art,’ I said, feeling a blush on my face. ‘Sorry!’

Jasper met my eyes as we backed out of the room, broom in Cherry’s hands. She was laughing so forcefully, her whole body shook. When the door was closed, Cherry released a low whistle.

‘Those two are a bisexual nightmare. Both gorgeous. This town’s a dark horse after all.’

I snickered and we collided against one another, giving in to hysterical giggles.

‘Come on,’ I said to her. ‘We can find the others. Maybe they have the ace.’

Thirty

Witchcraft

Today’s Track: ‘Ghost’ by Indigo Girls

As we linked arms and hurried back to the ballroom, I could hear a live band. A swing version of ‘Monster Mash’ was playing with a crooning male singer behind the microphone. The atmosphere buzzed and I realized, for the first time, I felt like part of the hive. Maybe Jordan Baker had been right about large parties. Maybe they could be wonderfully intimate.

‘Having fun?’ Cherry whispered as we moved as one entity into the ballroom. My eyes caught the glittering sparks of the overhanging chandelier and for once the overstimulation felt delicious instead of unwanted.

‘For once in my life,’ I said with a surreal smile, ‘I’m having fun.’

‘We did it!’ Cherry cried, bumping my hip with hers, making me laugh. ‘She’s having fun!’

And then I, an incurable wallflower, danced. We weren’t particularly graceful. We bumped, we twisted and we screamed. Our props were abandoned somewhere at the side of the room, the scavenger hunt forgotten. We tried and failed to start a Halloween conga line, which made both of us fall to our knees in hysterical laughter, tickled by our own lack of influence.

As the band started to wrap up their jazzy version of ‘I Put a Spell on You’, everyone clapped. Then a new song began. I knew it from the first few chords. ‘Ghost’ by Indigo Girls. The song made everything hurt for a moment.

No matter where we are, this is our song. Real. Not fake.

‘I don’t feel so good,’ I whispered to Cherry.

She looked over my shoulder and then gave me an understanding smile. Before I could question her, she spun me around.

I was suddenly pressed up against a tall body. A tall body who smelled incredible and was dressed like a scarecrow.

I tilted my chin and stared up into a face I knew so well.