with noise and light and too many dancing kids.
People called greetings, but all Kara wanted to do was find a chair and regain her strength. “Let me get you something to drink,” Vince shoutedabove the music and voices as he deposited her on a sofa.
Too out of breath to speak, she gave him a thumbs-up signal. Her lungs felt on fire. She longed to cough, but held her breath until the urge passed. She watched Vince shoulder his way back through the crowd, balancing two sodas. He sat on the arm of the sofa beside her, putting his free arm around her protectively. “You sure you’re all right?”
She took a big swig of the cola. “No problem.” She wanted to change the subject. “Everybody looks great,” she told him.
Around them, people in colorful costumes danced. “You’re the only black cat,” Vince said, leaning down toward her ear. “And a beautiful cat, too. Pur-r-rfect, I’d say.”
“You big bloodsucker … I’ll bet you say that to all the girls.”
Vince laughed. “Howie has a basement full of video games. Will you come with me downstairs and we can try a few?”
Kara didn’t want to navigate the stairs, or manipulate the buttons for the games. “Go on without me,” she urged. “I’d just like to sit here a while and watch everybody. I’m okay. Don’t treat me like I’m sick, Vince. Please.”
“You sure?”
She gave him a little shove. “Go on.”
Vince bent and kissed her forehead. “I won’t be gone long.” He untied his black cape and laid it across her lap. “I don’t want this thing in my way.‘Vait for me.’ ” He used his best Transylvanian accent.
“I ‘vill,’ ” she mimicked. The urge to cough was overwhelming her. She remembered how cool the night air had felt and decided she needed to get outside before she fainted.
Kara threaded her way through the throngs of dancers and was almost to the doorway when an arm reached out and circled her waist. “Look what I caught,” a familiar voice said.
She felt herself spun around, locked in a muscled embrace. As she came to a stop, she looked up to see a fire-breathing dragon staring down.
Ten
“D ANCE WITH ME ?” Eric asked. Someone had lowered the lights, and a slow song was playing.
Before Kara could say anything, he locked his arms around her and began moving with the music. Eric’s arms felt solid and secure, and the flannel of his shirt felt soft against her cheek. She felt as if she were floating. Her heart hammered, then slowed as she lost herself in the music and the sheer physical nearness of him. “Everybody’s telling me that the dragon you painted is awesome,” he reported.
She pulled back only slightly. “What is your costume, anyway?”
He was dressed in jeans, boots, and a shirt with one sleeve torn off so that his large bicepsshowed. A bandanna was wound around his forehead. “Texas barroom brawler.”
“You fit the role.” She snuggled back into his chest.
“And you fit pretty good right here.”
All too soon for Kara, the song ended, and breathless, she drew away. Adrenaline had carried her through the dance, but now her physical strength started to ebb. Silently, she cursed her weak lungs, her lousy genetics. “I was headed out for fresh air,” she told him as casually as she could.
“I’ll come with you.” He held her hand and led the way outdoors. She followed him along a flagstone patio, down a terraced pathway, toward a single pine tree that kept a lone vigil alongside the split-rail fence. Moonlight spilled across rolling meadows and gave the night a ghostly quality.
Kara used the tree’s trunk for support, and discreetly turned her head and coughed, clearing her lungs as quietly as possible, ignoring the cough’s attempt to rip out of her. The chilly night air permeated her flimsy cat suit, and she struggled to keep her teeth from chattering. She couldn’t bear the thought of deserting this moment in the moonlight with Eric just because she was
People called greetings, but all Kara wanted to do was find a chair and regain her strength. “Let me get you something to drink,” Vince shoutedabove the music and voices as he deposited her on a sofa.
Too out of breath to speak, she gave him a thumbs-up signal. Her lungs felt on fire. She longed to cough, but held her breath until the urge passed. She watched Vince shoulder his way back through the crowd, balancing two sodas. He sat on the arm of the sofa beside her, putting his free arm around her protectively. “You sure you’re all right?”
She took a big swig of the cola. “No problem.” She wanted to change the subject. “Everybody looks great,” she told him.
Around them, people in colorful costumes danced. “You’re the only black cat,” Vince said, leaning down toward her ear. “And a beautiful cat, too. Pur-r-rfect, I’d say.”
“You big bloodsucker … I’ll bet you say that to all the girls.”
Vince laughed. “Howie has a basement full of video games. Will you come with me downstairs and we can try a few?”
Kara didn’t want to navigate the stairs, or manipulate the buttons for the games. “Go on without me,” she urged. “I’d just like to sit here a while and watch everybody. I’m okay. Don’t treat me like I’m sick, Vince. Please.”
“You sure?”
She gave him a little shove. “Go on.”
Vince bent and kissed her forehead. “I won’t be gone long.” He untied his black cape and laid it across her lap. “I don’t want this thing in my way.‘Vait for me.’ ” He used his best Transylvanian accent.
“I ‘vill,’ ” she mimicked. The urge to cough was overwhelming her. She remembered how cool the night air had felt and decided she needed to get outside before she fainted.
Kara threaded her way through the throngs of dancers and was almost to the doorway when an arm reached out and circled her waist. “Look what I caught,” a familiar voice said.
She felt herself spun around, locked in a muscled embrace. As she came to a stop, she looked up to see a fire-breathing dragon staring down.
Ten
“D ANCE WITH ME ?” Eric asked. Someone had lowered the lights, and a slow song was playing.
Before Kara could say anything, he locked his arms around her and began moving with the music. Eric’s arms felt solid and secure, and the flannel of his shirt felt soft against her cheek. She felt as if she were floating. Her heart hammered, then slowed as she lost herself in the music and the sheer physical nearness of him. “Everybody’s telling me that the dragon you painted is awesome,” he reported.
She pulled back only slightly. “What is your costume, anyway?”
He was dressed in jeans, boots, and a shirt with one sleeve torn off so that his large bicepsshowed. A bandanna was wound around his forehead. “Texas barroom brawler.”
“You fit the role.” She snuggled back into his chest.
“And you fit pretty good right here.”
All too soon for Kara, the song ended, and breathless, she drew away. Adrenaline had carried her through the dance, but now her physical strength started to ebb. Silently, she cursed her weak lungs, her lousy genetics. “I was headed out for fresh air,” she told him as casually as she could.
“I’ll come with you.” He held her hand and led the way outdoors. She followed him along a flagstone patio, down a terraced pathway, toward a single pine tree that kept a lone vigil alongside the split-rail fence. Moonlight spilled across rolling meadows and gave the night a ghostly quality.
Kara used the tree’s trunk for support, and discreetly turned her head and coughed, clearing her lungs as quietly as possible, ignoring the cough’s attempt to rip out of her. The chilly night air permeated her flimsy cat suit, and she struggled to keep her teeth from chattering. She couldn’t bear the thought of deserting this moment in the moonlight with Eric just because she was
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