at the base of my neck, I ran a bath. As it filled steadily with water, I returned to my room and took the new dress, underwear, and shawl I had bought and laid them out across my unmade bed. Would Nev think I was as pretty as the woman in the shop had thought? Did it matter even if he didn’t? I wondered, returning to the bathroom and sinking down into the tub. Hadn’t I bought the dress to simply feel better about myself and not for anyone else?
Within five minutes, I was springing from the bath and towelling myself dry. With the towel fluttering away from me like wings, I put on the new clothes I had bought. Smoothing the dress down with the flats of my hands, I returned to the bathroom and fixed my hair. I unknotted the bun and let my thick, black hair cascade over my shoulders and back. Then taking the bottle of perfume I had bought earlier, I sprayed some on each side of my neck and on each wrist.
I looked back at my reflection. “Good?” I asked it.
In my mind’s eye I saw the creature coming forward inside of me. Her long hair was flowing blue and black, skin so pale it looked like ice, lips the colour of blood, eyes blazing like bright pools of fire. With wings shimmering about her, she smiled and said, “Better?”
I looked away, heading back into my room. Slipping on the heels I had arrived in and the shawl about my bare shoulders, I placed my phone inside my purse and went to the door. With it open, I looked back at the bottle of Lot 13 on the desk. Not knowing who had left it for me and why, I stepped out onto the landing, closing the door shut tight behind me.
“Going anywhere nice?” the temporary innkeeper called after me as I fled across the dining area toward the door.
“Catch you later!” I said with a wave of my hand and without looking back. What did it have to do with him where I was going? He really was Phebe’s stand-in.
Teetering on my heels, I made my away across the small parking area. Climbing inside, I kicked them off, stuffing them under my seat. They had started to hurt already. I hated heels! With the engine of my scratched and battered Mini making a series of farting noises, I headed out of the car park toward the cottage where Nev lived. Pressing down on the accelerator with my bare foot, I took the tight bends and curves in the narrow roads. The sun was just dipping on the horizon. It cast a pink blaze across the sky, like someone had knocked over a giant bottle of Lot 13. I pushed thoughts of that to the back of my mind. I would have to figure out who had left that in my room and why, later. I didn’t want anything to spoil tonight. It was my birthday and I wanted to enjoy it.
I took the turning Nev had directed me down the previous day. As I headed down the road with the waist-high stone walls on each side, I could see Nev waiting by the cottage gate. I suddenly felt nervous and I couldn’t explain why. Was this what a first date felt like? I wouldn’t know. I couldn’t ever remember officially going on a first date. Besides, this wasn’t a first date – it was the start of a friendship – acquaintance . However much I tried not to be in this world, I was in love with someone else. And even if I wasn’t, it would be too risky for Nev to become too close to me and my friends.
I drew my car to a stop. I could see that Nev had obviously gone back into town at some point and retrieved his bike. It was chained to the front gate. I couldn’t help but smile to myself at the sight of the wicker basket fixed to the front of it. The bike looked like something an old lady might ride. But then again hadn’t Nev told me that the bike belonged to Mavis Bateman, the widow who he lived with? Even if the bike looked a little old and cranky, Nev certainly didn’t. He stepped away from the gate with a broad smile on his face and came around the front of the car. His dark hair still looked skewwhiff, but he had trimmed the stubble that covered his chin into a dark shadow. He wore
Within five minutes, I was springing from the bath and towelling myself dry. With the towel fluttering away from me like wings, I put on the new clothes I had bought. Smoothing the dress down with the flats of my hands, I returned to the bathroom and fixed my hair. I unknotted the bun and let my thick, black hair cascade over my shoulders and back. Then taking the bottle of perfume I had bought earlier, I sprayed some on each side of my neck and on each wrist.
I looked back at my reflection. “Good?” I asked it.
In my mind’s eye I saw the creature coming forward inside of me. Her long hair was flowing blue and black, skin so pale it looked like ice, lips the colour of blood, eyes blazing like bright pools of fire. With wings shimmering about her, she smiled and said, “Better?”
I looked away, heading back into my room. Slipping on the heels I had arrived in and the shawl about my bare shoulders, I placed my phone inside my purse and went to the door. With it open, I looked back at the bottle of Lot 13 on the desk. Not knowing who had left it for me and why, I stepped out onto the landing, closing the door shut tight behind me.
“Going anywhere nice?” the temporary innkeeper called after me as I fled across the dining area toward the door.
“Catch you later!” I said with a wave of my hand and without looking back. What did it have to do with him where I was going? He really was Phebe’s stand-in.
Teetering on my heels, I made my away across the small parking area. Climbing inside, I kicked them off, stuffing them under my seat. They had started to hurt already. I hated heels! With the engine of my scratched and battered Mini making a series of farting noises, I headed out of the car park toward the cottage where Nev lived. Pressing down on the accelerator with my bare foot, I took the tight bends and curves in the narrow roads. The sun was just dipping on the horizon. It cast a pink blaze across the sky, like someone had knocked over a giant bottle of Lot 13. I pushed thoughts of that to the back of my mind. I would have to figure out who had left that in my room and why, later. I didn’t want anything to spoil tonight. It was my birthday and I wanted to enjoy it.
I took the turning Nev had directed me down the previous day. As I headed down the road with the waist-high stone walls on each side, I could see Nev waiting by the cottage gate. I suddenly felt nervous and I couldn’t explain why. Was this what a first date felt like? I wouldn’t know. I couldn’t ever remember officially going on a first date. Besides, this wasn’t a first date – it was the start of a friendship – acquaintance . However much I tried not to be in this world, I was in love with someone else. And even if I wasn’t, it would be too risky for Nev to become too close to me and my friends.
I drew my car to a stop. I could see that Nev had obviously gone back into town at some point and retrieved his bike. It was chained to the front gate. I couldn’t help but smile to myself at the sight of the wicker basket fixed to the front of it. The bike looked like something an old lady might ride. But then again hadn’t Nev told me that the bike belonged to Mavis Bateman, the widow who he lived with? Even if the bike looked a little old and cranky, Nev certainly didn’t. He stepped away from the gate with a broad smile on his face and came around the front of the car. His dark hair still looked skewwhiff, but he had trimmed the stubble that covered his chin into a dark shadow. He wore
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