by them as “the perfect accessory to any outfit.”
She should have chosen the heels.
“Blech!” She glared at the chevron-patterned
offensive material. This is as good as
it’s going to get.
This morning Mina wouldn’t even give the
ball a second thought. Her heart was soaring. Because someone knew. Brody knew.
Whether he would continue to believe her remained
to be seen. He might change his mind and end up calling the psycho ward on her.
But for the moment, she wasn’t alone. Which gave her a whole new outlook.
For the first night in months, she’d had
a dreamless sleep.
She headed toward the kitchen to make a
sandwich for lunch and made a face at her reflection every time she passed a
mirror. Her bedroom mirror received a pig face; the bathroom she shot a
bucktoothed expression. She’d just passed the hallway mirror with her jaw
jutted out, when she caught something strange.
Had her skin seemed a bit translucent?
She leaned closer to the hall mirror, within inches of the glass, and touched
her face.
A polite cough spun her around. Brody
stood by her front door. “Don’t worry. You look lovely.” He chuckled.
Her cheeks burned red with embarrassment.
He stood there in his jeans and white V-neck shirt looking relaxed and
confident.
Mina’s hair was wet from her shower, and
she didn’t have a touch of makeup on. “Don’t you knock?” Mina frowned.
“Yes, and I even wait to be let in,” he
nodded over to Charlie. Her brother was once again hauling a chair to the
hallway, appearing ready for Operation Open Suitcase again. “He opened the
door.”
“Well,” she said. “I guess that means you
can come in.”
“I assumed as much.”
“So why are you here?” Mina asked,
feeling dumb for having to ask why his tall handsome self graced her foyer in
the middle of the afternoon.
Brody looked uncomfortable and glanced at
Charlie. He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “To protect you from any stray…
um… Fae.”
“Oh!” Mina said, surprised. She wouldn’t
have thought it possible, but her cheeks burned even hotter.
“That is, unless your problems have all
gone away?”
“Uh, no.” Mina thwarted Charlie’s
curiosity by pushing the door closed as soon as he opened it. She locked the
door and tucked the iron skeleton key into her pocket.
He grabbed the doorknob and shook it
angrily.
Brody continued, “But also to see if
you’d like to come over and keep me company during a planning committee for the
ball. My mom’s in charge of planning the event, and I know girls really get
into this kind of thing.”
“Um, that would be most girls. Not me.”
His face fell. “Oh, if you don’t think
you’d like it, you don’t have to come.”
“No,” she replied hastily. “I’d love to
come. Let me just grab a jacket.” Mina stepped over Charlie’s mess, grabbed a
light sweater, and turned to face Brody. Maybe she should tell him that party
planning terrified her.
But the way Brody looked at her helped
her make up her mind and had her smiling politely and going to the passenger
door of his car. Underneath his worried expression, she thought she saw a bit
of hope. He wanted her to come.
She slid into the seat, snapped the
seatbelt, and looked over at him. He cranked the engine and pulled out of the
driveway. Pop music and the hum of the vehicle soothed her frayed nerves. Were
the nerves from butterflies or terror?
The car slowed and they passed through
the gates, heading up the Carmichaels’ driveway. Mina noted the large statues
of horses and neatly trimmed hedges.
“My mom has invited a few of her friends’
daughters over to help with the last minute details,” Brody said softly.
“Ah,” she exclaimed as they passed the
garage. “That explains…nothing.”
“The Ziesters and Steppes happen to be
longtime friends, and our families go way back,” Brody chuckled, reaching over
to give her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Especially their daughters. There are
two of
She should have chosen the heels.
“Blech!” She glared at the chevron-patterned
offensive material. This is as good as
it’s going to get.
This morning Mina wouldn’t even give the
ball a second thought. Her heart was soaring. Because someone knew. Brody knew.
Whether he would continue to believe her remained
to be seen. He might change his mind and end up calling the psycho ward on her.
But for the moment, she wasn’t alone. Which gave her a whole new outlook.
For the first night in months, she’d had
a dreamless sleep.
She headed toward the kitchen to make a
sandwich for lunch and made a face at her reflection every time she passed a
mirror. Her bedroom mirror received a pig face; the bathroom she shot a
bucktoothed expression. She’d just passed the hallway mirror with her jaw
jutted out, when she caught something strange.
Had her skin seemed a bit translucent?
She leaned closer to the hall mirror, within inches of the glass, and touched
her face.
A polite cough spun her around. Brody
stood by her front door. “Don’t worry. You look lovely.” He chuckled.
Her cheeks burned red with embarrassment.
He stood there in his jeans and white V-neck shirt looking relaxed and
confident.
Mina’s hair was wet from her shower, and
she didn’t have a touch of makeup on. “Don’t you knock?” Mina frowned.
“Yes, and I even wait to be let in,” he
nodded over to Charlie. Her brother was once again hauling a chair to the
hallway, appearing ready for Operation Open Suitcase again. “He opened the
door.”
“Well,” she said. “I guess that means you
can come in.”
“I assumed as much.”
“So why are you here?” Mina asked,
feeling dumb for having to ask why his tall handsome self graced her foyer in
the middle of the afternoon.
Brody looked uncomfortable and glanced at
Charlie. He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “To protect you from any stray…
um… Fae.”
“Oh!” Mina said, surprised. She wouldn’t
have thought it possible, but her cheeks burned even hotter.
“That is, unless your problems have all
gone away?”
“Uh, no.” Mina thwarted Charlie’s
curiosity by pushing the door closed as soon as he opened it. She locked the
door and tucked the iron skeleton key into her pocket.
He grabbed the doorknob and shook it
angrily.
Brody continued, “But also to see if
you’d like to come over and keep me company during a planning committee for the
ball. My mom’s in charge of planning the event, and I know girls really get
into this kind of thing.”
“Um, that would be most girls. Not me.”
His face fell. “Oh, if you don’t think
you’d like it, you don’t have to come.”
“No,” she replied hastily. “I’d love to
come. Let me just grab a jacket.” Mina stepped over Charlie’s mess, grabbed a
light sweater, and turned to face Brody. Maybe she should tell him that party
planning terrified her.
But the way Brody looked at her helped
her make up her mind and had her smiling politely and going to the passenger
door of his car. Underneath his worried expression, she thought she saw a bit
of hope. He wanted her to come.
She slid into the seat, snapped the
seatbelt, and looked over at him. He cranked the engine and pulled out of the
driveway. Pop music and the hum of the vehicle soothed her frayed nerves. Were
the nerves from butterflies or terror?
The car slowed and they passed through
the gates, heading up the Carmichaels’ driveway. Mina noted the large statues
of horses and neatly trimmed hedges.
“My mom has invited a few of her friends’
daughters over to help with the last minute details,” Brody said softly.
“Ah,” she exclaimed as they passed the
garage. “That explains…nothing.”
“The Ziesters and Steppes happen to be
longtime friends, and our families go way back,” Brody chuckled, reaching over
to give her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Especially their daughters. There are
two of
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