He’s my bodyguard,” I said tightly. “You know that. I don’t trust you. I should walk away from this, but I’m here, and I’m going to take a look. He stays. Got a problem, take it up with my mom.
My pulse slowed, and as Jenks charmed the ladies behind the counter into flustered goo, I tried to look cool and professional among the plastic toys and paper hats. It wasn’t going to happen, so I tried for dangerous. I think I managed cranky...
Ivy rose to rinse the carafe. She leaned close to me, running the water to blur her words as she muttered, “What’s wrong with her? She’s crying over her tea.
Ms. Vampire Lady, you’re all wet.
Winona!” I said, quashing my first initial panic at finding a horned, tailed, demonic creature smiling at me.
I reached to push my hair out of my eyes, finding someone had tied a knot it in. My face screwed up in anger as I realized it was a HAPA knot. Real funny.
Tom is trying to tag a banshee? By himself? Go for it, coffin bait.
Ivy?” I called as I went belowdecks, fear winding between my soul and reason when she didn’t answer. The silence ate away at my hope like bitter acid, drop by drop, breath by breath.
Her fingers pressing into me grew firmer and her breath quickened. I told myself this was what I wanted. Believe it. Accepting it. –“don’t be afraid,” she breathed as she held herself poised.
By the light coming from the patio, it looked a shade after sunrise. I had to stop waking up at this hour. It was just insane.
And L-M-N-O-P is not one letter, but five. It took me forever to figure that out.
I’m a pixy, Rachel. I may look all tough and stuff, but I got wings, and I know infatuation when I see it.
What in Tink’s contractual hell are you doing here?
Bug?” Jenks shouted, incensed. “You sack of sweat stink. I’ve got farts that smell sweeter than you. Think you’re better than me? Poop ice cream cones, do you?
The runt will have a juice box.′ He turned to Pierce. ‘It will make you big and strong, won’t it, little fella.
She called it my purse of delight.
Sure, he had a wife and fifty-four kids, but he looked like a college freshman. A yummy college freshman majoring in Oh-my-god-I-gotta-get-me-some-of-that.
There were no more choices, no more options, no more clever ways out of a tough situation. And the rush, I realized in a brutal wash of despair, is a false god I’ve chased my entire life. One that cost me everything in the blind search for sensation. My entire existence amounted to nothing.
Endings are not always bad. Most times they’re just beginnings in disguise.
I sighed. I hated the maze of bureaucracy with a passion, but I’ve found the best way to deal with it is to smile and act stupid. That way, no one gets confused.