The Real(32)

“Right?” Bree spoke up behind me. “She nailed it. She looks awesome, sexy even,” Bree said before she bit her lips. I mouthed an “I hate you” as she covered her mouth with her hand. “Well, I’m outta here. Candy to scan,” she said. “One four three,” she shouted toward me before she shut the door.

“One four three, asshole!” I shouted back and heard her laugh on the other side.

“One four three. That’s I love you,” Cameron said behind me as I grabbed my purse.

“Yeah, it’s our thing.” I sighed. I was humiliated and hated that the night was starting out on that foot. Even behind my mask, Cameron noticed.

“Hey, hey,” Cameron said, forcing my eyes to his. “Why are you upset?”

“Because I look like a witch,” I answered, making zero sense.

“You look like a witch on Halloween going to a Halloween party,” he said, his perfect brows pressing together. “What’s the problem?”

“It’s not sexy,” I whispered, widening my eyes as I pulled my cape tighter around me.

“Okay, so you won’t be one of the thousands of women wearing a thong and fairy wings. Trust me, I’m good with that.”

“Really?”

He leaned in, attempting to kiss me, and had to tilt his head painfully to reach my lips. “Yeah, really, but I already hate this fucking nose.” He gave me as much of a kiss as he could before he pulled away and smiled.

“You look so handsome,” I said. Cameron was dressed in a black turtleneck, blazer, and slacks. “What are you?”

“Ted Bundy,” he answered with a wink.

“You have got to be kidding me!”

“I am. I’m a warlock,” he said with a chuckle as I rolled my eyes.

“Not funny.”

“It’s a little bit funny. And I thought serial killers were your heroes.”

I cringed at that. “They aren’t.”

“Then it’s a good thing I dressed as a warlock. I knew you would play witch tonight,” he said, ushering me down the stairs. “We should catch a cab. It’s too cold to walk.”

“Okay,” I said, taking him in, my little meltdown getting in the way of a more thorough appreciation when he’d arrived.

“Hey,” he said, catching my lingering gaze and giving me a knowing wink.

“Hey,” I said back.

My cape shifted a little, and his eyes did a slow perusal of my dress. “Definitely fucking gorgeous, ‘sexy even.’”

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better. I totally geeked out with my costume.”

“You did, but I don’t mind talking to these beautiful tits all night.”

I slugged him with my purse as he pulled me to him with a curt laugh. “God, you’re something.”

“Something?”

“Yeah,” he said, biting his lip. He leaned in and flipped up the edge of my nose to kiss me.

I flinched. “Ouch.”

“Oh, man, this is really on there.”

“Yeah,” I agreed, deflated.

“I’ll work around it,” he promised before he gently took my lips.

“Mmm,” I whispered as he pulled away.

His eyes glittered over me as he shook his head and gave me the smile I met him with.

“What?”

“You.”




Hands clasped, my warlock led me into a black-lit pub and navigated us through a sea of brilliant white teeth. We were halfway to the bar when we heard Cameron’s name shouted.

I watched as the man sauntered up wearing a chemical lab suit and a shit-eating grin.

“Who the hell are you supposed to be?” Cameron asked as they clasped hands.

“Who do you think I am, bitch?” he replied with a panty-dropping smirk.

“Ah,” I said, giving him a nod as he held out his hand for me. “He’s Jessie from Breaking Bad.”

The man took my offered hand and kissed the back of it. “She’s far wiser than you,” he said to Cameron before smiling at me. “I’m Max.”

Max was handsome in his own right, a little shorter than Cameron, but was just as massively built. Where Cameron was dark, Max was a bit lighter in hair and eye color. His were a beautiful light brown.

“Max, nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Likewise, Abbie, love your costume. You went all out, didn’t you?” Cameron nudged his side, and Max looked over at him with a “What?”

“It’s fine,” I whisper-yelled to Cameron over the high-octane house music. “Thank you, Max.”

“Want some punch? It’s killer. Or maybe some meth?” He pulled two bags of blue candy from his pockets.

“Nice,” Cameron said, shaking his head with a grin. “And this man works for the government.”

“CIA,” Max said.

“Liar,” Cameron said with an eye roll.

“Can’t ever let me look good, can you, asshole?” Max groaned in jest.

“First of all, anyone who works for the CIA wouldn’t openly admit it,” Cameron said. “And there’s really nothing intelligent about you. I should know, I lived with you for six years. The smartest thing you ever did was light that cesspool you called a bed on fire.”