Make a Wish (Spark House #3)(5)

I raspberry her cheek while I open the message from my boyfriend.

Chad: Meet up later for drinks with A&A at the Firkin? Sevenish? I can pick you up.

The sound of tires rolling over pavement alerts me to the arrival of our first guests. “It’s showtime!” I say to Ella, who mimics my wide eyes.

I respond to the text with a thumbs-up and slip my phone back into my pocket with just as much trouble as I had retrieving it, then leave the dress-up tent so I can greet the partygoers.

Twenty minutes later the backyard is buzzing with energy. Twelve eight-to eleven-year-olds bounce around excitedly, all dressed up as their favorite princess.

The parents are standing in small groups in the adult tent set up a short distance away from the party. Close enough that they can observe what’s happening, but far enough that they’re not directly in their kids’ line of sight. They have a dedicated bartender who is serving a lovely array of cocktails and a table of appetizers. I’ve found the adult tent is much needed at these events.

There’s also a late lunch scheduled to be brought out at three. It’s buffet style, but a heck of a lot more exciting than the pizza, salad, and subs the kids are having. Although I’m never one to turn down a good slice of cheesy pizza.

As far as children’s parties go, we set the bar pretty high.

“We’re waiting on one more guest,” Lynn, the mother of the birthday girl tells me, then takes a small sip of her champagne cocktail. “This is delicious, by the way. Everything is perfect. And all the parents appreciate having their own place to mingle. You’ve really thought of everything.”

“I understand that some parents are more comfortable sticking around. We wanted to make it fun for them too.” I wink knowingly. “Would you like me to hold off on starting the craft until the final guest arrives?” I don’t want to leave anyone out, but the kids need an activity to break things up. They’re currently posing for pictures in the castle-themed backdrop. I’d say we have about five more minutes before they get restless and bored. I’d like to prevent that from happening if possible.

“Oh! There they are! I’ll be right back!” Lynn smiles and touches my shoulder, then heads toward a man and little girl making their way across the field.

I squint as they get closer. The little girl has long dark hair, pulled up into a ponytail. She stays close to her dad’s side. He’s tall, with the same dark hair. Even from a distance, I can tell he’s the kind of attractive that turns heads. And the closer he gets, the more familiar he becomes.

And not in the I’ve seen him around town or he works with my boyfriend and I’ve run into him at a Christmas party kind of way. It’s more I wish a UFO would appear out of the sky and beam me up. Being probed would be preferable to what’s about to happen.

A hot feeling creeps up the back of my neck, along with a tickle that’s reminiscent of ants crawling on skin. I’m fair-haired, and I don’t tan particularly well. So the heat that seems to be spreading over my body like wildfire is also causing it to go pink. Bright pink, in fact. Almost the same color as my tutu.

Oh my God. This honestly couldn’t get any worse. I’m wearing a freaking tutu, and I’m dressed like a fairy, and the man who moved across the state because I almost kissed him is heading toward me. Today can suck a giant rotten hot dog soaked in pickle juice.

The little girl is rushed by some of the princess partygoers who drag her toward the dress-up tent, laughing and smiling. I want to run in that direction too. But I can’t. Because I can’t make my arms and legs move. As it is, I’m barely registering the weight of Ella, or the fact that her hands are now in my hair and she’s yanking on it.

My heart is beating so fast, it feels like it’s on the verge of busting through my rib cage. I imagine it landing on the ground with a splat and almost let loose a slightly hysterical laugh. Instead, I make a sound similar to a duck being stepped on and plaster what I hope isn’t an entirely fake-looking smile on my face.

I shift Ella, more to see if I still have feeling in my fingers. I’m starting to sweat. I can feel it dripping down my back, and it trickles awkwardly down the inside of my thigh. I’m glad that I have something to do with my hands so I don’t touch my hair or adjust my dress, which incidentally is bunched up on one side because Ella’s foot is caught in the pocket.

She grabs my hair with her drooly hand again as Lynn and the man approach. They’re a handful of feet away now, and Lynn is pointing out the dress-up tent and the adult tent, which is behind me. There’s no option but to pass right by me to get there.

And of course, Lynn being the ever-gracious woman she seems to be, stops to introduce us to each other.

“Gavin, you have to meet Harley.”

It would be awesome if I were a real fairy godmother, and I could magic myself out of here.





Two


BLAST FROM THE PAST


HARLEY

Unfortunately, no amount of fairy dust is going to get me out of this situation. I’m particularly conspicuous in my pink tutu and my sparkly shirt, but I’d hoped I could blend in with the kids because I’m not a whole lot taller than some of them and they’re dressed very much like me.

Thanks to Lynn, that’s not going to happen. Gavin’s gaze swings my way and his eyes widen, probably because of my outfit and the fact that he’s registered that I am not, indeed, one of the children.