by JD MITCHELL
Ali shook her head. The memory of Leigh’s reaction when Ali asked if he loved Melissa surfaced for the hundredth time. Her gut wrenched, but she promised herself to respect Leigh’s choice. Which wasn’t Ali.
“Once we go home, Leigh will go back to his old life and his old friends.”
“So?” Jessica asked.
If she learned anything the last few days, it was that status mattered. Red dumped Jessica because of it, Nash was leery of Leigh because of it, and the TDD sounded like the overlords of lineage. She wondered how marriages worked among them and concluded they must be arranged.
“Leigh isn’t into me,” Ali said. “I mean he’s cool, but I’m in the friend-zone.”
Jessica pursed her lips but dropped it. “So, you’re sweet on Nash?”
“No one says ‘sweet on someone’ anymore,” Ali said.
“Quit deflecting,” Jessica countered. “You know what I mean.”
Done with this line of questioning, Ali gave a noncommittal shake of the head. “Too soon to know.”
“Well,” Jessica stood. “This calls for makeup and a dress.”
“Wait. Why?” Ali noticed the book Jessica read. It wasn’t on the history of the Sons, the art of war, or like anything else Jessica had read lately. It was a romance novel.
Jessica tossed the book onto a coffee table. “Aengus planned a celebration dinner tonight. We were told to relax.”
Ali pointed to the book, “Is that why you’re reading a dirty book?”
Jessica rolled her eyes. “Aengus recommended a well-known Tuatha de Danann novelist. It’s excellent. Not a steamy romance.”
Skepticism crept in. Trashy romance novels were Jessica’s go to when she had the time.
“I figured you’d be planning our next step in dealing with the Sons,” Ali said forgetting about the book.
Jessica walked into the closet which supplied the dinner dresses the Fae women usually draped her in. “We will tomorrow.”
Ali remembered Dub. Even with everyone’s insistence the Sons were gone, her dreams still nagged at her. “Dub was in my dream last night. Did Leanan tell Aengus?”
“Aengus knows,” Jessica said. She pulled out a dress, pursed her lips, and then put it back. “But they’re gone. We’re safe.”
Her instinct was to press the issue, but Ali dropped it. One night of fun wouldn’t kill her. They’d likely be going home soon anyway.
“So… dinner?” Jessica asked with a huge grin as she held up a red dress. Normally primping was the last thing Ali would submit to, but she humored Jessica. A few days ago, Ali’s outfit matched Leighs. But with Nash, she didn’t have to be the same boring person.
She took the dress from Jessica, held it up, and gazed at her image in the mirror. A rush of excitement mixed with apprehension rushed through her at the thought. She turned to Jessica and smiled. “Fine, I’ll wear a dress.”
Jessica’s lips twisted into a grin. “Oh my, you’re sweet on him.”
Seventeen
“I look like a clown in heels,” Ali groaned.
“You look hot!” Jessica said pushing a studded earring through Ali’s ear.
Jessica twisted Ali’s hair into beach waves, then accentuated her eyes with dark eye shadow, eyeliner, and mascara. Ali even tolerated a little blush on her cheeks, but she drew the line at lipstick.
“Why red?” Ali asked staring down at the cocktail dress Jessica stuffed her in.
“Huh?” Jessica’s head perked up and her cheeks flushed.
“The dress,” Ali said pointing down to the silk and chiffon. Talk about guy problems. Red was another topic she needed to address with Jessica.
“It’s bold,” Jessica said sounding relieved. “There are studies on this. Men find woman wearing red to be more attractive.”
Ali didn’t question her. When they were younger Jessica spent quite a bit of time nose deep in Cosmo.
“Then why are you wearing a black dress?” Ali asked.
It was a pointless question. Jessica looked stunning in anything. The black cocktail dress emphasized her features in a combination of slender and curvy. Classy and sex kitten. Ali looked at herself in the mirror. Her dress had thick straps and was cut for someone with boobs.
“This is about you,” Jessica smiled as she stood back from the mirror.
Ali considered her reflection. The dress wasn’t awful, and her eyeshadow gave her eyes a smoky quality. Jessica fluffed Ali’s curls a few times, then gave her a final inspection. “Should we go to dinner?”
Glancing at her black pumps, Ali debated the shoe choice for the twentieth time. She liked them, but lacked the balance required to walk in them. With a nod, she decided to try. New Ali is confident.
“I’m ready,” Ali said taking an uneasy step toward the doorway.
The Fae held dinner in the lunar garden. A silver glow bathed the white chairs, tablecloths, and plates giving the room that classic Hollywood look. Tiny string lights studded the ceiling. Green vines with purple and white flowers grew up the side of the back wall. The blossoms reminded her of hanging grapes, and the sweet aroma of flowers floated on the air. The overall effect was that of a floral waterfall covering one fourth of the room.
Aengus greeted them with a broad smile. “Ali! You embraced the spirit of dinner.” He pulled out the chair next to Leigh and waited for her to sit.
Leigh did a double take. “If you told me you were wearing red tonight, I would’ve coordinated.” He let his voice trail into a smile.
Ali wanted to forget the matching slacks incident, but it had turned into their private joke. Despite the playful jab, Leigh wore what he did every night, black slacks and a button down. This one was blue.
She was about to claim the seat next to Leigh, but to her surprise, Jessica slid into the empty chair and placed a napkin in her lap. Without skipping a beat Jessica asked Leigh, “How is training going?”
“Um… well…” Leigh fumbled for words.
Uncertain of what was happening, Ali walked to the other side of the table and sat next to Red. He exchanged a confused glance with her and sighed.
“Did I upset your sister again?” Red asked under his breath.
She shrugged, remembering the previous evening. Jessica seemed unhappy about the tunnel incident, but she also hadn’t acted aggressive toward Red about it.
“I was going to ask you the same,” Ali mumbled.
Red’s brow furrowed, but he didn’t comment further. Leanan, who sat on the other side of Red, smirked. Perhaps Leanan had insight into Jessica’s behavior. The two of them spent most of the day together. Despite Leanan’s vampire qualities, it appeared Jessica found a friend in Leanan.
Across the table, Sawyer waived his arms trying to grab her attention. When she glanced his direction, he covered the sides of his mouth with his hands and whispered.
“Training tonight?”
Shoot.
Ali forgot about their extra ‘secret’ training. Her current attire wasn’t suited for it. She mouthed the word tomorrow and then winked. Sawyer grinned. It was cute they shared a secret, and she promised herself she’d make time for him.
Ali glanced to her left at the four extra plates, wondering when Nash would arrive.
Oh no.
She realized what Jessica orchestrated. Her maneuver ensured an empty seat next to Ali. This wasn’t how Ali envisioned the evening. Her strategy had been to sit next to Leigh where it was safe. After dinner there might have been small talk with Nash, and then she’d head to her room with Jessica. At no point had she planned on a full-blown conversation with Nash. She could pretend to act confident at a distance, not in person.
Before she had time to plan, Nash walked into the dining room. Behind him was his mother Grace, his brother Bryan, and his niece Samantha, whose names she learned from Jessica while they dressed for dinner.
Ali couldn’t breathe. She glanced at Leigh, longing for her usual chair. Leigh gave her a brief smile, then continued to talk with Je
ssica about training. She stared down at her plate racking her brain for conversation starters.
Nothing.
Again, her stupid brain couldn’t contrive a topic. As the group neared, Nash spotted the empty chair on her left. Somewhere deep in her mind, a miniature Ali hyperventilated into a brown sack. The sides of the sack puffed in and out rapidly, matching her racing heart.
She looked at Red thinking she’d engage him in conversation as a cover. At least until she came up with something to discuss with Nash. However, Leanan beat her to the punch.
“What did you do to my new bestie?” Leanan asked Red as she nodded toward Jessica.
Red shrugged and took a sip of water.
Ali wanted to tell Leanan that Jessica had a different scheme today, but she was too wrapped up in her own drama. If only Leanan could take over Ali’s body and do this for her. Wait! She’d impersonate Leanan! No… that was no good. Leanan was on the extreme end of flirtation. She needed someone confident, but not an excessive flirt. Jessica. She’d mimic Jessica. Ali had years of insight.
“How’s it going there?” Nash asked as he chose the chair next to her. He wore a green and white plaid shirt, with tight kakis and boat shoes. Am I about to flirt with a guy in boat shoes? She looked at his face again. It was pleasantly symmetrical, and she wanted to swim in his eyes. Yes, I most certainly am.
“Hi,” Ali squeaked.
She sounded like a freaked-out mouse. Not the best start. She needed to seem calm and collected. A tactic she observed Jessica use was smiling, she’d even laugh to put strangers at ease. Ali smiled and forced a little laugh.
“What’s funny?” Nash asked.
Shoot. She was only one word and a laugh into the conversation and already messing up. “Um… what rooms are you in?”
Nash raised an eyebrow at her. He hesitated, and Ali wondered if he thought she was inviting herself into his room. That wasn’t her intention.
“Um… I meant, is there a theme?” She pointed to the ceiling at the twinkling lights above them.
“Its green suede couches, green silk curtains, some of that green see though material… so green?” Nash gave her a half-cocked grin.
“That’s a safe bet,” she said hoping she saved the conversation.
Silence fell between them. Ali’s mind was still blank. How do people do this? Should she talk about poetry? Poe? No, that was an awful idea. Nash is a boy and unlikely to be into Poe. Sports? They played soccer here. Or was it football? Ali glanced at Leigh. He’d know this stuff.
As if she’d called Leigh’s name, he looked up at her. His eyebrows drew together. Was he amused? No, wait… mad? Leigh frowned and looked away, focusing on Jessica.
Nash pulled his vibrating phone from his pocket. He looked at the screen, then punched a few buttons as he spoke. “Which room is this?”
Ali’s mind went too many directions at once. Between Red’s confusion over Jessica’s actions, Leigh’s irritation, and now Nash’s presence, there were a lot of moving parts at dinner tonight. She focused on Nash’s question and her brain kicked into gear. “The lunar garden. It’s my favorite.”
Nash set his phone down and nodded. “The Solarium is the curk. Those Fae are on some funny flour.”
She had no clue what he said. Racking her brain, she tried to remember what the Solarium looked like, hoping for a clue. “Do you mean hall of the Sol? Is everything gold?”
He shook his head. “It’s a glass room with plants, walking paths, and furniture.”
The arboretum was the closest she’d seen to what he described. “I haven’t seen that room.”
“I’ll show you after dinner,” Nash offered. His phone buzzed again, and he stared at the screen with a frown.
“You can answer, no one will find it rude,” Ali said.
Nash set the phone face down, then looked at her. “It can wait.”
He flashed a smile, and she melted. No question, Nash was flirting with her.
A Fae waiter set a cup filled with a velvet broth in front of Ali. The aroma of cream and crisp bacon relaxed her. It reminded her of the comfort food you ate on a cold winter day. She dipped her spoon into it and took a sip. Cream of potato.
“So, the Solarium after dinner?” Nash asked again.
Where was her head at? She was awful at flirting. “Sure. I’d love to explore.”
Across the table Leigh was deep in conversation with Jessica about the history of a cauldron. Ali struggled to understand the cauldron’s relevance. Something about it acting like a giant wishing well, but the rest of the conversation was gibberish without context. Regardless, Jessica seemed enthralled, while Leigh seemed irritated. A few times Ali attempted to grab Leigh’s attention, but he never looked her direction.
The rest of dinner was short. She picked at her food, waiting for the Fae waiter to remove it from the table so she could explore with Nash. For a celebratory dinner, everyone seemed in low spirits this evening. Leigh excused himself before the conclusion of the meal, and Red was on his heels. Sawyer followed out of curiosity.
A minute after Leigh’s departure, a Fae appeared and whispered in Aengus’s ear. For a moment, Ali worried something sinister happened, but Aengus seemed confused. He asked the other adults to join him, then signaled the end of dinner citing a minor issue.
Bryan and his daughter left first. Grace stood, then her stern gaze fell to Nash. “I trust you will join your brother in our rooms at a reasonable hour?”
Nash gave her a lazy look, then nodded.
“Maybe I should go too,” Ali said standing to follow Jessica. If something happened, she wanted to know.
“I’m sure it’s nothing important,” Jessica said as she took off after Aengus. “Go have fun, I’ll be back soon.”
Ali stopped in her tracks. Maybe she should go to her room? She wanted details on this new issue, and their room is where Jessica would be next. Then there was Leigh. He seemed jealous. Which, they’d grown close and Ali had feelings for him. But, he as good as admitted he loved Melissa on the plane. Should she talk to him?
Two green eyes and a pearly smile changed her mind. Nash stood just outside the dining room waiting on her, his family having already left. Taking a deep breath, she reasoned a quick tour wouldn’t matter.
“I thought dinner would never end,” Nash said.
To Ali it passed in a wink, but that seemed like the wrong thing to say. “Agreed.”
Nash walked down a hallway, gesturing for her to follow.
“How far is the Solarium?” Ali asked, realizing the shoe situation she found herself in. It’d be a miracle if she didn’t face plant.
“Around the corner, I think.” Nash gave a quick frown. “I’m still getting turned around.”
Ali nodded. That was an understatement. If it wasn’t for Leigh, she’d be lost most of the time.
Nash stuck his hands in his pockets as they chose a new hallway. Once again Ali scrambled to make small talk.
Thankfully, he came up with something first. “What happened to Leigh’s hair? Is this a new fad from the states?”
Silence was preferred to this question. She didn’t know if Leigh told her about his condition in confidence. Quickly thinking it though, she decided he wouldn’t mind. Leigh was factual when he explained it to her. He seemed more bothered that people assumed he had cancer. “Leigh has alopecia.”
“He has what?” Nash asked sounding disinterested.
“It’s an auto-immune issue of some sort. He lost his hair,” Ali said hoping she explained that right.
“Oh,” Nash said, but didn’t elaborate.
Ali wondered if Nash had planned on a snide comment. Regardless, the need to defend Leigh was strong. “I keep forgetting, it seems normal.”
Nash ran his hands though his hair. “I’d hate it.”
Her initial reaction had been the same, but it wasn’t as though Leigh had a choice. Honestly, it worked well for Leigh. No one wanted to be bald at seventeen, but he wore it well. It di
dn’t wear him–to quote every designer ever.
In the distance, a rhythmic beat thumped. She smirked.
“What?” Nash asked.
“I think Aengus is hosting one of his love parties tonight,” Ali said.
A twinkle lit in Nash’s eyes. “Yeah, in the Solarium. Come on.”
Nash grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the sound. Her heart soared into her throat. A Fae party isn’t an event she wanted to attend.
“I’m not sure I should.”
He stopped in front of large oak doors spanning the floor to the ceiling, then pushed them open. Ali stood at the entrance of a massive interior garden. Glass panes gave way to the night sky. Purple and pink lights flashed from a DJ booth in the center of the room and hundreds of Fae danced on a grass floor. She relaxed. It looked harmless enough. Like a high school dance on steroids.
However, as they walked inside Ali realized the female Fae were wearing sheer dresses again, and most of the men wore linen clothing. She was over-dressed in her dinner attire.
“Dance with me,” Nash said as he pulled her toward the masses.
She reluctantly followed having no clue how to dance. To make it worse, the Fae weren’t dancing, they were grinding. One Fae woman slid up and down on a Fae man like he was a pole. This wasn’t her scene. Adventurous Ali was in over her head; regular Ali needed to reclaim the wheel.
“Nash,” Ali said.
He didn’t stop walking, so she tugged on his hand, yelling over the bass.
“Do you mind if we sit?” Ali asked.
His expression soured, which Ali realized she didn’t want. This is your first almost-date, be cool.
“I need to take these heels off.” She pointed toward her feet, then the grass floor. “I can’t walk on that.”
He looked down at her shoes, then glanced around the room. His eyes probed the trees until he spotted something past the crowd and headed for it, dragging her behind him.
They found a cushioned bench half shielded from the DJ booth by a tree. The music wasn’t as loud, and she could breathe again. She made a show of removing her heels, then looked at him. Nash stared at the dance floor with longing.
