Love Me by Christmas

by Silvia Rojas

  “Figures you’d want to dress up as some boring politician. Who were you last year? Some boring dude from a Dicken’s novel, right?”

  “Joe Gargery.”

  “Yeah, whatever.”

  “He was a great minor character. The ray of optimism and trust in Pip’s life.”

  Unable to stand the conversation a moment longer, I turned on my heels and left the room. Chris was useless. I didn’t know why I thought he would actually help me this year.

  As I walked through the maze of corridors, I made a mental list of all the things I still needed to do before Friday night. I had to decide on the appetizers. Pick out the server outfits. Find a DJ. Talk to Kirk to make sure he had created a worthwhile game for the party. Speaking of which, I should probably call him…

  I fished my phone out of my pocket and dialed his number.

  Ring… Ring… Ring…

  Of course, the chance of Kirk picking up his phone was slim to none.

  I sighed, jumping onto the stair’s banister and sliding down to the main floor. There, Gretchen, the head maid stood on a small step ladder as she dusted the large chandelier that hung over the foyer.

  “Ah! Gretchen! Just the girl I wanted to see.” I hung up my call with Kirk, slipping my phone into my back pocket.

  Gently, I placed my hands on her hips so I could help her to the ground. I smiled down at her, our faces close. A soft shade of red colored her cheeks. She avoided making eye contact.

  “S-Sir…?” she stuttered. Nervously, she reached up, toying with the collar of her uniform. Even though I treated Gretchen with kindness and respect, she always acted timidly around me. I had never heard her raise her voice. Yet, when she spoke to some of the other workers, her tongue was sharp and pointed, ruling the staff with an iron fist.

  “We have work to do regarding the party.”

  She nodded, “Yes, sir.”

  “I’ll need you to make the order for the appetizers. Make sure there’s caviar, sushi, and biscotti. Those are the essentials. If you see anything else of interest, just order it.”

  She followed me through the house as I headed for the kitchen, feeling a little hungry with all this talk of food.

  “Hello, Donnie,” I called out to the main chef. “What’s for dinner tonight?”

  “I’m making lasagna, your favorite.”

  “Ooo, you’re a saint,” I smirked, already licking my chops in anticipation. There was nothing better than some good lasagna. Call me Garfield. “Do you know where Kathy is?”

  “She just ducked into the fridge,” Donnie answered, tilting his head in the direction of the walk-in refrigerator.

  I nodded.

  Gretchen continued to follow me, an anxious expression scrunching up her features. She really would have been a pretty girl if she didn’t worry so much.

  “You don’t have to keep following me. I just need to have a word with Kathy.” I told her.

  She stopped, wringing her fingers together, her eyes cast toward the ground. Subtly, she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. I had the feeling she wanted to run away from me.

  What had I done to make her so scared of me? I had never yelled at her. Never reprimanded her. It didn’t make sense and yet, every time I spoke to her she looked terrified.

  “Okay…” she finally said, watching me as I disappeared into the fridge.

  The blast of cold air made me shiver as the hairs along my arms rose with a sea of goosebumps.

  “Kathy.” I spotted my baker at the back, standing on a pail of yogurt, trying to reach something on the top shelf. “Here, let me get that for you.” Effortlessly, I grabbed a container of black frosting, handing it to her. “Is this what you wanted?”

  “Yep!” she chimed, as chipper as always. Kathy was an energetic woman who liked to flutter around the kitchen like a humming bird. She had to be in her late fifties but she acted like she was still a university student.

  As we headed back to the kitchen, Kathy paused, grabbed something, and thrust it into my chest. Before I could see what it was, she piled something else into my arms. By the time I emerged from the fridge, I was struggling to carry the load Kathy had given me.

  I deposited everything on the back counter where she usually liked to work. “What are you doing with all this stuff?”

  “I’m making spider cupcakes.”

  “For the party?”

  “Yes!”

  “How exciting. Please tell me they’re chocolate.”

  “Better.” She said with a grin.

  “Better?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow in her direction.

  “They're also going to be mini lava cakes.”

  My eyes widened. “You’re a genius.” I grabbed her face in my hands before dramatically kissing her forehead.

  She laughed, hitting my arm, “I’m married, you know.”

  “I’ll get you one of these days,” I said with a wink.

  When I turned around, Gretchen was standing there, waiting for direction. “Oh, right. Well, looks like the pastries are going to be taken care of. So, that leaves us with decorations, my costume, and the matter of hiring a DJ. Do you think you can get the cleaning crew to set up decorations? I want this place to look haunted. Spider webs everywhere. Skeletons that look so real people will second guess themselves. Rocking chairs that move on their own. Strange moaning sounds from the walls. I want people to be seriously freaked out.”

  Gretchen nodded. “I think that can be arranged,” she answered, a mischievous glint in her eye.

  “Perfect!” I hugged her suddenly. The look on her face was one of utter shock. I laughed. “I’ll see you around.”

  With my hands in my pockets, I started for the elevator. As I waited for it to arrive, my phone started to ring.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, man, you called?”

  “Yeah, how are you making out with the party’s main event?”

  “Oh, don’t worry. It’ll be the best one yet. I have Gretchen helping me out.”

  “Really? She didn’t say anything about that.”

  “You know Gretchen. She never says much.”

  “Hmm, you have a point.”

  Ding!

  The elevator’s gilded doors opened before me, revealing the cabin’s luxurious interior. The white marble floor had been recently polished, causing the stone to sparkle brilliantly. The golden hand railings shone in a similar manner.

  “Anyway, so you’re all set with that then? You don’t need my help?”

  “Nope.”

  “Great. See you Friday.”

  “Cya, man.”

  I ended the call just as the elevator reached the mansion’s upper level. A rich purple carpet ran along the hallway, leading up to my bedroom door. When I pushed it open, a shaft of light spilled into the room, illuminating the bed. The maids had changed the sheets and comforter. Black silk. Perfect.

  “Lights on,” I enunciated my command.

  Instantly, the room came into focus as bright lights flooded every corner.

  “Play music.”

  “Playing Halloween Hits,” the computerized female voice responded.

  Boys and girls of every age…

  Wouldn't you like to see something strange?

  Come with us and you will see…

  This, our town of Halloween!

  “This is Halloween! This is Halloween!” I sang along, shucking off my shirt and tossing it into the hamper.

  Eager for a shower, I crossed the room into the bathroom. There, I caught sight of my reflection in the vanity mirror. I grinned, slicking my hair back.

  Damn. I looked good.

  Chapter 3

  ESSIE

  I stood in front of the mirror, admiring my costume. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but it turned out amazing. I took Alice’s usual short blue dress and turned it into a flowing and sexy little gown that shimmered like a sea of diamonds. The to
p of the dress hugged my waistline with a built-in corset giving me a wonderful hourglass figure. I probably could have made the neckline a little more modest, but what was the fun in that?

  “Are you almost done in there?” Ebony called through the door. “We’re going to be late.”

  I popped my head out of the room and grinned at her. “If I recall, just a week ago, you didn’t want to go to the party. Now, you’re eager to leave.” I teased.

  “I just want to get this over with.” She pursed her lips together, truly looking like the Queen of Hearts. I wouldn’t be surprised if she ordered my beheading by the end of the night.

  “I think I made a good choice with your costume.”

  “No. A good choice would have been no costume at all.”

  “Hmm… you’re right. That would have been truly scary.” I stuck out my tongue at her before grabbing my phone, tucking it into the pocket of my dress. Every good dress needed pockets. “All jokes aside, you do look great,” I said, running my eyes over her figure. Ebony had always been much tall, making her look slim and sexy, but her good looks went to waste since she was usually so prude and cold toward anyone who flirted with her. Oh well.

  “Let’s just go,” she grumbled, grabbing the keys to her car.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Um, how do you expect us to get there? It’s not like there’s a rabbit hole for you to fall through.”

  “Haha. Very funny.”

  “Then stop asking stupid questions.”

  “Well, maybe if you listened to me for once, you’d know why we don’t need to drive.”

  She pressed her hand to her hip, waiting for me to elaborate. Her eyes flicked to the clock hanging above the TV. Ebony was one of those punctual types who grew anxious even if they were a minute late.

  “We are fashion designers, it’s to be expected that we would be fashionably late,” I said, throwing my curly hair behind my shoulders. Luckily, my locks were naturally blonde making me the perfect Alice. Ebony, on the other hand, had raven-colored hair, taking after her father.

  “That still doesn’t explain how we are going to get there.”

  “This is the Graves’ Estate Annual Halloween Ball.”

  “Yeah, and?”

  “Which means there will be a car waiting for us outside.”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  With a smug look on my face, I marched over to the window, pulling aside the blinds. “Ta-da!” I waved my hands like I was Vanna White on Wheel of Fortune.

  She walked up to me, the crinoline of her skirt swaying back and forth with her every step. The little hearts I attached to the peaks almost looked like they were dancing. I nearly laughed, trying to imagine what she would look like on the dance floor… that is… if I managed to drag her onto it.

  “You have to be kidding me… There’s actually a car down there.”

  “Not just any car… a Rolls Royce. Come on, Ebony, let’s go ride in style.”

  ***

  Soon enough, we arrived at the Graves’ Estate. “Damn, they really went all out on this place, didn’t they?”

  The lawn was covered with tombstones, most of them lopsided, like those of an abandoned cemetery. Fog hovered around the entrance of the mansion, making all those who walked in look like ghosts. Guarding the gates were two large gargoyles whose heads swiveled in the direction of every newcomer.

  “I’ve seen better,” Ebony huffed. I didn’t know if she was just hard to impress or a downright Negative Nancy.

  “Can you just pretend to have fun tonight?”

  “No promises.” She got out of the car, struggling with her dress. “And, why did you have to make this thing so impractical?”

  “Because you look cute. You’ll be thanking me later when you come home with your bra stuffed with numbers.”

  “No one writes down numbers anymore.” She finally managed to tug her dress out of the door, nearly stumbling into the arms of a werewolf. He was about to help her when she turned around, giving him such a death glare that he immediately backed off.

  “I definitely should have made you the Wicked Witch of the West.”

  Her glare turned venomous as she narrowed her eyes at me.

  “Or Medusa.”

  She stormed off toward the gates.

  I followed her, swaying my hips a little more than I needed to when I passed a rather handsome Prince Charming. I winked, bending my pointer finger in a ‘come hither’ motion as I disappeared into the fog, accidentally bumping into my sister.

  “What are you doing?” she snapped, nearly losing her balance.

  “If you are going to keep your arms outstretched like that, then I should have dressed you up as a Trapeze Artist.”

  “I shouldn’t be dressed up in the first place. I shouldn’t be here at all.”

  “Oh, come on, don’t be such a sour puss. Try to have some fun.”

  “Greetings!”

  Ebony and I both jumped as a zombie butler materialized out of nowhere. His makeup was so good that it looked like part of his face had rotted to the bone.

  “If you’d like to enter this humble abode, I require two golden tickets!” He exclaimed, his accent deeply British. I loved a good accent.

  I stepped up to him, placing a hand on his chest. “Well, Mr. Zombie, I have exactly what you need…” I whispered into his ear, my tone soft and seductive.

  “Here you go.” Ebony snatched the tickets from my pocket and handed it to the zombie.

  Before I could say anything, she grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me inside. “I did not come here for you to flirt with every single guy at the party.”

  I laughed. “You think too highly of me. It would be impossible for me to flirt with all of them. But… half… now that seems attainable.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “Welcome! Welcome!” Another zombie, this time female, appeared before us, holding a platter of Halloween-themed pastries. “Can I offer you some brains?” She elongated the syllable dramatically, chomping her jaw together for effect. “It truly is delicious!” She picked up a plate, waving it under Ebony’s nose. The pink jelly jiggled just like a real brain.

  “Cool! Thanks!” I took the plate, giggling as I used a tiny golden fork.

  “You’re disgusting.” Ebony shook her head.

  “It’s Halloween. What did you expect? Rainbows and unicorns?’

  She ignored me, pushing through the crowd, making her way down the corridor.

  “Where’s the fire?”

  “I need a drink. The only way I’m going to survive this night is if I’m tipsy.”

  “You haven’t even given it a chance yet,” I pouted. Sometimes, hanging out with my sister could be a real downer. She wouldn’t know how to have fun, even if it came up to her and smacked her in the face.

  The kitchen was a large, open room, decorated like all the rest. Most of the knives were covered in fake blood. On the table was a huge, decomposing body, which turned out to be a cake. Body parts hung from the ceiling. I had to admit, whoever had overseen the decorations deserved a medal or something.

  Ebony approached the back counter. There, ginormous bowls were filled with a blood red liquid. “You think this punch is alcoholic?” she asked.

  “I’d be disappointed if it wasn’t.” I leaned down, taking a deep whiff. “Oh, yeah, that packs a punch.” I grinned. “Pun intended.”

  “Lame.” Ebony grabbed a cup, ladling it to the top. Carefully, she took a sip.

  “How is it?”

  “Decent.”

  “Nothing is ever good enough for you, is it?”

  “I just have high expectations.”

  “You mean, unrealistic expectations.” I countered, taking a swig of my own drink. “And, I don’t know what’s wrong with you, but this stuff is pretty good.”

  “If you say so.” She shrugged, walking to the main parlor, where people were gathered in circ
les, chatting amongst themselves.

  We found an open sofa and sat down.

  “Have you noticed all the people that are here?”

  “How can you recognize people if everyone is in costume?” she asked, running her finger along the rim of her cup, producing a soft humming noise.