by Lola Kidd
She laughed. “What’s Scary Dracula?”
“What he means is Ugly Dracula,” Abe said. “He wants to be the sexy one while I look hideous. It could be cool if we went as Bride of Frankenstein, Frankenstein, and Frankenstein’s doctor.”
“I keep telling you, Frankenstein was the doctor,” Ray said.
“Oh, yeah, you’re right,” Lizzy said. It had been so long since she’d read the classic monster novel. “What about another novel idea?”
Abe held the door open for her. “I see what you did there, but go ahead.”
“What if I went as Bella and you guys went as Edward and Jacob from Twilight?”
Ray groaned. “That’s a shifter. We can’t go as characters from a novel who are shifters. It’s really not cool, unless they’re jaguars. I’d be willing to dress up as a famous jaguar shifter if there was one.”
“Hmm, I think there was a jaguar in that new Teen Wolf show,” she said. “But I don’t think it was a jaguar shifter. What about something else?”
“Something else from books?” Abe asked. “To tell you the truth, I don’t read very much. But I do watch a lot of movies. What if we went as movie villains?”
“That could be cool,” Lizzy said. “Superheroes and stuff are really easy to find now.”
Lizzy gasped as she stepped into the costume shop. She had never seen anything like it. There were two floors, and rows and rows of costumes. It was like a supersized version of a normal Halloween store. She was sure she’d be able to find something that would fit her here. If not, she had the weirdest body there ever was, and she knew that wasn’t the case.
“This place is amazing.”
“I knew you’d love it,” Ray said. “And we have all afternoon to search, too.”
“Hi, and welcome to Costumes Galore,” the teenager behind the desk said. “You’re our first customers. You guys are entitled to 20% off for being the first ones through the door.”
“No way,” Abe said, excited. “You guys, we have to get something outlandish now. If we get a discount, we should pick something that costs a whole bunch of money. Let’s look at all the extravagant costumes.”
“Oh, we don’t stock by price,” the boy said. “But our more elaborate costumes are upstairs, in the back. That’s all the stuff that comes with corsets and lots of makeup and accessories included.”
“Thanks, bro,” Abe said. “I was really hoping I’d get to wear a corset this year. I’ve always highlighted my girlish waist.”
Abe didn’t even wait to see if his joke had landed before he dashed off toward the stairs. Lizzy didn’t believe for one minute that he wasn’t into dressing up.
“Did you guys know they were having the special?” Lizzy asked as she followed Abe.
Ray shook his head. “I’ve never heard of anything like this before. It might be the first year they’re doing it.”
Lizzy and the twins went to the back of the store as directed. She could easily see that none of those corsets were going to fit her. The largest size they had was an extra-large, and she was sure that it was mislabeled. It looked more like a medium. She wasn’t being down on her body. Even if she got a corset in the correct size and it fit the way it was supposed to, they were unforgiving. They were so tight, she could barely breathe. If she got one a size too small, she’d be uncomfortable all night, and that would ruin everything.
She could see that the extra 20% off was going to be used to make up for the shipping costs to special-order something for herself. That was fine. Even if the shipping cost ate up the discount, it was the same thing as getting free shipping. Still a nice surprise deal.
“What about sexy law enforcement?” Abe asked.
Lizzy laughed. “We’re looking at the elaborate costumes. There’s nothing elaborate about a sexy cop. Not that I’m opposed to seeing you in those little shorts.”
Abe made a face. “I meant for you. You two could go as firefighters or something.”
Lizzy liked that idea even better. She could see the sexy pants with nothing underneath. It was better than no shirt. That would be a great costume for the twins. They could save her all night if they wanted to.
They were all alone in the costume shop except for the attendant. Her mind automatically started to wander. They could have so much fun that the stress of picking a costume went away.
None of them had said anything about moving to the next step yet, but she was going to wait to sleep with them. She had jumped into relationships too early before and had ruined them. She didn’t want to do that this time. She hoped the twins wouldn’t mind, but they hadn’t brought it up yet either, oddly enough.
She had a feeling they wanted to, even though they were being total gentlemen. Being around all these costumes and thinking sexy thoughts made her mind go to dirty places. She wasn’t going to give in, but it was nice to imagine what would happen when it was time.
She could see herself pressed between their hot, sweaty, hard bodies. Them running their hands all over her and her grabbing everything she could get her hands on.
She wondered who would kiss her first. She thought it would be Abe, as he was so aggressive, but she could see Ray taking charge in the bedroom too.
“Lizzy, did you hear what I said?” Ray was staring at her expectantly.
She knew she was blushing. “No. I’m sorry, I missed it.”
“What would you think about doing a 16th-century costume? These are pretty expensive, but they’d be pretty neat. You go as Marie Antoinette, and we could go as dukes.”
“That’s actually a really cool idea.” She had never done anything so elaborate before. The costumes were expensive, but she was getting a discount. There was a chance they even had her size.
“I like that idea too,” Abe said.
They went to check the costumes, but the store didn’t have her size. She could see that she wasn’t going to have much luck getting something off the rack in this section. They carried too few sizes.
“There’s so much to see here, though. Let’s not get caught up with the first thing we see.” Lizzy pointed downstairs. “I think all the sexier costumes are down there. Just because we’re getting a deal doesn’t mean we can’t pick a cheap, sexy costume. If we pick a cheaper option, we could pay next to nothing.”
“I think you’ll be sexy in whatever you put on,” Ray said.
He leaned forward and pulled her close.
This was the moment. Maybe all of her fantasies were going to come true.
Ray’s lips gently brushed against her own. His tongue dipped out, and he moaned as he explored the inside of her mouth. As they kissed, she felt a pressure against her back.
She turned her head and kissed Abe while keeping one hand on Ray’s face. They were both great kissers. Each of them had something that turned her on.
“I think we’d better keep it PG. We can pick this up later.” Abe pulled back reluctantly. “We don’t want to get kicked out of the store. We are getting a 20% discount and all.”
She could see the disappointment etched across his face, but she was glad he was keeping it classy. She nodded. “I agree. Let’s save this for another time.”
And she was going to remember this, too. This was one IOU she couldn’t wait to cash in.
Chapter Nine
Abe was on cloud nine. He had been so unsure when Ray had told him about asking Lizzy out and about the LK Brides match. Initially, he’d been pissed that Ray had gone behind his back, but now he was deliriously happy about it. If they had sat back and waited like he had wanted to, they might never have found Lizzy. How could he have been so stupid? She was the greatest girl they had ever met, and he was so happy to be building a relationship with her.
She was coming over to grill on one of the last nice days of the season so they could celebrate her article in the newspaper. Abe loved Indian summer for a lot of reasons, and cooking out was definitely one of them. He was happy to be able to make Lizzy a great meal to celebrate her special achievement.
Smiling, he took the meat off the grill and called to his brother and their girlfriend. “Alright, the meat’s done.”
“That smells so good,” Lizzy said from the picnic table.
“Abe is a great grill master,” Ray said. “He always cook the steaks perfectly. Doesn’t even use a thermometer.”
“Just a talent I’ve got,” Abe said. It wasn’t boasting. It was probably his only talent.
“That’s a shifter thing?” Lizzy asked.
Abe puffed out his chest. “It’s an Abe thing.”
He put a piece of steak on everyone’s plate and covered the remaining pieces. He didn’t want the bugs to get any of their food. Usually, having to watch out for bugs annoyed him. But today, even they didn’t bother him. Now that he had Lizzy around, it took a lot to get him upset.
“Hold on. I’ve got a surprise.” Ray went inside. When he came back, he had a newspaper in his hand, opened to the middle. “Ta-da!”
“No way.” Lizzy went to snatch it from his hands. “I thought these weren’t coming out until tomorrow morning.”
“I had to pull a few strings, but I managed to get my hands on it.”
She laughed. “It’s not like this is a special edition of the New York Times or something. Did you just pick it up from your doorstep?”
“We don’t actually get the paper.” Ray gave Abe a look. “This really took some effort on my part.”
“That would be my fault,” Abe admitted. “I yelled at the paper boy. When I say boy, I mean a grown man. This dude was always throwing the paper into the trees. Totally pissed me off.”
“Ever since Abe yelled at him, the guy hasn’t come back,” Ray said. “We’re hoping we get an actual child next time, since he or she might have a better throwing arm.”
Lizzy laughed. “I’m just excited I’ll be able to pick up a stack of these on my way to work tomorrow.”
She sat quietly reading the article. Abe couldn’t believe it had come out so quickly. He’d thought it took much longer to get a story into the paper, but maybe they had rushed it.
There was a picture of Lizzy standing in front of her Halloween display. It was pretty cool.
“I guess our girlfriend’s famous now,” Abe told Ray. “I hope she just doesn’t forget about us little people when she makes it big.”
“I’m not gonna make it big with this article,” Lizzy said. “They didn’t even list all my treats.”
“Yeah, but they look so delicious that it’s not going to be a problem,” Ray assured her.
They sat down to eat and talk about their week. It was close to the down season for Abe’s job. Ray’s job laid him off for three months during the year. He usually took up plowing during the winter months.
“Do you like not having to work?” Lizzy asked.
“I don’t mind it. I only have to work a few hours a day most of the time. It’s only during a snowstorm that I have to plow all day long.”
“November and December are slow months for me,” Abe explained. “We both get to have a lot of fun together around the holidays, since neither of us works much.”
She tilted her head. “I would think a lot of people would be in the gym during the holidays.”
“No way. They forget about working out for that sweet six weeks. Then, after New Year’s, people freak out and flood the gym. January is probably our busiest month. That keeps up until spring.”
“I bet after spring, you guys are dead in the summer, right?” Lizzy asked.
“How did you know?”
“Because you get your beach body in the spring. But if you fail, who cares in the summer?”
“I hope you aren’t one of those people,” Abe said. “I mean, I get it, but that’s not really good for your health.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m serious about getting my health back. I really want to get into better shape. You can hold me to that, too. With a boyfriend who works in the gym, I can’t be one of those people, right?”
Abe laughed. “Don’t worry. We can work out together sometimes.”
Lizzy put up her hand. “Let’s not get carried away. I’ve seen how you work out, and it’s brutal.”
Abe flexed his bicep. “You don’t get guns like these by sitting around and working out easy.”
Lizzy kissed his bicep. “And while I love how jacked you are, I don’t particularly want that look for myself.”
Ray pinched her side. “I like you this way better. Please don’t get a body like my brother.”
She giggled. “You don’t have to worry about that. I’m looking for a softer version with easier workouts.”
Abe ate happily. He loved the picture in the paper. He could talk about how great she looked all night. It was also great to hear that she wanted to work out with them. It was something he been looking forward to doing with his girlfriend. Most of the girls he had dated never stuck around long enough to get to that point. It was nice to be able to share something that meant so much to him with her.
He knew that not everyone was as into the gym as he was, but it was nice when they gave it a try. Even if she quit after she reached her goal or slacked off a little, it would still mean a lot to him that she had tried.
“You think you’ll see a pick-up in business because of the article?” Ray asked her.
“I don’t know yet. It just came out. But I expect to see it uptick already. Once I put the display up, the kids started running in.”
“Any weddings yet?” Abe asked. “I always thought it would be great to have a Halloween-themed wedding, and you have really cool favors.”
“You know, I haven’t had one of those yet this year,” she said thoughtfully. “I had one back at my old job. They wanted me to do Elvira boobs.”
Ray laughed. “That had to be fun to make.”
“You know, I finally understood why some people are so obsessed with the racks.”
“It’s not often you hear that from a woman,” Abe laughed. “Although I do hear it more often than I’d like at the gym. I swear, the girls check each other out more than they check out the guys.”
Lizzy shook her head. “Good. I don’t want any of those girls checking you out, trying to steal you for their own.”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” Abe assured her.
He leaned over and kissed her. This was by far the best Indian summer he’d ever had. He couldn’t wait until their Halloween party. He and Ray were going to be with the hottest girl at the party, and she was going to be theirs forever.
Chapter Ten
Lizzy was feeling so happy, she didn’t know why she was bothering to open her computer. Then she realized that her curiosity had gotten to her. She had to see if there was a post in the secret Facebook group about her article. They had done a full body shot, and she didn’t think it looked half-bad.
She had hoped to lose a few pounds before the shoot, but she had gotten caught up in her new relationship. She hadn’t even been able to get to the gym since the first week she’d met with Jennifer. It didn’t matter, she’d decided. Her friends had assured her she looked good, and she had believed them. If she looked terrible, why would the twins be with her?
She dared anyone on the Internet to say something bad. She signed into her social media account and checked with a rapidly beating heart.
She went to the Maple Creek secret group and searched. It didn’t take her long to find the post about her article. It was the second post from the top, and there were dozens of comment chains.
Her stomach churned. She balled her hands tight and felt tears come to her eyes. They were talking about her again! It was just as bad as the first time, if not worse.
“Of course she would make candy.”
“I bet she eats that whole thing. How she would turn a profit?”
“I thought you weren’t supposed to steal from your own stash. Must be tough for her.”
Even the “nicest” ones weren’t that nice. No one had a single nice thing to say about
her.
There were over a hundred comments on the post. She expanded to see what they were all talking about, against her better judgment.
Her eyebrows shot up. Her article had gotten so many comments because someone had mentioned she was dating the twins. They couldn’t believe that such a “pig” had gotten two hotties. She recognized one of the girls talking trash—she was a regular at the gym. The day that Lizzy had first talked to Jennifer, Abe had been talking to that girl. He hadn’t introduced them, but the girl had waved. Abe must have told her that they were dating.
Lizzy couldn’t believe it. Someone Abe knew and liked and thought was nice was the one who had spilled the beans and was making vicious comments. She wondered if they even talked about her at the gym. Had Abe heard these terrible things about her?
No, probably not. He would have said something if he had heard anything. There was no way he would ever be that mean.
There was a knock at her front door, and Liz quickly shut her laptop. Her face was burning. She didn’t want to get caught looking at the stupid group.
She wasn’t expecting any visitors, so she went to the door slowly. Usually door-to-door salesmen gave up if she took too long.
“Who is it?”
“It’s Abe. I wanted to see what you’re up to.”
“I’m buzzing you up.”
Liz unlocked her door, then quickly ran to her bathroom and made sure she looked nice. She didn’t know why Abe was stopping by, but she hoped it was for something nice.
“Where are you?”
Lizzy came out of the bathroom, and Abe picked her up. He spun her around and kissed her. “How are you, my love?”
Lily giggled. “Put me down. You know I hate being picked up.”
“Well, if you’re going to be with me, you’d better get used to it. I don’t want your feet to ever touch the ground when I’m around.”
Lizzy shook her head. Secretly, she loved it when he picked her up. It made her feel so tiny and lightweight. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see if you wanted to come to the gym with me.”
She was taken aback. “Why?”
