Brandishing her clipboard and a pair of gloves, Katie smacked her friend’s hand. “Stop touching! I have to get all this logged.”
Ashlee pouted, but craned her neck to see. “How are you not a hoarder yet? I would be like stowing all this stuff up in my room.”
“Because,” Katie began, making note of a set of dishes. “Unlike you, I’m not impressed by all this stuff and I see it all the time. Also.” She raised a wad of material out of one box to shake open. “If I kept everything, we would be broke.” She tossed the bright, red Hawaiian shirt aside into the trash pile.
“Yeah, but look how awesome this stuff is!” Ashlee snatched up a chunky stone necklace from one box and held it up. “This would look epic with my sequin top.”
Katie gave the necklace a once over. “It’s yours for five.”
Ashlee’s shoulder’s dropped. “I don’t get it. You’ll share your lunch, your books, your notes, your music and even your laptop. But as soon as I ask for anything in the shop…”
“That’s different.” Katie took the necklace and set it in the pile to put away. “This is a business. If I give stuff away…”
“Yeah, yeah, your aunt would be broke. I get it. I don’t like it, but I get it.” Ashlee slumped back against the counter, stretching her legs out in front of her. “You want to go see that new Zac Efron flick with me this weekend?”
Distracted by a silky, sleeveless top with fat rhinestones sewn across the U-shaped bodice, Katie mumbled incoherently.
Ashlee kicked her. “Hey!”
Katie blinked. “What?”
“You, me and sexy Mr. Efron, this weekend. You game?”
Still rotating numbers in her head, Katie shrugged. “Okay. Sure. What would you pay for this?”
Ashlee eyed the shirt. “Fifty cents.”
“You’re no help,” Katie muttered, tossing the top into the undecided pile.
“Sorry. My area of expertise lies more towards nice clothes and boys, and speaking of which,” she kicked Katie again and earned a glower, “tell me about this tall, dark stranger that swept you off your feet today.”
Talk of Kaleb pulled her out of logging mode.
“How did you hear about that?”
Ashlee shrugged. “I have my sources. So, tell me.”
Katie set aside her clipboard and slipped off her gloves. “His name’s Kaleb.”
Ashlee oooh’d. “Kaleb what?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t ask.”
“Okay. Go on.”
Katie hesitated a split second before speaking. “He’s gorgeous. I mean, so beyond any guy that has ever gone to Stony Creek.”
“Wow!” Ashlee looked like Katie had just pulled an incredible magic trick. “Coming from you, he must be like part God or something.”
“What do you mean?” Katie asked.
“Just that you have never labeled any guy gorgeous … ever.”
Katie frowned. “That’s not true. I thought…” She snapped her fingers rapidly, wracking her brain. “What was his name? Jason? Jack? Bill?”
“Andrew,” Ashlee muttered dryly.
“Right! Andrew was totally cute, and don’t forget Dylan.” Something Katie wished she could do. “He was nice looking.”
Ashlee sighed heavily, as though her patience was being tested. “Katie, dogs are cute and nice looking. Kittens are cute. The beauty mark on my butt is cute. Guys are handsome, hot … gorgeous!”
“Well, Kaleb is several degrees north of gorgeous.”
Ashlee shook her head slowly, a look of complete confusion drawing her face. “How is such a specimen of a man prowling our halls and I have never seen him?” Her eyes narrowed. “Are you sure you didn’t imagine him?”
Katie laughed. “Have you met me? I have absolutely no imagination.”
Ashlee sat back, lips pursed. “True. Wow. I need to find this guy.”
Katie was about to agree when the bells jingled and the door opened. A tall, pale woman emerged, cradling a box against her chest the way some women cuddled babies. Her face was paper white, contrasting harshly against the crimson rings around her damp blue eyes.
“Hello?”
Katie leapt to her feet. “Hi! Can I help you?”
“I … I…” The woman’s voice faltered. She cleared her throat. “I brought some things for donation.”
“Oh! Great.” Katie moved to take the box from her. But her step forward was met with the woman’s panicked step back.
“These … these are …. were my daughter’s things.” She bit her lip. “Will you promise to take care of them?”
Wishing her aunt was there to save her from saying something stupid and awkward, Katie nodded. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll take very good care of them.”
The woman inhaled shakily. “I have a few more things in the car if you could…”
Ashlee leapt to her feet. “I’ll help.”
With some hesitation, the woman relinquished her grip on the box to Katie and followed Ashlee outside. Ashlee made eight trips before all the boxes were brought inside. She slumped against the counter, breathing hard and sweaty.
“I think I want to go home and shower now.”
But Katie was staring at the new shipment with heaviness in her chest. “What do you think happened to her daughter?”
Ashlee shrugged, prying open the nearest box. “She didn’t say and I didn’t ask.”
“Ashlee, don’t…”
Ashlee stopped, eyebrows furrowed. “Why not? I thought you wanted to log all this in.”
Katie grimaced. “I do, but … I don’t know. Never mind. Let’s finish the pile on the floor before we make an even bigger mess, okay?”
Ashlee shrugged, flopping cross-legged on the floor. “Let’s get cracking.”
There was a haste in which Katie finished cataloging that she normally didn’t have when logging items. She barely registered most of the things she marked or tossed. Her focus kept shifting to the new set of boxes and the things they might contain, which was unusual for her—the excitement of the unknown. She wondered, not for the first time, what she would find. So when they finally reached the new shipment, she was practically shaking with anticipation as she lowered the first box to the ground.
“Holy cow!”
Tufts of soft purple silk spilled free. Katie unfurled the most gorgeous gown she’d ever seen from its bed of cardboard. Sunlight caught the black sequins tracing the square bodice and rained down the full skirt in a halo of black lace and purple satin. Thin strips of black ribbon wove in diamond patterns across the corset front, matching the lace knotting the back. The sleeves were short, frilly around the shoulders, and the same soft material as the skirt.
Breath lodged in her chest, Katie gave it a light shake and held it up for better viewing. Something slipped from the folds and dropped into her lap.
“Hey, look at this.” She set the dress carefully back into the box and picked up the envelope.
Ashlee watched as Katie turned the card over.
Rebekah Lauffer was written in elegant loops across the front. Gingerly, she slipped the card free of its stiff casing and flipped it over.
“I think it’s an invitation,” Katie said, eyeing the front with its gold script intricately woven through fine patterns of glossy black.
“Open it!” Ashlee urged, shifting closer to see.
Lip caught between her teeth, Katie flipped open the card and peered inside.
“What does it say?” Ashlee pressed, when she took too long to respond.
Katie moistened her lips. “You are cordially invited to have all your wishes come true.”
Chapter Two
“What?” Ashlee tore the invitation from Katie’s hand. “That is too many kinds of cool!”
“Hey!”
Ashlee ignored her as she read out loud the rest.
“For this one night,
You will be tested,
A single wish you will be gifted.
In return,
&n
bsp; You will pass on,
The magic night you will hold on.
When in time,
You will be sought,
To pay forth what has been given.
Should you accept?
The choice is yours,
RSVP,
We shall be waiting.”
Ashlee squeaked with excitement. “This is amazing!”
“And probably already over.” Katie took the invitation and looked it over.
Beneath the chain of words, there was an address and a list of instructions.
“If you hold this, then you have been chosen to attend the charity gala of the century. To attend, forward us your acceptance with your name and the name of one guest. The next night of magic happens in December. Join us for an evening you will never forget.”
“December,” Ashlee breathed. “It’s December in two months!”
“Yes, but this could have been December of last year,” Katie rationalized.
“I think we should write in. Maybe they’re having another party this year and we could attend.”
“Or—”
But Ashlee was already on her feet and running around the counter. She grabbed a pad of paper and a pen and ran back.
“Okay, so…” She began scribbling across the page. “Katie Claremont and Ashlee Lambert would like to attend the next…” Her speech faded into incoherent mumbling.
“This is very weird, even for you,” Katie decided. “You can’t just accept some dead girl’s party invitation.”
“Who said she’s dead?” Ashlee countered. “She could have just given this stuff away. Besides, all the more reason we should go and celebrate for her.”
“That’s disgusting.”
Ashlee shrugged. “It would be a waste to not go.”
Katie left Ashlee to scratch away at the pad as she delicately refolded the gown and tucked it back into the box. She touched the satin material with a fingertip, trying not to imagine herself wearing it, twirling around on a fog soaked floor in the arms of a handsome stranger. The handsome stranger wore Kaleb’s face, but it was her daydream. Plus, she already knew how her arms felt around his shoulders and how he smelled and felt against her. It took very little effort to conjure the illusion.
“Crap!” Ashlee shot to her feet. “I have to get home. It’s my turn to help with supper.” She grabbed her jacket and swung it on. “But I’m going to finish this and mail it off, okay?”
Prodded out of her happy place, Katie could only nod. “Yeah. Sure.”
Ashlee stuffed the notepad into her backpack and swung the bag on. She waved absently over her shoulder as she bolted out the door, sending the bells tinkling wildly through the silence.
Katie stayed on the ground, surrounded by several boxes and items that needed putting away, contemplating the rationality behind Ashlee’s brilliant decision. They knew nothing about this party or the person who owned the dress, or if it was even safe. For all they knew, the dress and invitation were years old. But she would let her friend do it because Ashlee wouldn’t stop even if Katie asked. She was insistent like that. Ashlee wouldn’t know how to think over a situation if someone tied her to a chair and forced her. She was all about the moment. Odds were that nothing would come of it and Ashlee would move on to something else.
In the meantime, Katie rose to her feet and systematically began opening the other boxes, taking things out, and examining the belongings of a girl she would never meet.
“Katie?” Aunt Hannah maneuvered around shelves with a basket in her arm brimming with scarves.
“At the front!” she called back, folding a cute half-sleeved top back into the box.
Her aunt stopped over her and peered at the mess. “What are you doing?”
Katie sighed. “These just came in. I was going through them.”
Her aunt perked. She set the basket aside and reached for the clipboard. Her excitement faded as she peered over the empty page. “You haven’t marked anything down.”
Katie hesitated. She folded a pair of brand name jeans into the box. “I was…” She cleared her throat. “I was thinking of keeping these, if that’s okay with you?”
It was a tossup who was more surprised by the declaration. But her aunt recovered first. “There are like six boxes here.”
Katie scratched the back of her head. “Yeah, I know. I was going to bring down some of the items from my closet and trade them, unless you want me to pay?”
Something flickered across her aunt’s face as she knelt eyelevel with her. “Sweetie, you know you don’t have to pay. You can take anything you want.”
“Yeah, but this is a business and—”
“It’s our business, Katie, and no one works harder than you. If you want the stuff, keep them. I don’t want you to think you have to ask me.”
“Let me at least pay for some—”
Her aunt placed a gentle hand on her arm. “Let’s take this stuff upstairs, hmm?”
Mind already made up to pay for the things she’d taken, Katie rose and helped her aunt haul each box through the store, back into the kitchen and upstairs.
Katie wasn’t vain. She rarely ever bought anything from the mall, not if she could find it at the shop. The majority of her clothes were second hand and it never bothered her. She liked clothes that were already broken in, vintage. She was a firm believer of never paying full price when she could get the same thing for less than half. The items in the box, just one t-shirt, cost more than her entire wardrobe. Plus, she’d been meaning to update her closet for a while. This saved her from the grueling task of browsing.
“Why don’t you go through your new things while I clean the mess downstairs?” Aunt Hannah offered, setting down the last box. “Make sure you give everything a good wash before you wear anything, all right?”
Katie nodded, staring down at her new things. She waited until her aunt was out of sight before crossing over to the tin can next to her bed. She flipped off the lid and pulled out the roll of bills she’d been saving for the last nine years. She counted the amount for the clothes and tucked it into her back pocket. She would slip it into the register when her aunt wasn’t looking.
“Loving the digs!” Ashlee eyed Katie the next morning with raised eyebrows. “Those new?”
Katie shrugged. “Kind of.” She grabbed her backpack and jacket, called out goodbye to her aunt, and started out the door at a brisk pace.
Ashlee sprinted to keep up as Katie hit the chilly gloom outside at a near run. “What’s the hurry?”
“I need to get to the library before first class. I have to finish my History paper.”
Ashlee stumbled. “You didn’t finish your homework? Isn’t that like blasphemy where you’re from?”
Katie snorted. “I did my homework, but I just need to double check something and I left the book at the library.”
With Ashlee a foot behind her, Katie darted into Mrs. Broil’s bakery. They grabbed their muffins and coffees and rushed the rest of the way to school. Ashlee didn’t follow her to the library.
“I spend too much time in there with you as it is,” the blonde muttered. “I’m beginning to get a rash. I’ll see you at lunch.”
Waving her friend off, Katie slipped through the glass doors into the musty scent of paper, ink, and deep thoughts. It was empty save for her, but the lingering presence of concentration hung in the air from previous days. Katie dumped her bag and coffee cup onto a nearby table and walked into the History section. It took no time at all to locate the book she needed and even less time to find the right page. One skim through and she was satisfied that she’d gotten the answer correct. Stashing the book back, she ran back to her things just as the bell tolled.
“To the gym, Ms. Claremont!” Mrs. Dole called from her desk, behind towering stacks of books.
Katie turned on her heels, still walking backwards towards the doors. “The gym, ma’am?”
Mrs. Dole stared at her through thick glasses. “Assembly today.”
She must have miscalculated her distance from the door when she smacked into the person walking in. Thankfully, it wasn’t with her face this time and she managed to keep her balance, but it still didn’t feel so great when scalding coffee splashed all over her hand.
“Damn it!” she hissed, holding the dripping cup away from herself.
“I’m sorry,” a voice said from behind her. “Are you okay?”
Shaking the moisture from her hand, Katie turned. “Yeah, I … you!”
Kaleb looked as surprised as she felt, staring down at her. “You,” he mimicked.
“Katie,” she supplied.
He nodded, his gaze roaming over her. “I remember.” He glanced at her wet arm. “Let me help you with that.”
“No, I’m—”
But he was moving towards Mrs. Dole. He dumped the book he was holding into the return slot and reached for the box of Kleenex on the desk. He returned a moment later, tearing a handful of tissues out of the box.
Katie set her binders down on a nearby table and reached for the wad he held. But instead of passing them over, he took the coffee cup from her, wiped it down, set it aside and reached for her hand. Katie repressed the urge to tell him she could do that herself as his rough skin scratched over hers. He dabbed lightly until her hand was dry then went to work wiping at her jacket sleeve.
“Did you get burned?” he asked, turning her small hand over in his large palm, searching for injuries. The pad of his thumb traced bare skin, roamed over small knuckles and down slim fingers.
Katie shook her head, as her heart galloped wildly in her chest. “I think I’m okay.” Her gaze skirted over him, taking in his black jeans and black sweater with a flare of panic. “God, did I get you?”
Kaleb looked himself over. “No, I think I dodged that bullet.”
She blew out a breath. “Well, I’m sorry about bumping into you … again.”
My Soul For You Page 2
