Hot & Heavy Halloween (Hot Holidays Book 1)

by Melanie Kinkaid

  “Yeah,” Oliver nodded, staring straight ahead. “I’ll call the hospital tomorrow. Pay his bill anonymously. Maybe even make a donation while I’m at it.”

  “Good move,” I said. “I know we planned on you driving home, but you want me to drive?”

  “Yeah,” he said, opening his door. “I only had a few, but I’m not thinking too clearly right now.”

  “You and me both,” I agreed. Neither of us said anything more until we got home.

  Katie

  The party had been on Saturday, and we were in the ER with a cluster of drunks and crazies until four in the morning, when a doctor finally came over to announce that yes, Ethan’s nose was broken, and yes, he would have to wear a splint for at least the next five to seven days, and yes, he would have to come back to see whether surgery would be necessary.

  They took Ethan back to put the splint on, and Emma told him we’d be in the waiting room when he was finished.

  “Great,” Emma mumbled as we walked away. “Now I have to play nursemaid to that jerk.”

  “He doesn’t seem that bad. In any case, you don’t have to play nursemaid to anyone if you don’t want to,” I assured her.

  “Of course, I do, it was my fault he was there.”

  “It was Amber’s fault he was there,” I reminded her. “But, to be fair to Amber, she did not know you’d meet a hot IT guy and fall in love within the first five minutes of the party.”

  “I’m not in love with the hot IT guy.” Emma stomped her foot. “And anyway, I wouldn’t be making fun of anyone tonight, Little Miss Fifteen Minutes in Heaven.”

  “We could not have been in that closet for fifteen minutes,” I gaped at her. “It felt more like a minute. Maybe a minute and a half. Tops.”

  “Fifteen minutes and twenty-six seconds,” Emma giggled. Oliver and I timed you while Becca was handing out another round of drinks.

  “Is that when he held your hand?” I couldn’t help teasing her again.

  “Yes.” Emma’s face fell. “And I wish now he hadn’t. That’s what started this whole mess.”

  “Emma,” I paused, not wanting to pry too much. “You said you told Ethan there was no way you’d date him, since he was with Abby, but then he said you kissed?” I let my question hang in the air.

  She sighed and reached up to pull her black hair back into a ponytail. “After he broke up with Abby, Ethan came over and told me again how he felt. I guess I felt something too because when he kissed me, I kissed him back. And yeah, it was electric. We have great chemistry. That doesn’t mean it’s right or it should happen. All it means is that we have chemistry.”

  “And a lot in common,” I added.

  “And a lot in common,” she admitted. “And he wasn’t a bad kisser. For about thirty seconds, I thought it might work. Maybe we could be friends for a while, and then when Abby met someone else, we could start dating. Then, just as he was shoving his tongue down my throat, my sister walked in the room.”

  “She saw you?” I gaped.

  “Saw us and threw a fit,” Emma said. “Told me everything Ethan said when he dumped her and then practically spit in my face.”

  “Horrible.” I shook my head. I couldn’t imagine.

  “She accused Ethan of cheating on her, said I probably slept with him, even though,” Emma’s voice dropped to a squeak of a whisper, “even though I’m still a virgin, as you know.”

  I nodded.

  “So,” Emma’s voice rose back to normal levels, “I kicked him out, and you know the rest. She left, I landed a full-time teaching gig, and Ethan got a job at my favorite costume shop, which I swear he did just to see me twice a month.”

  “It does sound like he’s devoted,” I had to say. Maybe there was hope for the two of them after all, once the drama was over.

  “More like a stalker,” Emma said. “Not a threatening one. Just a constant annoyance. The kiss broke the spell. I did have a crush on him that I was too shy and too moral to do anything about. The kiss made the fantasy real. And reality is never as good as a fantasy.”

  “That’s true,” I said, staring out the window, wondering what Liam was doing right now. “Maybe that’s how I should think of Liam—a fantasy. A hot fireman who walked into my life and gave me one, long, passionate kiss I’ll never forget. I didn’t get his number or his last name, and he didn’t get mine. I’ll probably never see him again.”

  Emma shifted uncomfortably. “Katie, about Ben…”

  “I don’t want to think about him right now.” I stood up, pointing back toward the ER. “Besides, Casanova is back, and he needs a ride home on your golden chariot.”

  Katie

  The problem with Halloween was that it fell on a Wednesday. Becca’s party had been the Saturday before because as she said, “We’re all adults with jobs. I’m not having a party on a fucking Wednesday night when everyone has to be at work the next day. And having it after Halloween would be just as lame.”

  That was all well and good, but since we spent the night in the emergency room, and I spent all of Sunday cleaning the apartment before Ben came home, all of Monday listening to his work stories, and all of Tuesday finishing up plans for the Open House later in November, I was still exhausted when Wednesday rolled around.

  And the thing about little kids is this—they don’t care what day of the week it is. They’re going to celebrate Halloween on Halloween.

  So, I found myself not really caring when Eli tried to feed candy corn to the class fish. Or, when girl Jayden cried because Sophia and Sadie were wearing the same costume, and she was wearing a different costume. Or even when boy Jayden got hopped-up on candy and ran across the room with scissors yelling, “I’m running with scissors.”

  It was a pretty typical day in kindergarten, just a little more ramped up than usual. Thankfully, no one had an accident and had to find an extra costume in the lost-and-found like the year before.

  Our school wasn’t that big, and we had a tradition that each class, one at a time, would parade through the school, so everyone else could see their costumes. My class of kindergarteners was first, and my aide, Carol, and I had quite a time getting them to line up properly, but once we did, they were absolutely adorable—proudly strutting through the halls while the older kids clapped and gave out candy.

  We waited at the end while Emma’s first graders came through, then the second third, and fourth grade classes, and finally, Amber’s fifth graders, who looked like they thought they were too old to enjoy the annual Halloween parade, but secretly enjoyed it nonetheless.

  Emma, Amber, and I met up in the parking lot once the last school bus pulled away. “That was rough,” Amber said. “I feel like I’m still hung over from Saturday.”

  “I know,” I agreed. “I’m thinking about skipping art class tonight.”

  “But you only just started going a few weeks ago,” Amber said. “And you love that class.”

  “I do love it,” I replied, rubbing my forehead. “It’s nice to do something creative for myself every now and then. But, Ben’s going out of town again tomorrow, and I’ve got a headache, and I’m so tired, I feel like I could fall over at any minute. Three hours of painting does not exactly sound attractive to me right now.”

  “You can’t put your life on hold for Ben,” Amber said. “Right, Emma?”

  Emma shuffled her feet. “I don’t know. I mean, if you’re tired, maybe you should just go home?”

  “No,” I sighed. “Amber’s right. I do put my life on hold for him too often. His schedule shouldn’t interfere with mine. It’s annoying that he always expects it to. If we ever get married, I can’t reschedule my entire day just because he happens to be home for the night.”

  “Exactly.” Amber smirked. “Now, get your butt to art class, and paint something worthy of my apartment wall. The bedroom needs some color.”

  “I’ll try to remember that,” I laughed.

  We said our goodbyes and I went through the drive-thru for a quick bite to e
at. Then, I rushed over to Phoebe’s studio. When I reached the building, I saw a sign taped to the glass door.

  Reminder:

  Class cancelled for Halloween.

  Summer and I are dressing as pirates this year! See you all next week!

  Best,

  Phoebe

  “Damn,” I swore. Well, I’ve only wasted a half-hour of driving, I thought, and a half-hour back. At least I can finally get some rest. Maybe even some TV time with Ben, if I’m lucky.

  When I finally reached our apartment complex, my eyelids felt as if the only thing keeping them open was sandpaper. What was I thinking trying to go to art class to begin with? It had been a hell of a day. A hell of a week, and all I wanted to do was slip on my comfiest set of pajamas and slip into bed.

  I knew something was wrong when I tried to open the door. Locked. Ben never locked the door when he was home, and I knew he was home. I saw his car in the complex parking lot.

  As quietly as I could, I extracted my keys from my pocket and silently clicked them into the lock, sliding open the door, and hoping it wouldn’t make its usual, customary squeak. It did, but it didn’t matter. Because I heard more squeaking noises. Rhythmic ones. And they were coming from the bedroom.

  “Oh, Ben,” a high voice moaned. “You like it like that, you bad, bad boy? Yeah. That’s it. Right there. Fuck me! Fuck me! Fill me up!”

  My stomach lurched. I opened the bedroom door, knowing full well what I’d find. Only it was worse.

  Ben was splayed out on the bed, hands cuffed to the posts above his head, feet cuffed to the footboard. Riding him, and swaying her long, blond hair was Amber.

  Ben was blindfolded as well as tied up, but she saw me and grinned, wickedly. Instead of stopping, she rolled her hips forward one more time and sneered. “No class tonight, then?”

  “No class,” I whispered.

  “What?” Ben stopped thrusting his hips, turning his head in confusion.

  Amber bent forward and ripped off his mask. She didn’t dismount him, though, but bounced up and down on his dick twice more. “Amber, don’t,” Ben struggled, looking at me, embarrassed.

  “No, please, continue. Don’t let my presence stop you.” I wanted to vomit.

  “Katie, I’m sorry. This is—”

  “This is just what you’ve been doing every Wednesday night?” I supplied for him, refusing to look at Amber as she continued gyrating on top of my now-ex-boyfriend. “No quick two-minute fuck for Amber, I see.”

  “No, but listen,” he paused and let out a long moan, “Amber, cut it out.”

  “No.” Amber flipped her hair in the way she always did when being defiant. She looked me right in the eye. “Katie, I’m going to tell you what I told Surfer Boy’s girlfriend last year. You have two choices right now. You can shut the door, get the fuck out of here, and let us finish, or you can come join us.”

  She crooked a finger at me, in a “come on over here” gesture, as if trying to entice me to join in on helping her seduce my boyfriend.

  “Is that what happened last year?” I said, trying again not to be sick. “You’re a cheating whore, Amber. And you’re also wrong. I have a third choice.”

  I turned my attention back to Ben. “Since it’s my name on the lease, and since you’re not here sixty percent of the time, you can ‘get the fuck out of here.’ Both of you. I’m leaving. If you’re not out in an hour when I get back, I’m calling the police, and I’m going to tell them you’re trespassing. They’re busy tonight, but I’m sure they’ll take the time to help a woman in distress. Take your shit with you. You’re used to packing up a suitcase. Just like the way you fuck, it won’t last that long.”

  I slammed the door, trying not to cry where they could still hear me. When I heard the springs on the bed start to squeak again, I put a hand over my mouth to hold in a scream, and ran out of the apartment.

  I texted Emma and asked if I could come over. “Sure,” she replied. “Just give me twenty minutes to clean up. I’ve been working on a new costume.”

  Realizing Emma’s was only about ten minutes away, I allowed myself to sit the car for a few moments, sobbing and wiping my nose on my sleeve. Then, I pulled out of the complex, but I started hiccupping, and had to pull over, my tears spilling out all over again. Forty minutes later, I pulled up to her building.

  The front entry was open for trick-or-treaters, so I went up to her apartment door and knocked. “No class tonight, then?” she asked, seeing my red, tear-filled eyes.

  “No class,” I echoed. “Did you know?”

  “Come on in.” She moved out of the doorway.

  “Did you know?” I practically shouted.

  “I suspected. I highly suspected, but I’ve only known the two of you since September, and you’ve known each other for so long. And I didn’t want to make accusations and ruin your friendship, especially if my hunch was wrong.”

  “Okay then,” I stepped into her apartment, which a testament to pop culture from top to bottom. It would have felt cheerful on any other day.

  “Did you walk in on them?” Emma went into the kitchen, and I could see her getting out a teapot, though it was shaped like Darth Vader.

  “Yeah.” I plopped down on her couch. “He was tied up, and she was on top of him.”

  Emma came over to give me a comforting hug, and I recounted the whole horrible thing, until the tea kettle whistled in the kitchen.

  Emma got up from the couch and got us both a cup of tea. “Why did you suspect?” I asked, sniffling.

  “Little things.” She shrugged. “Amber suggested the art class. She always points out hot guys and says you should hook up with them, even when she’s the one who’s single. She talks down to you about Ben and always seems to know his schedule, even though she can never remember yours.”

  “So many signs, and I never noticed. How long do you think it’s been going on?” I looked at Emma, incredulous.

  “How long have you been with Ben?” she asked.

  “Four years,” I said. “We got together the last year of college.”

  She winced. “Amber once told me she hooked up with a friend’s boyfriend their last year of school,” Emma said.

  “Do you think it’s been going on that long? The whole time?” I couldn’t believe it. I felt like my world was flipping upside-down.

  “Maybe not the whole time.” She patted my knee. “Maybe it happened once back then, and then they got together again, later. How long has he been distant, going out of town all the time?”

  “At least the last three months.” I put down my cup of tea and held my head in my hands. “The thing is, I could even understand if they hooked up once or twice. Amber is gorgeous. It’s the way she acted. Smiling when I found them. Riding him while I watched. It was like she wanted to humiliate me just as much as she wanted to be with him.”

  “Some women are like that,” Emma said.

  “God,” I groaned. “How am I going to face her in school tomorrow?”

  “Don’t,” Emma said. “Call in sick.”

  “If we call in the day after a holiday, we get docked in pay.” I reached for a tissue.

  “Like fifty bucks,” Emma said. “Who cares?”

  “I care,” I said. “I’m going to have to pay rent all on my own starting tomorrow, and I doubt I can afford a two-bedroom, two-bathroom in Fairview on a teacher’s salary. I might have to move to Franklin or Greenville. But then, the commute would be longer, and I’d probably lose more money in gas than I made up for in rent.”

  “I could move in,” Emma said softly.

  Before I could react, my phone buzzed. It was Ben. “I know you cheated on me, too,” I read out loud. “Amber told me the whole thing. Some rando fireman at a party? You’re disgusting.”

  “He has some nerve!” Emma huffed.

  I opened my mouth to agree when another text came in. “I’m taking half my stuff tonight,” Ben wrote. “I’ll be back for the rest tomorrow morning. You better not be there
when I come home.”

  “Seriously?” I said. “What an arrogant—”

  The phone buzzed again. “And don’t even think about touching the bank accounts until we settle things.”

  Emma stared at me. “Katie, I hate to say this, but I think you should go in and change your passwords before he can get to them.”

  “Agreed,” I said. I heard another buzz, but it was Emma’s phone this time.

  My stomach churned. “Is that Amber?”

  “No.” Emma turned her back and sent a quick text back.

  “Emma, are you lying to me? Because I really cannot take one more—”

  “It’s not Amber,” she promised. “It’s… umm…”

  “Spill,” I said. “Ethan or Oliver. Which one is it? Because I know you’re not blushing and breathing hard over a text from your mom.”

  “Both of them have contacted me, but this time it’s Oliver,” she admitted.

  “Ask him for Liam’s number,” I said before I could stop myself.

  Emma looked at me, sympathy written all over her face. “Katie, you’ve had a rough night. Do you really—”

  “Ask him,” I practically shouted. “I deleted it from my phone, and I shouldn’t have.”

  She looked doubtful, but I was on a roll. “I should have screwed him in that closet,” I said. “I could have, you know. I could have, and I should have. Do you know what Liam told me, Emma? He said he wanted to ‘savor me,’ but I knew if I could have just reached my hand into his pants, we would have done it right there in Becca’s closet.”

  Emma’s eyes grew large. “I thought you just kissed him.”

  “It was one hell of a kiss,” I said.

  “And he really said he wanted to savor you?” she gulped. “What the hell does that even mean?”

  Even though my eyes were still rimmed red with tears, I gave out a short laugh. “I don’t know. But it’s been running through my head ever since, and I cannot wait to find out.”