CHAPTER 40 ALEX
I turn off the water, shaking my hands dry and patting the excess droplets against my pants. Mina should be here soon, with Katie in tow. I haven’t gotten to know Katie very well, but she’s important to Mina, so I hope I get to know her better in the future. If Mina and I are going to make this work long term, I need Katie solidly on our side. Can’t have the best friend hating the boyfriend , I chuckle to myself.
I hear a key in the lock, and I make my way toward the front door, leaning casually against the wall. Maybe too casually. It definitely looks staged, based on the looks on the girls’ faces when the door swings open. They giggle, and Mina moves to greet me.
“Hey baby!” she gives me a kiss, then turns and gestures to Katie. “This is Katie, which you already know, but still. Katie, Alex. Alex, Katie.”
“Nice to see you, Katie. Welcome to my home.”
“Thanks for letting me crash your little love nest to get ready!”
“No worries. You girls can use the bedroom to get all prepped. I’ll be out here, waiting for the big reveal.”
They scamper into my room and close the door, and I settle on the couch. I can hear them laughing in there, presumably about me, or maybe their outfits, or something else entirely. I don’t really care what the cause of the laughter is, I’m just glad it’s there. Mina being able to laugh freely and find joy in her life is a beautiful thing, and I’m happy I get to bear witness to it, even through a closed door. A little while later, the door cracks open, and Katie pops her head out. Her makeup is sultry and dark, and she gives me a fangy smile.
“Presenting Mina, bride of Dracula, queen of the night!”
She flings the door open to reveal Mina, standing behind her and partially hidden in shadow. Even in silhouette, she takes my breath away. She steps forward slowly, the tight black gown accentuating every curve. She lifts her face, and I can see that her makeup is similar to Katies; dark, mysterious, seductive. She smiles at me, revealing her fangs.
“Damn,” I breathe. The two vampire queens giggle like schoolgirls at my reaction.
“You like it?” Mina gives a twirl.
“Like it? Of course. I just have one request. One small favor.”
“What is it?”
“That you come back here when the party’s over. Keep the costume on.”
Katie giggles and raises an eyebrow, and a blush creeps over Mina’s cheeks.
“Yeah, I can do that.”
“But really. You both look fantastic. I hope you have the best time tonight.”
“Thanks!” Katie chirps. “This should be great. Most of our residency group should be there. Everyone’s been talking about it.”
“Sounds fun! At the risk of sounding like an overprotective asshole, where’s the party at?”
“Ha, you kind of do sound like one, but I get it. Can’t be too careful.” Katie pulls out her phone. “What’s your number? I’ll send you our location once we’re there. It’s actually not far from here at all, just a few streets over.”
I give her my number and kiss Mina goodbye, and I can smell the tequila on her. “Whoa, you guys pregame in there or something?”
“Um, of course! Having a few shots is integral to the getting-ready process,” Mina replies, playfully swatting my arm.
I turn to Katie. “Are you driving to the party? You drove here, right?”
“No. I may be dumb, but I’m not that dumb. We’re going to Uber there. Figured I’d leave my car here till tomorrow. It’s safe, yeah?”
“I mean, yeah. I’ve never had an issue. Shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Ok sweet deal.” She turns to Mina and grabs her hand. “All right bitch, let’s get our party on!”
“Have fun you two! Mina, I’ll see you later!”
“Bye Alex, nice to see you!”
“Bye babe. See you later.”
Almost as an afterthought, I call after them, “and if anything goes wrong, I mean anything, even if it just feels off, you let me know and I’ll come get you. You both have my number now. If you feel like you need it, use it.”
“Thanks, will do!” Katie waves, then grabs Mina’s hand and they scurry to the waiting car.
I watch them drive away with a smirk. Those two… like peas in a pod. That party won’t know what hit it once they arrive.