CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
?
“TRICK-OR-TREAT!”
Under the bright store lights, monsters shook their buckets and pillowcases for candy. Adam snickered to himself, then whistled. “Hey, kids. Over here.”
One by one, the ninja fairies and zombie astronauts turned to find him sitting on a folding chair next to a mysterious treasure box.
The whole street was lit up, Halloween here at last. Spooky music piped through the speakers hanging off the lampposts holding witches, bats, and moons.
Best of all, it wasn’t the Monster Mash.
Finally. Every shopkeeper from the soap emporium to the insurance agency was outside enjoying the unseasonably warm weather to greet the kids.
Despite the obvious man in a giant pumpkin head sitting by the door, most kids homed in on the door to his costume shop. Must be a Pavlovian response. Find door, ring bell, trick or treat.
“Now, you’ve got to be real quiet about what I’m going to show you.
” Adam started to crack open the old trunk he’d glued brass buckles to for that sea-faring look.
The kids gathered around, eyes wide and mouths drooling.
At the last second, Adam slammed it shut, and he spun the box away.
“We don’t want anyone finding out about these. ”
Like an eccentric candy maker showing off his financially unstable chocolate waterfall, Adam brandished his haul. Golden light streamed out from LEDs stuck inside the top. The kids approached, their eyes wider than their mouths.
“Is that…?”
“Holy crap!”
“Full bars!” the littlest vampire shouted, grabbing a six-inch Snickers.
He didn’t put it in his pail, but extended it like he’d found the holy grail.
The others were less reverent, hiding their bars at the bottom of their bags as if they feared a sibling or parent discovering them.
A few intrepid thieves tried to sneak out a second, but Adam closed it up tight.
“Sorry. I’m afraid the box is sealed shut for another year. Happy Halloween.”
They didn’t let their failure to bamboozle him sting for long. A few kids gave him a wave and responded with, “Happy Halloween.”
“Oh, and if your parents ask who had the best house for Halloween, you say…?”
“The costume shop!” a couple of squirts called out as they dashed for the old lady handing out ribbon candy from the Great War.
“Close enough,” Adam said to himself.
He turned around to lower onto the chair, and the metal bit against him. If he were smart, he’d have brought a cushion.
It’d been a madhouse earlier. It always was. Churches and schools bussed in their younger kids before the sun set. Then the older ones would trudge down Main Street looking for whatever remained. He’d nearly broken into the third backup box.
A flicker caught Adam’s eye. One of the shops turned off its light. Another followed across the way. One by one, Halloween was coming to an end in this part of town. Adam cracked open his treasure chest and fished out a payday.
Filling his mouth with nuts, he watched the smoke twirling above the pumpkins as a cleansing and eerie quiet fell over the street.
Without cars whizzing past or children screeching for sugar, it was easy to forget how lonely this life could be.
The Monster Mash faded, and a clock bong carried across the speakers.
Already?
Adam tugged back his sleeve to find it was eight o’clock. The children’s time was over. Now to let the adults get their mischief on.
With the folding chair tucked under his arm, and the treasure box in the other, Adam returned to his store. He flicked off the light so any stragglers would pass on by, then paused.
He’d had every intention to attend the masquerade in his usual suit and Halloween King get-up. It was what he wore every year to encourage people to vote for him. Everyone loves an incumbent.
But as he walked the aisles of his own store, it hit him how many pieces he had that weren’t just acceptable, they were good. Adam trailed his fingers through silken hair, feathered collars, and leather straps.
He could spend the night doing what he always did—hobnobbing with people who had connections and getting in a dance or two alone. But this year was different. He wasn’t alone, for one.
Adam pulled off the pumpkin head. Its welcoming grin and black empty eyes stared at him.
He thought he needed this, to be welcomed, to be safe. Maybe…maybe tonight needed something different, something special.
Light caught on a pair of silver rings, and Adam smiled.
Something… naughty.
?
He’s coming.
Okay, not like that. He better not be. Unless he’s pregaming, then… Damn it, why am I picturing him stroking himself while in his full suit?
The fact that he has the pumpkin head on means I’m doomed, right? Glad I know.
Raj knew he should be focused on the ball. It’d been a madhouse for the last twelve hours to get everything working and close enough to ready. Even with his skull pounding in the back of his head, that full night of sleep did him wonders. He flew through what’d been a struggle for weeks.
It might have also been that lanky man lying beside him in bed, casually tugging on Raj’s cock while he whispered everything he had planned tonight in his ear. They were gonna need a lot more lube and maybe a pull-up bar.
The DJ booth screeched, and a spotlight swung to the door. “What what!” some kid in a rat costume shouted from above him. “Look who’s in the house!”
Everyone paused, turning to take in the newest entry.
This had to be him. Raj adjusted his shirt, the ruffled blouse left open down to his navel to show off as much of his chest hair as he could.
The cummerbund constricted his midsection, but the red and white striped pants hugged his ass.
He’d finished his dangerous and erotic man of the seven seas outfit with a domino mask, a sword at his side, and the requisite pirate hat.
It wasn’t anything game-changing, but he hoped Adam would like it.
Raj stuck his chin out, then he rested his hand nonchalantly on his sword, waiting for his pumpkin prince to come.
And come, and come.
“It’s Mrs. Melnar. What what!” the DJ shouted.
The old lady sneered and raised her handbag to stop the light from getting in her eyes. “What?” she shouted, but the response was the pulsating music starting back up.
People seemed to be having a good time, at least. The ballroom was filled with locals and his guests.
He had pulled in a couple of the ghosts from his haunt and had set them up just out of reach of the drunks.
Not that it stopped a few from having a full conversation with a woman missing her lower half hanging off the wall.
It was a good party, no doubt. The food was delicious, a mix of a lot of local favorites and every pumpkin-themed dessert imaginable.
The drinks were watered down, but not outrageous.
And someone was in charge of adding dry ice to the punch on the hour.
The pumpkin bowl writhed and bubbled a twisted green, not slowing people down for a second.
Everything was great except for one thing. Where’s Ad—?
“Mr. Chowdery!”
Taking a deep breath, Raj turned to the exuberant mayor. “It’s Choudhary.”
“What is?”
“My name. You pronounce it Shawd-aree. Not chowder with a y. And if that’s too much of a tongue twister, you can just call me Raj.”
The uneasy glint in his face softened, and he laughed. “Raj. Got it. This is quite the spectacle. You did a wonder, my boy. We’ve never had a better show for the ball.”
“Most of this is Marianne’s doing,” Raj said.
The mayor nodded like he heard but didn’t understand his giving credit to a woman. “Am I correct? Is the birders society going to be hosting their Christmas party here?”
“I believe so, yes.”
“Splendid news for both of us. They have a lot of money behind them.”
Birds were nice to look at, sure, but Raj never thought of watching them as being a fancy hobby like polo or cricket. “I didn’t know birds were such a big deal in Anoka.”
“No, no. They don’t watch birds. They are birds. The old ladies who basically run every event in this town. Cross them and kiss your life goodbye.”
Raj gulped. He needed to talk to Logan now. And do a lot more research on what scary old ladies liked. Maybe birds, too.
“Thanks for the warning,” Raj said.
“No problem. Now, why aren’t you dancing? Standing near the punch bowl is for the old and ugly. I’ve got that covered in spades.” He laughed at himself, and Raj got the memo right away.
“Don’t be silly, you’re young enough to be my brother.”
That made him smile, securing another year for the hotel to not deal with an irate fire marshal. “Go on. Go find a pretty young thing. Halloween is the holiday of love.”
Raj was about to argue before he realized that, no, the mayor was right. “I’m waiting for someone, actually.”
“Oh. Already got a little filly?”
No, a stallion. One with a long flowing mane and a coat that shines in the sun, who also refuses to get his hooves muddy. Adam, where are you?
“Well, don’t let me keep you.”
What if he doesn’t show?
Don’t be stupid. He was so excited about the ball while my mouth was around his cock this morning. He’ll be here.
He has to be.
Unless I’ve been fucking a ghost this whole time.
The lights dropped, and so too did Raj’s stomach.
The beat faded to nothing more than a steady thump of a heart.
One by one, the people glanced at the only source of light.
Gold streamed through the open door from the hallway when it was suddenly replaced by a silhouette.
The form was thin and lanky. Framed in darkness, it appeared naked but otherworldly, on spindly legs with a tall, flat head.
Raj moved his way closer, needing to be near this mysterious stranger. With a flicker, the spotlight landed, and a voice called from on high.
He couldn’t hear it.
All of his senses shut down so he could take in the magnificence before him.
?