Page 60 of More Than a Match

Finally, Halloween night is here. One of my favorite nights of the year. The shift today was surprisingly not terrible, and soon, I get to see Alex, then party with Katie. All in all, it’s a pretty perfect way to spend the holiday.

“Mina, babe, wait for me!” Katie calls, running after me. “Where are we meeting up?”

“Well, I’m going to head to Alex’s so he can see my outfit. Honestly, I’ll probably just get ready there.”

“Do you think he would care if I went too? I was just going to get changed here, but I’d rather avoid it if I can. And I brought the pregame stuff with me, that way we don’t have to go all the way to my house for it.”

“Let me ask,” I say, whipping out my phone and shooting off a quick text. A few seconds later, the reply dings in. “He says that’s fine.”

“Sweet. Let me grab my stuff and we can go.”

“Sounds good! I’ll meet you downstairs. You going to drive?”

“Yeah. I’ll meet you out front in a few.”

I head downstairs and wait for Katie, excited for what the night will bring. I haven’t been to a party in ages, and it’ll be nice to see some of my coworkers in a more relaxed setting. This should be fun.

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.”

---