Page 7 of Hallow’s Eve
The fallen angel stole the mugs back. “Sure, you can. Who’s going to notice?” His voice bellowed, sending chills through me.
We were awful close, so close I could feel the heat rising off his bare torso. He stepped back a ways, and I noticed the dark hair traveling down his tight abs. The curls looked like they went all the way down. I imagined the rest wondering if the right dick had finally come along.
He spoke again, drawing my eyes back up to his face. “Pardon me. I’ve not introduced myself. I’m Hallow and you’re dressed as Eve, right? It’s All Hallows’ Eve. Halloween. It’s meant to be. You and me.”
Good manners were never out of style, and I found I liked him even more. “How did you know I’m Eve?” I hadn’t shown him my apple.
“I asked around. We’re going to have a drink.” He wasn’t asking. Pushing the other beer in my hand, he winked and cracked his glass against mine. “Holler and swaller.”
“I don’t believe in fate,” I said as I gave in and crashed my glass against his. I threw back the beer like I knew what I was doing. Boy, how I needed a drink of something, but I didn’t drink. Only twenty years old and having my license to serve open alcohol, I tried my best to follow Grady’s rules at the bar even though the other girls my age didn’t. From the smell of it, I never thought I’d like the taste of beer, but the ice-cold Oktoberfest hit the spot. I almost chugged the whole damned thing.
“I don’t believe in fate either. Well, I didn’t until I saw you.”
What a line? I about choked on my beer.
The dark angel watched me, smirking. “What happened to your hand?”
Glancing at it, I noticed the blood seeping through the bandage. I’d have to change it soon. “Oh, this. Knife accident.” I told myself to ask him something back.Come on, Eve. Don’t blow this!“You’re some sort of what? Fallen Angel?”
“Yes, that’s the costume. But the name’s Hallow.”
“You’ve got to be shitting me.”
“Nah. Everyone calls me Hallow.”
“Hallow,” I said the word again and thought about its meaning. It meant holy, saintly, virtuous. My eyes squinted. “You religious or something?”
“No. Far from it.” He chuckled like that was a ridiculous notion. “Are you?”
“Maybe a little.” My head fell sideways, and my hand went to my hip. “How’d you get that name then?”
“Let’s just say I’ve fallen far from grace. How low can you go, some asked me. It turned into Hallow. What can I say, my friends are assholes.”
“Sounds like it.”
“What’s your name?”
We didn’t wear name tags, and I usually didn’t tell patrons my name. But Hallow was something else. My guard slipped down. The simper on my face burned my cheeks. “I’m Eve.”
“I mean, your real name?”
On second thought, I decided not to tell him that Eve was my real name. I mustered some defenses. “What’s your real name?” Hallow was clearly a nickname.
“Eve’s a nice name.”
I noticed he’d changed the subject fast. A guy dressed in a full-on bedazzled Elvis costume joined Hallow, the dark angel, and I changed my mind about Hallow winning a costume contest. Elvis was alive and, in the building, albeit in his aged and overweight state. Hallow put his arm around this Elvis. “This here’s my buddy, Dimple. Dimple, this is Eve.”
Dimple, no, Elvis seized my hand and bent to kiss it. His lips curled against my skin. His pompadour and sideburns were impeccable. My knees wobbled for a different reason this time because the man genuinely resembled the King. I said as much, and he replied, “Thank you. Thank you very much.” He winked at me on his way up.
Past him, I spotted Grady watching me from the bar. I finished my beer in one gulp and made my excuses. “I’ve got to get back to work.” I’d have to go ask for more beers, too.
Hallow stopped me, his warm hand soft on my bicep. “When do you get off work?”
“I’m not sure. When business dies down.” That was the truth. I wasn’t closing so until Celie or Grady cut the floor, I wouldn’t know.
“I’ll be waiting. I’m not leaving without you,” Hallow said as a matter of fact.
I laughed as I walked away. I didn’t know if I was scared or seriously turned on.
