3
Late Saturday afternoon, Scarlet stood in her bra and underwear making a face at herself in her bedroom mirror, while Heather rummaged around in Scarlet’s closet. Heather had demanded Scarlet “not move” until she found the perfect outfit.
But that was ten minutes ago.
“You know it’s a Kissing Festival, not a Naked Festival, right? I’m gonna have to wear clothes, Heather.” Despite the summer sun setting through her bedroom window, Scarlet shivered.
Heather’s voice came muffled from behind the many clothes Laura had bought Scarlet when she first took custody of her. “Keep your pants on! I’m trying to create a masterpiece here!”
“I would be more than happy to keep my pants on but, oh, that’s right, I don’t have any pants on.”
Heather’s perfectly shadowed eyes and glossy lips poked out from Scarlet’s walk-in closet. “Do you want to look fabulous, or do you want to look like curtains?”
“I want to be warm. At least throw me a bathrobe, or a parka, or a mink coat or something.”
“Oh, honey, I would not be surprised if I found a mink coat in here. Shoot, I wouldn’t be surprised if I found a whole mink in here.” A moment of silence passed as Heather looked within the depths of Scarlet’s ridiculously over-sized closet. She poked her face out again. “What is a mink, anyway? Is it, like, a woodland creature or something?”
Scarlet shot Heather an impatient look. “I have no idea, but I bet a mink could pick out an outfit faster than you.”
Heather disappeared into the sea of clothes again and muttered, “I doubt it. You have more clothes than me. And I earn a paycheck solely to support my shopping habits.”
Heather worked at The Millhouse, a local coffee shop, and hosted a let’s-buy-Heather-more-clothes shopping trip every payday.
Scarlet shivered again and decided to charge into her wardrobe and find her own attire. She padded over to the double-doors of her closet and, literally, ran into Heather.
“Hey-hey! Get back to your mirror.” Heather had her hands full of shirts and shorts and belts and…a swim suit?
Scarlet eyed Heather’s booty. “I’m not wearing a swimsuit.”
“Relax, it’s for me. I’m borrowing it.”
“Ah.” Scarlet nodded. “I see.”
“These,” Heather handed Scarlet a pair of jean shorts and a soft, faded, blue t-shirt, “are for you. I chose blue to match your eyes. You have killer eyes. Okay, the look we’re going for tonight is Cute And Casual.”
Scarlet smiled. “Excellent. You can go home, I know how to do Cute And Casual.”
“No.” Heather shook her head. “No, you don’t. You think you can do Cute And Casual…but I’ve seen you try it and it just comes out looking….” Heather tapped her chin with a shiny fingernail. “Lazy.”
Scarlet huffed. “I am not a lazy dresser. Yesterday, I spent ten minutes picking out my outfit.”
“Yesterday you wore the baggy shirt.”
Scarlet puckered her lips. “Good point.”
Heather rolled her eyes. “That is why I should be here every time you get dressed. I’m talking, first thing in the morning, seven days a week. Even if you’re not going anywhere that day, I should still supervise your outfit choices.”
Scarlet laughed as she climbed into her comfortable shorts and pulled the cozy shirt on. “Okay, you do that.”
Heather bustled about Scarlet’s room, setting up a vanity area to do makeup. “Come, sit down. We have twenty minutes to make you stunning for the Greek god.”
“Please. Gabriel probably won’t be there.”
But, oh, how she hoped he would be. She wanted to hear his voice again.
“Well, then, I’m going to pretty you up for any other Greek gods that might strike up a convo with you while I’m off kissing boys. Now sit down and behave.”
Scarlet played along and sat in front of Heather, who was armed with a makeup brush, a powder tray of some sort, and a no-nonsense attitude. Scarlet tried not to cough or sneeze while powder went all over her face and tickled her nose.
“So,” Heather switched the powder out for eye shadow, “lover boy didn’t give you any details about his life last night. Therefore, our objective tonight is to find out who he is.”
Scarlet tried not to squeeze her eyelids closed as Heather stabbed them with tiny brush bristles.
Heather continued, “You know, get to know the real Gabriel—what did you say his last name was?”
“Archer.”
“Gabriel Archer?” Heather rolled her eyes. “Geez, even his name is hot.” She moved to Scarlet’s lips and started commanding Scarlet to do things like, “Say ahh” and “Make an ‘O’ face” and “Don’t smile.”
“If Gabriel Archer shows up at the Kissing Festival tonight, I’ve got a whole list of questions for him. Starting with: does he have a brother?”
Scarlet rolled her eyes. “You are so boy crazy.”
“And proud of it!” Heather finished with Scarlet’s lips and started messing with her dark hair. Several minutes and lots of tugging later, Heather was finished hair. “Voila! You look beautiful. You are well-dressed and not drape-like. I have succeeded.”
Scarlet looked at herself in the mirror. The makeup was a little much, but her hair and outfit were…cute. “Thanks, Heather.”
“Anytime.” Heather replied. “And when I say ‘anytime’ what I mean is all the time. Like, daily.”
Scarlet shook her head. “Whatever, let’s just go.”
The girls headed to the town center just as night fell.
4
The second night of the festival, Gabriel stood at the edge of the park watching Scarlet and Heather approach the Kiss Walk. The Kiss Walk was basically a giant game of musical chairs, but without the chairs. Like a Cake Walk. But instead of a cake, the winner received free kisses at the kissing booths.
Awesome.
Although the people of Avalon were friendly and sincere, Gabriel wasn’t particularly crazy about the town itself. It was a simple place, quaint and quiet, with low crime rates and high turnouts for community events—obviously—but it was small.
Gabriel preferred his cities big, loud, and bright. Not because he had an appetite for chaos, but because he’d been around the world, and slow-paced life just wasn’t his thing.
Scarlet Jacobs, however, was his thing.
Thanks to the endless crowd of people passing before him, Gabriel was able to watch the girls at the Kiss Walk for a minute without being spotted.
Heather, looking like a 1950s Barbie doll with her blond hair in a ponytail and a pair of tiny red shorts fitted to her body, seemed eager to play; while Scarlet folded her arms and stood off to the side.
Typical Scarlet. So stubborn.
With a smile, Gabriel inhaled and examined her. Even after all these years, she still took his breath away.
Was he a hopeless romantic?
Maybe.
But he didn’t care.
He let his mind wander to a time long ago, when he was constantly surrounded by her laughter and playfulness. A time when she would tease him and run her hands through his hair.
A better time than now.
Scarlet and Tristan were affected by the curse, but the curse itself was directed at Gabriel. He was cursed to be without love.
He could never love or be loved by anyone other than Scarlet. Which wouldn’t be so bad—if she wasn’t doomed to die. In fact, loving Scarlet for the rest of his life sounded like heaven.
If only he could keep her alive….
The curse needed to be broken.