Full Moon (4 page)

Grace pointed
to a burnt red colored door on the other side of the living room.
“That’s Caleb’s office.”

The room fell
silent at the mention of his name. The butterflies in my tummy
started dancing again. I’d never met the guy, so why should I be
nervous about his office?

“
He’s out this evening.” Sarah stared at Grace. “A meeting out
of town.”

The butterflies settled a little, or maybe one managed to
escape. I clenched my teeth together.
Urrgghh…I hated being nervous
.

“
Is it okay if we watch a movie in here? If you’ve got work to
do…” Grace spoke oblivious to my inner battle.

“
Go ahead. I’m going to clean the kitchen then run some
errands.” As she stood, a beautiful silver pendant caught my eye. I
leaned slightly closer to see the detail but never got the chance.
Sarah tucked it inside her blouse.

We settled in
to watch the movie. I didn’t remember half of it; my mind kept
wandering back to the boy upstairs.

When it
finished we both stretched and headed to the hall. “I’d better get
you home. Heaven forbid I get you in trouble.”

I laughed.
“You won’t. Jim and Sally aren’t much bothered when I come or go.”
I sighed when I realized I didn’t have my key. “Shoot! I left my
purse upstairs.” I pictured it where I’d dropped it in her closest
on one of the shelves. “Just let me run up and grab it.”

“
I’m gonna grab a bottle of water. Want one too?” Grace turned
back towards the living room and the kitchen beyond.

“
Sure.” I darted up the stairs two at a time, counting my
steps. I sneaked a quick peek down the empty, door-closed
hall.

My purse lay right where I’d left it. Head down I checked for
my keys as I ran out of Grace’s room. I glanced up in time to bump
straight into someone’s chest.
Michael’s.
His hands reached for my
elbows. I froze. He smelled so good – husky, masculine and
something that made me want to close my eyes and inhale so deeply
the scent saturated my lungs.

It took all my
willpower to step back. Why he didn’t move away first skittered
across my mind.

“
Sorry,” I whispered. “Didn’t see you.”

“
It’s fine.” His voice came out husky.

“
Did you find it?” Grace called out from the bottom of the
stairs.

Michael
flinched and dropped his hands. He stepped aside to let me by.
“Sorry.”

For bumping into me? Or for earlier?
I had no idea.

“
Good night, Rouge,” he spoke quietly. The way he said my
name, I would have done anything he wanted. No one had ever put
that much meaning into one little word.

Chapter
4

“
Folklore.” Something about the cover made me stop working.
The leather was warm in my hands, even when all the other books
were cool from being in storage.

It was
Saturday morning. I’d gotten a job at The Eclectic Bookstore. Liza,
my new boss, asked me to sort through inventory which needed
filing. Liza had a natural Goth appearance and couldn’t be older
than thirty.

The store sold
new and old stuff. She handed me a cardboard box of books and asked
me to enter the bar codes into the computer or create titles in her
system if they didn’t have an ISBN number. Not as confusing as it
sounded. Once I typed in the number, the title would show up and if
it didn’t I just entered the title and author, her computer did the
rest. It wasn’t the most exciting job, but at least I’d have
spending money and hopefully be able to put a bit away for after
graduation.

Halfway
through, I’d found the leather book.

Everything
around me melted away, except the raised contours of some kind of
beasty animal on the cover. So lifelike I wondered if it’d been
hand drawn from a photo instead of being some made-up creature.
Gingerly, afraid I might crack the leather, I opened the front
cover and checked for a date. Apparently it had been written
pre-copyright days. I flipped through, my fingers running across
thick parchment and ink blotted pages. A noise inside the shop
snapped me out of my reverie. I set it aside, figuring I’d ask Liza
how much it cost.

The rest of
the morning I spent sorting and stocking books. They all seemed to
cover stories about witches, warlocks and other immortal legends.
Liza had mentioned she loved old fairy tales and their history. She
dressed the part and seemed to have that eerie, far-away thought
and conversation process. She had the personality to suit it as
well. I loved it.

When we
finished mid-afternoon, she picked up the leather book I’d set
aside. “Interested?”

I shrugged.
“It looks old.”

She tossed it
at me. “Keep it. A bonus for your first day.”

Catching it
like a football, I hugged it to my chest. “You sure? I can pay for
it.”

Shaking her
head, she laughed. “It’s okay to accept a freebie once and a while.
Trust me, it always feels better to give than to receive.”

“
Except if you give everything away, you’ll go broke.” I tried
to stop a grin but it managed to escape. “Thanks. See you later.” I
stuffed the book into my backpack and headed out the front
door.

After the
dimness of the shop, the bright sun blinded me. I squinted against
its glare. Slipping my other arm through the backpack strap I froze
momentarily when a car sped behind me. I jumped to the other side
of the sidewalk when it screeched against the curb.

“
What the –”

Grace’s little
Smartcar stopped within inches of my feet.

“
Need a lift?” The fuzzy dice still swung from her crazy
driving.

“
You’re nuts!” I pounded my chest, trying to restart my
heart.

She chuckled
and grinned. “You’re fine. I stopped in plenty of time.” She revved
the sewing machine engine. “You heading somewhere or all
finished?”

I opened the
passenger door and got in. “I started a part-time job today.”

“
At The Eclectic Bookstore?”

“
Yeah, how’d you know?”

“
I saw you leave the store and swung the car around. Ready for
tonight?”

“
Sure. Just need to grab my stuff.”

We drove to my
place. Once there, she played with the car keys and glanced towards
the house.

“
I’ll just run in and grab my stuff.” I opened the passenger
door and tossed my backpack in the back. I dashed inside, thankful
Jim and Sally weren’t home to question me. I left a note on the
fridge: “Sleeping at a new classmate’s. Text my cell if you need
me.” Throwing my already packed bag over my shoulder, I was out
again in less than three minutes.

Grace leaned
across the seat and swung the car door open for me. I tossed my bag
with my backpack and then jumped in. “Ready.”

“
Awesome. Let’s get outta here.”

At her house
we went straight to her room. Grace ran down and grabbed a fruit
tray so we could snack, chill on her bed and listen to music.

“
I wonder what the weather’s supposed to be like tonight.” I
glanced out the window toward the clear blue sky.

Grace jumped
off the bed and strolled to the closet. “Cloudy by the lake. It’ll
be cool, but I’ve got the perfect scarf for you.”

“
Do you know the forecast after the weekend?” I
joked.

“
It’ll be nice, not too sunny, typical weather for the
beginning of September.”

“
Thanks, weather woman.” I laughed. “Didn’t know you were such
of fan.”

She smiled. “I
like to be able to coordinate my outfits to match the temperature
outside.” Making a face, she tossed a scarf at me.

“
Fair enough. Where’s the rest of your family?” I tried not to
sound like I cared if her brother was home.

“
Caleb and Michael are probably working, and Sarah’s getting
some groceries. She’s very excited you’re sleeping
over.”

“
What does Caleb do?”
Rob banks? The
house was freakin’ huge.

“
He’s…uh…He’s head of a big, important company…uh…dealing with
medical stuff.” She disappeared back into the closet.

At least the
guy had a job. I had no intention of prying as I knew the feeling
too well. “What’re you wearing tonight?” The perfect question to
entertain Grace.

“
I went shopping today. Got an amethyst colored top and black
skinny jeans.” She came out dressed in new clothes. Her pants
enveloped her toned legs and the top was glued to her skin in all
the right places. Even the color of the fabric made her skin glow.
I wished I could look like that. An outfit hung neatly over her
arm. “Here’s yours.”

“
I took the clothes held out to me, catching the price on a
silver tank top and awesome matching black half-jacket. It was over
a hundred bucks. I’d have to work three weeks to afford it. “You
bought me stuff? I thought I was just going to borrow something to
wear. I’ll have to pay you back.”

“
You won’t. It’s a gift and it’d be rude if you didn’t accept
it.” The corners of her mouth twitched like a playful kitten’s and
her eyes sparkled.

“
That’s not the point.” I didn’t know how to explain I didn’t
want hand outs.

“
Please. I wanted to.” She signed. “I promise I won’t do it
again.”

Far from an
expert in gift receiving, I did know what to do or say.

My silence
must have been an okay for her. She grinned. “Just check the sizes
and ignore the prices tags.”

I slipped on
the pants and top, somehow not surprised she’d guessed my size
perfectly.

“
Full-length mirrors in the closet.” She followed close behind
as I went to the mirrors. “Hey, cool birthmark.” She lightly
touched the bottom corner of my left scapula. “It looks like some
kinda shape.”

I’d never paid
much attention to it. As a kid I wondered if my birthmother noticed
it when, or if, she ever held me. I reached behind, pulling the
top’s strap to try and cover it. “It’s in one of those awkward
spots. I can’t really see it.” I stared at my strange, but pretty,
reflection in the mirror.

“
You look great.” Grace beamed from behind me in the mirror’s
reflection.

I’d personally
never bought something in this style, but Grace had taste. The
outfit made my long skinny arms and legs look muscular and sexy.
Turning sideways, I checked to see how the pants fit my butt. I
actually had one in them. “I owe you big time.”

I searched the
mirror for her face. Focussing past her, my breath caught as I
noticed Michael behind her, leaning against the closet doorframe.
He’d slipped quietly into the room unnoticed. He stared at me in
the mirror, his eyes bright, but his expression closed off when his
gaze met mine.

He cleared his
throat. “You, uh, you’re…pretty.”

“
Oh no you don’t!” Grace shouted at him, waving her hands
wildly in his direction. “She’s coming out with
me
tonight. If you want to hang out
with Rouge, you ask her out when she’s available. After tonight, I
don’t think that’s going to be for a very long time. You might as
well get in line!”

Michael
frowned, deep lines etched in his forehead. They quickly
disappeared when he smirked. “No probs. Caleb asked me to drop you
two off and pick you up.”

Why?
The strange, secretive look
that passed between them kept me silent.

Grace leaned
forward and pulled the price tags off of my clothes. “Caleb just
worries.” She turned to Michael. “If you’re driving, you aren’t
planning on staying, are you?”

“
Not really.” His eyes flitted back and forth as he looked at
Grace. “Just let me know should you need me.”

Was I somehow
missing part of the conversation?

“
Fine, then.” Grace cleared her throat. “Shall we
go?”

Outside, we
walked single file toward the parked cars. Grace climbed into the
back of a Mustang and pulled the seat back so I had no choice but
to sit in the front.

I scowled at
her. I was nervous and had no skills around guys. I’d be better
hiding out in the back, listening and pretending to participate in
the conversation.

Michael must
have caught my expression because he chuckled as he got into the
driver’s seat. Nervous, I plopped down in the seat beside him and
fumbled with the seat belt. He reached over and took it from me to
click it in. I let out a small gasp as our hands touched. His hand
went from ice cold to searing hot.

A current of
hot and cold seared up my arm, all the way to my shoulder. My free
hand instinctly went to my shoulder. I rubbed it. The weirdest hot
and cold sensations assaulted my palm.

Grace
chattered the entire ride out to the park. I kept trying to listen,
but Michael’s close proximity made it impossible to
concentrate.

“
Rouge?” Grace tapped my shoulder, making me jump. “Are you
going to get out or just stay in the car?”

I glanced out
the window. We’d parked along a line of trees with a sandy beach
off to the right. “Sorry.” I fumbled with the catch in my seat
belt, trying to get out as fast as I could, heat burning my face
and neck.

Michael got
out and held his seat back forward so Grace could crawl out, their
heads bent close, talking quietly. His face was etched with
concern, but I couldn’t miss Grace mutter, “I can take care of
myself -- and Rouge.”