Lexie's Choice

Scene 6

BRENT AND I WERE JUST BITING into thick, juicy burgers at BurgerTown, when Claire and Roddy slid into the booth beside us. I chewed as fast as I could and swallowed before asking, "Oh my gawd, Claire! Are you okay? What happened?"

She scowled and shrugged. "Just some administrative mumbo-jumbo. Evidently giving faery gifts to mortals is more complicated than I thought." She exchanged a meaningful glance with Roddy and sighed. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure I'll get to tell you the gory details eventually."

I frowned at my burger. "If it's going to get you in trouble, Claire, just give back the dress. I'm sure I can find something at the mall."

Claire's face blazed red, the most color I'd ever seen on my unusually pale-skinned friend. "Absolutely not. Look, Lex, we're already in this whether we give the dress back or not. If we're gonna pay the price, we might as well enjoy the reward."

I didn't like the sound of that. I'd heard too much about faery justice...or lack thereof. "What price?"

Claire scowled, opened her mouth, closed it again, and glanced helplessly at Roddy.

Roddy studied Claire's face before turning to me. "I wasn't there, Lexie, but from what Claire has said, and more importantly, what she hasn't, I'm guessing the king laid a geas on her. Whatever it is, I'm sure we'll find out eventually."

I stabbed a fry into a puddle of ketchup and bit it viciously. Being poor sucked! All this trouble just because I couldn't afford to buy a nice dress for prom. I pushed my plate toward Claire. "Have a fry. They're really good if you imagine they're faery idiots."

Claire giggled, but worry flickered around her eyes.

After lunch, we went our separate ways. Brent needed to spend some time with his folks. Empty nest syndrome hit them hard when he headed to college in Seattle. I missed him too, of course, but we spent long hours on Skype while we both did our homework. Somehow, I doubt he called his mom as regularly.

Claire was busy for the afternoon too. She'd promised to watch the twins so her mom and dad could take in a matinee movie. And even though I wouldn't hang with Roddy without Claire, he had to return to Faery. Being a faery prince had its own set of responsibilities, quite apart from my best friend.

So, I was on my own with free time to spare. What would I do with a glorious spring afternoon? The mall? Nah. Too depressing. Filled with stuff I couldn't afford even if I wanted it. A movie? By myself? Please!

I could go home and help out with the laundry, but I'd worked hard all week, I deserved a break. Sunshine, flowers, time to smell them. That was what I wanted.

I grabbed my shoulder bag and headed to the used book store. I'd splurge on a second-hand novel and drive out to Big Vista Lake. I could sun, read, and enjoy the decadence of time alone. Yep. That was my plan, and I was sticking to it.

As I paid for my paperback, a romance novel with a kissing couple on the cover, a familiar figure approached the counter. I stared in disbelief at the gorgeous guy who'd flirted with me that morning.

"Are you following me?" I blurted before my brain engaged. My cheeks flamed at my audacity. Why in the world would a guy as heart-poundingly handsome as him be following me? I turned back to the cashier, accepted my change, and mumbled, "Sorry."

The guy laughed. "Of course I'm following you. You'd follow her, wouldn't you?" he asked the guy behind the counter.

The old guy gave a sallow smile and a quick nod.

I grabbed my book and escaped out the door, before the situation could get any more mortifying.

"Hey! Wait a minute," the guy called, following me into the bright spring sunshine. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you. I saw you through the window and decided to take a chance. Want to show me around now?"