Mall-O-Ween Mischief Page 2

  “So, what are you going to do?” Lizzy lifted her eyes to Avery. “Team up with him for the contest, or no?”

  The new information from the last few minutes had just upended that entire decision for them. “Well, now I have no idea. I mean, if I pair up with him…does that make it even spookier? Almost like I’m bringing in a ringer.”

  Adim laughed and shook his head. “Or it’s too real-life creepy even for Halloween, and people skip this stop on the crawl altogether out of fear for their lives.”

  “I think that’s a little extreme,” Lizzy told Adim. “It’s not like he’s the murderer.”

  “Technically, they haven’t proven his mom is either,” Avery reminded them both. “I mean, I wouldn’t want to be judged for something Val did, or our parents did. They make their own choices, and so do I.”

  Still scrolling the article, Lizzy paused and turned the camera screen to point it at Avery. “Wait, is this him?”

  At the end of the article was a photograph of Jay and Winter that must have been taken in quite a few years ago as they both looked younger, more innocent than the duo they’d just run into.

  Avery nodded. “Yeah. Jekyll. Or Jay. I kind of like Jekyll better though.”

  “He’s hot,” Lizzy commented, her eyes widening. “That makes him even more suspect.”

  “What? How?” Avery furrowed their brows.

  “Serial killers are always really hot white guys, at least according to every Netflix documentary I’ve seen,” Lizzy continued.

  Adim nodded in agreement. “I mean, hot is subjective, but with a different haircut, young Dahmer could tap this.”

  Avery grimaced. “Good lord, I need friends who don’t spend their free time in the true crime world.”

  “They called us friends,” Adim said, this time looking at Lizzy. “That’s at least two steps up from part-time seasonal employees.”

  “You guys are friends,” Avery insisted. “Hell, that’s how you got the job. You didn’t think I hired you for your workmanship, did you?”

  Adim laughed at that quip and Lizzy just shook her head. “Boss got jokes now.”

  “Go talk to him,” Lizzy encouraged them. “I bet he is probably really sad and lonely. Especially with the holidays coming up. Go tell him he’s welcome in our corner of Yule Heights Shopping Mall!”

  “Wow, you’re quick to presume innocence.” Avery lifted one brow at their friend. “He wasn’t exactly a joy to be around earlier.”

  “Sounds like a classic defense mechanism.” Lizzy was currently in her self-help, pop-psychology reads phase and was diagnosing everyone within a ten-mile radius of different psychological disorders. “What he clearly needs is someone to reach out and help him learn to be more open and vulnerable with others since he’s probably really closed off.”

  “Okay, Dr. Phil,” Adim added. Clearly even he had reached the end of his rope. “Everyone has baggage. Maybe the guy’s just a dick.”

  “Well, he’s a really hot dick.” Lizzy shrugged again. “Plus, Dr. Juarez would want us to be welcoming. He wouldn’t have sold his practice to someone he didn’t think was a stand-up guy.”

  Avery groaned at the subtle guilt trip. “Ugh. That’s true. Dr. Juarez was a true gem. Jekyll might be highly suspect, but if Juarez vouches for him…he can’t be the worst.”

  With that, they flattened their shoulders and took a deep breath. “Okay. I’m going to go talk to him.”

  Both Adim and Lizzy rooted them on, and Avery walked out the front entrance and took a direct right toward where Eye Caramba—or, now, Storm Optical Care—was located caddy corner to Pugs & Kisses. When they got to the front door, however, it didn’t give as they pulled on the handle.

  Avery frowned and glanced through the glass; their hands cupped around their eyes to see more clearly. The inside of the store looked dark, and they didn’t see anyone so they knocked loudly on the glass instead.

  Suddenly, a man’s face appeared on the other side of the glass, inches away from theirs.

  Avery shrieked and jumped backwards just as Jay opened the front door.

  “Christ, why are you screaming?” Jay frowned as he peered out at them. “You act like you just saw a ghost.”

  “Well, you just popped up like a jack in the box,” they countered, huffing defensively. “Or should I say Jekyll-in-the-box?”

  He pushed the door open wider, leaning against it as he crossed his arms over his chest. And, good God, did the man have a chest. Not that Avery was focusing on that. But it was hard not to notice that he had pecs only gifted to someone who spent a lot of time chiseling it out at the gym. “Ha. Never heard that joke before.”

  “Really?” Avery grinned.

  Jay continued to stare; his expression dead faced. “No. Of course I have. I did spend twelve years in public school, you know.”

  They grimaced and nodded. “Yeah, I was wondering how that went for you when you said that was your full name. I can’t imagine kids were super nice about it. That, plus the whole thing with your mom…”

  “What whole thing with my mom?” His eyes narrowed and his relaxed posture suddenly stiffened. He looked like he was about to run…or fight? They weren’t sure which, but it was clear that a button had just been triggered.

  “Oh. Uh, I mean, um…it’s a small town, you know?” They tried to put on a polite smile without actually making eye contact with the man. “People around here talk.”

  “Great, so I guess this is your way of coming over to let me know that I should keep my distance, right? Not taint your reputation with the Calliope Cross’s son cloud.” His arms were somehow even tighter across his chest, like he was hugging himself. Something about the motion seemed less defensive and more…sad.

  Avery couldn’t help but want to reach out and touch his arm, like a small peace offering. His skin was warm beneath their palm, but steely hard. “That’s not what I was going to say at all.”

  Jay glanced down at their hand on his arm, but he didn’t move away. When his eyes returned to theirs, there was something more than fear behind them…something smoldering.

  “I was going to ask if you wanted to join forces for the contest,” Avery heard themselves saying before they’d even made a decision on that topic yet. “Like a joint theme across both of our stores, you know?”

  He frowned, narrowing his eyes just enough to say he clearly didn’t trust the nice gesture. “Why?”

  “Instead of questioning it, how about you just say thank you and we shake hands like two professionals?” Avery pulled their hand back from Jay’s arm and held it out for a shake instead. “Isn’t that what professionals would do?”

  Something softened in his expression now, and there was almost the tiniest twitch of a smile at the corner of his lips. “That would be very professional,” he agreed, taking their hand with one firm shake. “All right. A team. Any specific theme you’re already thinking of?”

  They let go of his hand and shrugged. “I was thinking possessed puppies, but I’m open to collaborating.”

  “Possessed puppies?” Jay’s brows lifted almost to his hair line. “So, you’re the scary decorator type, huh?”

  “I mean, it is Halloween,” Avery pointed out. “The spookiest ones always win the contest.”

  “And terrify children from every asking their parents to adopt a dog from you,” he pointed out.

  Avery paused. “Okay, I hadn’t considered that aspect. Maybe we should go back to the drawing board.”

  “I’m finishing up here, but why don’t I meet you after your shift at the bar on the west end? Alcohol is great at inspiring ideas,” Jay commented. “What’s that bar called again? Lucky Lepers?”

  Avery laughed and shook their head. “The Lucky Leprechaun, you weirdo. But sure, meet you there in an hour?”

  He nodded, then stepped back into his store and let the door close between them.

  “Okay, I guess that means I’m going now,” Avery said, this time mostly to themselves, as they turned and walked back to Pugs & Kisses.

  Thugs & Hisses? Mean Mugs & Disses? There had to be a theme that would be scary enough to win the contest, but also keep their customer base. At least they had the rest of the evening to brainstorm it out over a couple glasses of booze with a ridiculously handsome eye doctor. Not that Avery was interested in said eye doctor. Definitely not, not even a little.

  CHAPTER THREE

  JAY

  This was definitely going to be a mistake. Jay wanted to tell himself that inviting Avery out to drinks after work had been more of a strategic decision for the contest, but he could have just stood there in the doorway of his store and brainstormed a few ideas with them.

  Instead, he’d asked them out for a drink.

  Because all good strategic decision making happened over a glass of alcohol.

  Jay thumbed the edges of the cocktail napkin in front of him, then took an extra-long sip of the old fashioned he had ordered when he first arrived. He glanced at the time on his cell phone screen again—Avery was late.

  “You waiting on someone?” A tall woman with deep red hair came to a stop in front of him on the other side of the bar.

  He barely lifted his gaze—not because he didn’t want to look at this woman, but because he didn’t want to see the way she was looking at him. Pity was a feeling he was all too familiar with from strangers, and it made his insides want to scream.

  “I’m fine. They’ll be here soon.”

  The woman behind the bar shrugged, and there was something gentle about the way she spoke. “All right, but if you need anything, I’m Saoirse. Happy to help, even if it just means a listening ear.”

  She walked away, and Jay stared after her. He wondered what that was like, to be someone who just checked in on strangers. Instead of being the stranger people felt they needed to check in on.

  “You look like you’re ten steps deep into an existential crisis sitting here,” Avery commented as they slid onto the barstool next to him seconds later. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” he commented, sitting up straighter and leaning forward into the bar. “This is just my usual face.”

  “Yikes.”

  He turned to look at them and Avery was smiling wide—they were teasing him. Something about it didn’t spark his defenses, and instead he chuckled. Lightly, but still…he laughed.

  Progress.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” he asked. “I already ordered.”

  “Yeah, sorry I’m running a bit later than I meant to. We had a cricket outbreak.” Avery placed their elbows on the bar top and flagged down Saoirse. “Hey Saoirse, can I get a margarita on the rocks, no salt?”

  Saoirse reached across the bar and squeezed Avery’s hand. “Anything for you.”

  “You know her?” Jay asked once Saoirse had walked away to prepare the drink.

  “Saoirse?” Avery’s brows were scrunched when they turned to look at him. “Everyone knows Saoirse and Nell. They’re like the heart and soul of the entire mall.”

  Jay straightened his mouth and nodded. “Wow. That’s high praise. Hold on…did you say cricket outbreak?”

  Avery nodded as they picked up his glass and sniffed the old fashioned, then took a quick sip. “I’m just going to try it.”

  “Thanks for asking first,” he commented. “Should I be worried about this cricket thing?”

  “Uh, well…” Avery looked like they were trying to skirt a direct answer. “If you happen to find a few stray crickets in your store, that’s my bad.”

  His eyes widened. “A few?”

  “We dropped maybe a hundred, but probably no more than that,” Avery continued. “My employee, Lizzy, was transferring them from the box they were shipped in to the box we display them in. There’s like cardboard paper towel rolls and stuff in there that they cling to so you just transfer it from one to the other.”

  “I’m guessing something went wrong during the transfer?” He could already feel his skin crawling and found himself checking his surroundings for invading crickets.

  Avery grimaced and let out a sigh as Saoirse dropped off the margarita in front of them. “One of the crickets touched Lizzy’s hand so she panicked, dropped the whole roll. It’s very hard to contain crickets once they get loose. I think I got most of them, but…well, you just let me know if you find some.”

  “I’m sure you’ll hear my screaming from next door,” he assured them. “I’m not a bug person.”

  “Really?” Avery prodded his shoulder with a light poke. “Big, muscly guy like you can’t handle a cricket?”

  “Not a cricket. One hundred crickets,” he reminded them. “Who buys crickets anyway?”

  “People who want to feed their snakes, frogs, mice, whatever.” Avery took another long gulp of their margarita. “We don’t just sell pets, but also pets to feed the pets.”

  Jay tried not to laugh at that comment, but a small chuckle escaped. “That is morbid as hell.”

  “The circle of life,” Avery teased, placing their glass back down on their own cocktail napkin. “But, um…about what I said earlier…”

  Jay glanced sideways at Avery, his brow furrowed as he searched his memory. “What did you say?”

  Avery crossed one leg over the other and angled their body to face him. “That stuff I heard about your mom. I mean, this really is a small town. But I’m not trying to judge you or anything. I hope it didn’t come across that way.”

  He looked away, hiding the conflicting emotions that surged through him in that moment. “I’m sure you meant well.”

  “But?” Avery pushed.

  Jay hadn’t planned a follow up to that response, but something about Avery made him want to keep talking. “But, it’s just something I’m used to, I guess. My mother’s story has been so sensationalized. It’s no wonder people follow it.”

  Even saying that felt like sugarcoating the entire experience, but this wasn’t a topic he normally spoke about—to anyone. It wasn’t that it was private—more so that it was the opposite of private. It had been so deeply invaded by the public and law enforcement and everyone he had known back then that it felt…violating. But the way Avery was talking to him didn’t feel that way. Instead of guarded or cautious like he normally felt, Avery sparked a feeling of sadness, or maybe it was vulnerability, in him that felt both really wonderful and truly terrible.

  Strange how emotions can be so painfully comforting all at the same time.

  “Yeah, I get that it must have been sensationalized for the public, but those people aren’t living it,” Avery pointed out, their hand resting on their knee. “I can’t imagine what it must be like for you and Winter—”

  “We don’t need anyone’s pity,” Jay cut them off before taking another long gulp of his drink. “We’re both fine. I mean, well, I’m fine. Winter is a fucking mess half the time.”

  The vulnerability he’d felt a moment ago crawled back behind his shield and felt closed tight.

  Avery grinned at that remark and let out a small chuckle. “Yeah, I’ve heard that, too. But I wasn’t talking about pity.”

  He wanted to change the topic now. It had been enough. Too much, even. “Great, but we really should be planning our decorations instead of this mindless chit chat.”

  A flash of something crossed Avery’s expression—maybe hurt? But then a shield of their own seemed to go up that Jay was all too familiar with. Guilt set in as he realized he might have triggered that in Avery.

  “I mean, it’s not mindless,” he said, trying to walk it backward. “I just…we should probably start brainstorming.”

  Avery nodded, all business as they sipped the last of their drink and motioned to Saoirse for another round. “What is your normal go-to Halloween decor?”

  “I don’t have go-to decor,” he replied. “I can’t remember the last time I’ve decorated anything.”

  “That tracks.” Avery laughed lightly as Saoirse placed two fresh drinks in front of them and took their empty glasses away. “We go all out every year for basically every holiday. Last Halloween we did Zombie Dogs and Cats, and the year before that we did Headless Pets.”

  Jay grimaced. “Christ. You went straight for gruesome.”

  “Yep. I love it, but now that you’ve brought it up, I do think it maybe hurt customer acquisition for a bit. Octobers were a bit slower historically over the last two years.” Avery tapped a finger to their chin. “So, maybe horror and gore aren’t the way to go?”

  “You’re talking to a witch’s son, so I think you already know my answer,” Jay joked.

  Avery’s brows lifted with a small grin. “Oh, so you do have a sense of humor under there somewhere.”

  “What if we did pumpkin and autumn themes,” he suggested, deflecting the compliment. He took a long sip of his second drink and tried to calm the swirling feeling in his stomach at that tiny piece of external validation that Avery had just offered him. “That’s kid-friendly.”

  “That’s so boring, though.” Avery frowned. “There has to be a middle ground somewhere that is family-friendly but still has a little spice to it. Remember, we want to win this contest, and everyone is going to go all out. We need something unique that no one else will think of.”

  They both sat there silently for a few moments as Jay wracked his brain for some ideas.

  “Maybe I should call Winter. This is more her strong suit than mine,” Jay admitted. “Although, I have a feeling she’d struggle with the family-friendly aspect of it.”

  Avery grinned and shook their head. “I’m friends with Summer, her ex-girlfriend. I’ve…I’ve heard things. Again, small town.”

  “The Storms really like to feed the gossip mill, I guess,” Jay postured. “All the more reason why I prefer to stay out of it. The rest of my family shares more than enough to keep everyone entertained. Or horrified, depending on how you look at it.”

  “I’m not horrified,” Avery responded. “I think I just feel…well, maybe sad? But not in a pity kind of way. More so in a compassionate way. Does that make sense?”