Eye Candy

Elbows resting on the bar, I stare at the bottle of tequila on the shelf in front of me as Monster Mash plays through the speakers overhead.

“Jesus. Is this song on repeat or something?” Reed asks Beth when she emerges from the kitchen. “This is like, the seventh time I’ve heard it in the past hour.”

Beth stops in front of me and smiles, wearing her gumball machine costume.

It’s basically just a white shirt with colored circles drawn in a cluster over her stomach. It’s simple, especially considering the shit I see women wearing when I typically work Halloween night, but there’s no doubt about what she’s trying to pull off.

Looking to Reed when he stops at the stool next to where I’m standing and plants himself in it, Beth explains, “It was the only Halloween playlist I could find on Spotify. There aren’t that many songs on it. In fact, there aren’t a lot of Halloween songs in general. I was pretty limited.”

“Just hand Reed a mic. That’ll be terrifying enough,” I joke.

Reed shoots me a glare. “I’ve been told my voice is fucking poetic. Don’t hate, Tully. Oh, wait. I get it.” He smirks then, slapping me on the shoulder. “You got a lot on your mind right now. On edge a little, are we? How are you not fucking drinking yet? Sweetheart, hook the man up.”

I shake my head.

He runs his mouth way too fucking much. I gotta remember that next time I feel like sharing shit.

“What do you want? Beer?” Beth asks me.

“Tequila.”

“Fuck yeah.” Reed rubs his hands together. “Line ’em up! I’m getting hammered.”

The door opens and catches my eye. I watch a group of people walk in, recognizing them from hanging around here now and again but not knowing them personally. So I don’t linger.

“What’s got you so fucking giddy?” I ask Reed, turning back around.

He opens his mouth to give me some obnoxious answer, I’m sure of it, but Danny’s voice cuts him off.

“Why the hell was there rope hanging from the ceiling in the storage room?” he asks, stopping behind the bar and looking to Beth. “Did Hattie put that in there? I didn’t see it yesterday.”

“Ah, Christ,” Reed grumbles under his breath.

“Um . . . I think that’s always been there,” Beth says, her eyes jumping from Danny to Reed and back again, voice an octave higher than it usually is. “Right? I’m sure I’ve seen it a million times. It’s always there. You just miss it when you go in.”

“I don’t think so,” Danny returns.

“Maybe a ghost put it there,” Reed throws out, clearing this throat when Danny cuts him a look.

“Oooh, yes!” Beth nearly drops the bottle of tequila when she jumps an inch off the ground. “I bet that’s what happened! This place is probably haunted. I’m sure we’ll be finding rope everywhere around here for weeks.”

“Yeah?” Reed asks, looking to Beth with his brows raised, like he actually believes this shit, or at least hopes it’s really happening.

What the fuck is going on?

Danny stares at Beth for another second before shaking his head. “Well, I left it there, for the ghost to get it.” He cuts his eyes to Reed. “And I’m expecting it to be handled before my mind goes to places I’d really prefer it didn’t. Am I being understood?”

“Loud and clear,” Reed replies, getting to his feet. “I’ll just save us all the trouble and get that taken care of. You can thank me with free drinks all night. I’d appreciate it.”

Danny doesn’t respond.

“Or not. That’s cool. I brought my wallet.”

Reed disappears around the corner while Danny serves the group of people who just walked in. They step up to the far end of the bar, and when Hattie makes her way over wearing her Greek goddess costume, she gives Danny a hug from behind and asks the group if they want anything from the kitchen.

I watch Beth line up four shot glasses in front of me.

“You getting in on this?” I tease, pointing at the row.

“Oh, yeah,” she giggles. “And then I’m going outside and smoking a whole pack of cigarettes before I go off-roading in Reed’s truck, without wearing my harness.”

“Now, Beth. Is that smart? We all know your truck is a helluva lot nicer to drive than Reed’s.”

She tips her chin up, looking proud before focusing her attention on pouring the tequila.

“Stop flirting with my woman,” Reed says, reclaiming his seat.

My brows shoot up when he sets the rope on the bar. “Should I even ask?”

“Probably not.”

“Yo!” Tessa’s voice turns my head, grabbing everyone else’s attention in the process, I’m sure. Wearing a devil’s costume equipped with a pitchfork and horns, she strolls over with Luke at her side. “Ooh. Are we doing shots, kids?”

“If there was ever a costume more fitting for someone,” Reed comments.

“No shit,” I add.

Tessa flips us both off, and leans her pitchfork against a stool. “Fuck. Off. Before I drag you both back to hell with me. I wear this every year.”

“You could just punch ’em,” Luke suggests, meeting my eyes and then explaining to the group, “She knocked out this kid at Weber’s. Solid right hook.”

“You punched someone?” Beth asks, eyes wide and trained on Tessa.

Tessa shrugs, picking up a shot glass. “Luke did it first.”

“Nice,” I mumble. “I’m guessing you’re both banned from future attractions there.”

“Oh, fuck that. We’re never going back.” Luke picks up a glass. “Bunch of freaks. You should’ve seen this man-baby. Creepy motherfucker. Fuck. I meant to get his real name before we left. I wanted to run him when I get back to work.”

“He wasn’t a pervert,” Tessa says.

“You say that like you know,” he argues. “I’m telling you, babe. Watch. List. Bet money on it.”

Tessa rolls her eyes, then gestures for Reed and myself to grab a shot. “Let’s go. I’m getting shitfaced.”

“Me too. Danny’s onto me.”

I slowly turn my head.

Reed shrugs.

I take his advice and don’t ask questions. That’s just shit I don’t want to know about.

We all clink glasses and shoot the tequila. Tessa coughs. Reed slaps his chest. As Beth goes about pouring us another round, the room fills up more, people in costumes filing in. Some linger on the dance floor while others move to the bar and get served by Danny and Hattie. The booths start filling up.

My eyes wander to the door every other breath, it feels like. I’m watching for Riley.

I always am.

For the past five months, ever since I first laid eyes on Reed’s sister, she’s the only woman I look for.

Reed nudges me, glass raised. We all take our second shot.

“Where’s your girl?” Luke asks me, minutes later.

“School. She’ll be here.” I push the glass in front of Beth. “One more.”

She raises her brow. “You sure?”

I nod, rubbing at my mouth.

“We’re here! We’re here!” Nolan cries out over the music and commotion going on around us.