Cupid's Incorporated {Completed}

Cupid's Incorporated - Chapter Twenty

I looked down at my list as I waited in the car, people passing by my window at hurried rates.

1.               Costume shop.

2.               Party-planning store.

3.               Magic store

I sighed and hopped out of my car, making my way towards the costume shop.

The plan was simple. Not only would we make this a terrible date, but we would also make Henry look as terrible as we possibly could. Shed him in the worst possible light.

I entered the store and immediately flagged Ashton, who was fingering a Grim Reaper’s cloak with a frown on his face, rubbing the cotton between his thumb and forefinger with creased eyebrows.

We had decided it would be easier to meet up in the stores in case someone we knew found us. That way it would seem we had come alone and simply run into each other. Not that I would have any legitimate excuse for what we were doing in a costume shop, anyways.

Maybe it was paranoid, but we were just taking precautions.

“Can I help you?” someone asked, and I looked down to see a girl of about sixteen staring up at us. I knew she went to my school and she was a sophomore, and I was pretty sure her name was Anna. I think her dad owned the store. She had curling brunette hair, high, delicate cheekbones and sculpted jade eyes.

“Hey, my friend and I need costumes,” I said, gesturing to Ashton.

She looked between us, and seemed flustered when she met Ashton's cool brown eyes. “Um, sure. Can I ask why?”

“Well, let’s just say that we have a certain party we need to attend, and it’s a costume party.”

She nodded in understanding, her curls bouncing around her dainty shoulders. “OK. Well, then I have exactly what you need.”

I smiled a little, glad it was easy. I thought we could trust Anna. I didn’t think she’d tell anyone. Who was there to tell? Who would really care about  a normal girl and a guy from Dayton? “You do?”

She snorted. “Please. We have everything here. What exactly do you need?”

Ashton spoke up for the first time, and I think Anna had barely noticed him until he spoke up. When her eyes travelled to him, she seemed almost bedazzled by him. It was quite funny to watch, yet I couldn't stop my fists from clenching when I saw her hungry gaze give him a quick - and satisfied - once-over.

“Well, you see, we need to look completely different. As in, like brand new people. Can you do that for us?”

She grinned at him, seeming more than happy to oblige. She clicked a finger at us and gestured to the backroom. “You're in luck. I have just the thing.”

~         *        ~

Next stop was the party-planning store. Once again Ashton and I met up inside, and looked through banners, balloons, posters and other random paraphernalia scattered about like debris from a plane crash.

After searching through the entire store, filled with glitery hats and large bow-ties and squirty flowers and the like, I turned to Ashton. “It’s not here.”

He rubbed my shoulder soothingly, his eyes skirting around in a frustrated manner. “It’s OK. We’ll find it.”

I sighed, and kept up the search. After searching the store again, I rubbed my temple where a headache was forming behind my eye, and walked over to an employee. I tugged on their sleeve politely, and she tore her gaze away from the paperback she was currently immersed in.

The young woman turned around with a bright smile. “Yes?”

“Hey, look we’re trying to find some masks and other party stuff, but we can’t find it in the store. Do you guys have it, or…?”

She smiled. “It’s not in the front room.” She nodded to a door with a neon sign on it and smiled. “It’s in there.”

I grabbed Ashton’s hand and ignored the sparks that ran through it, leading him over to the door and opening it.

The room was dark, but lasers lit up the room, like colourful strobe lights. I walked in and looked around. It had exactly what we were looking for. Tiny glow-in-the-dark stars dotted the walls, and it seemed dark, but colourful - if that makes sense - and I couldn't help but admire how pretty it was.

I smiled as I found exactly what we were looking for, and grabbed the masks, as well as the other things we needed, and put them all in the basket supplied by the store, excitement coursing through my veins. We were gonna do this! This was gonna be epic.

After paying for the ingredients, we made our way out of the store with smiles on our faces, and separated towards our different cars. I dumped my bags next to the ones from the costume store and pulled out of my spot in the parking-lot towards my final destination.

When I pulled up to the magic store, I walked in with Ashton, and resisted the urge to grab his hand. I briefly wondered if he was thinking about grabbing my hand, too.

An older man was by the counter and he smiled at us. “Hello, kids. Welcome to Manny’s Magic. How can I help you two?”

I smiled at the elderly man with wispy grey hair and handed him the list I had compiled of all the things I needed.

He read it and then looked at us, looking out of place and completely puzzled. “This is a strange list of things you need. What exactly have you guys got planned?”

My heart started beating loudly in my chest. There was no way he could know the real reason, but I hadn’t really thought of any lies if someone asked.

“Oh, it’s just a little gag, sir,” Ashton lied smoothly, giving him a charming, innocent smile that melted even my heart. “Don’t worry, nobody’s gonna get hurt.”

He glanced between us suspiciously, but then seemed satisfied with us. Plus, the fact that we would be paying a lot for these things probably didn't hurt our case either.

He shuffled off and started collecting the ingredients we needed, and I watched him put them in a plastic bag with a dry throat.

What if this didn’t work? I’ll admit, it was a tricky, tedious plan. If something went wrong, it would create a ripple; a domino effect.

Well, I guess now is the time that we hope for the best.

~       *       ~

I know it's a short chapter, but I promise next chapter will be longer. Please vote, fan and comment!

 

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