I grabbed the last few items off of my desk and dropped them into my tote bag. It wasn't much, but I didn't want to forget anything. Not that I still had a lot of my important things here.
"You're sure we're good to get changed there?" Hazel asked at the entrance to my room, carrying her own bag stuffed with clothing and other accessories.
I rolled my eyes a little as I approached her. "My costume is literally at Jack's. Of course we can get changed there."
"I'm just making sure."
"It's my second home now, so everything I say goes."
"Sure it does," she chuckled and shook her head.
Once I got close enough, she pushed herself back into the hallway. Together, we left our apartment and went downstairs to get to the Uber that would bring us over to Jack's. We had stuck to our original plan, and I still officially lived with Hazel. However, more and more of my stuff was already being left at his place and more and more of my time was spent there.
I entered the apartment with my own key, which I had received the day we had arrived back in LA. Jack thought it was only right that I could come and go as I pleased. At first, it was strange entering by myself. It felt like I was invading his privacy. But, by now, I had gotten used to it.
"We're here!" I shouted out into the apartment as Hazel and I stepped inside.
Jack appeared at his bedroom doorway and struck a pose. His hand was behind his head, his elbow sticking out, one knee hidden behind the wall while the other was slightly bent. He was already wearing his halloween costume for tonight: black jeans, a white button up shirt covered by a black shirt, black chelsea boots, a dark maroon cape, and top it all off, a top hat. It all came together as a magician – a hot magician. At least that's what he was to me.
"Well, don't you look dashing," I grinned, feeling a little mischievous.
"Of course I do," he winked back as he stood up straight again and walked up to us. "I only wear the best costumes."
Once we both got close enough, we shared a kiss. As much as I wanted to deepen it and get more out of it, we weren't alone. So, it was kept to a simple greeting. I still had a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that he was actually my husband now. Every time I saw him, the thought would cross my mind, and I'd feel all warm and giddy inside.
"I think it's time for us to get changed as well then." I stepped past him, aiming for the bedroom that he had just come out of.
Jack nodded. "I'll be in the kitchen making some drinks."
Hazel and I wasted no time and rushed into the bedroom. I closed the door behind us as she dropped her bags onto the bed. For my own costume, I grabbed a brown paper bag from the closet. With my excitement, I could barely wait to slip into what I had gotten. Jack and I had taken quite some time to plan it all out, and the day was finally here.
While Jack was a magician, I was going to be going as his showgirl. And to say my costume was extravagant was an understatement. It was a silver corset bodysuit adorned with sequins, glitter, and feathers cascading down in a wave of moonlight. The matching feathered headpiece was an absolute work of art. I even went against all my principles and wore a pair of heels.
I'd never gone in this direction before for halloween. I could have just as well have dressed up as a Playboy bunny, it would have been the same level of revealing. Usually, I preferred funny costumes.
As Hazel and I changed and did our makeup, we could hear other guests arriving. Occasionally, the doorbell would go, and the chatter coming from the living room became more and more lively.
Hazel had her own pirate costume: a white off-the-shoulder top, a red headband, and black knee high boots. Way less revealing than my costume, but just as hot.
After checking over each other one last time, Hazel and I were ready to make our big entrance. We left the bedroom to join everybody else in the living room. A couple of Jack's friends were around the place, standing around or hanging out on the couch. There were a variety of costumes: vampires, devils, and even somebody dressed up as popcorn.
The moment Jack's eyes fell on me was the most important, though. He trailed off during a conversation and a smile started grazing his lips. There was pure excitement and admiration spread across his face. The conversation he was having didn't matter anymore.
I bounced up to him and did a little twirl.
"Shit!" He gasped, his mouth agape. "You are outperforming me!"
"I'm still your showgirl, though," I smirked and bit my lip a little.
He couldn't help but grin back at me, his eyes telling me all I needed to know. There was a heavy film of desire covering them. If it weren't for all these people here, my costume wouldn't have been on for long. It would have been wasted on the bedroom floor.
"You know, this is the first time I'm in an actual relationship on Halloween," I confessed, once again remembering that I was now married.
Jack frowned, slowly shaking himself out of the trance he was in. "We were a thing last year."
"We were fucking around with each other, not in an actual relationship." I pointed out.
"We weren't just fucking each other."
"Yes, we were."
"Hmm, maybe. But we did see each other on halloween."
I shook my head again. "Only at the end of the night."
"Alright, you win." He raised his hands up in defence and let his inhibitions drop for a second. He kissed me deeply before whispering, "but I still remember every detail of that night."
"Ay! Save the magic tricks for later!" Sarah interrupted after somebody had let her into the apartment.
Her arrival might have broken us apart, but it hadn't broken the tension. That wasn't going to leave us alone throughout the night. It was always going to be looming, waiting for a chance to force us together.
"Sarah, you look amazing!" I gushed. She had dressed up as a forest nymph, fitting her and her personality in every single way.
"What about you? You've done well for yourself as well," she returned the compliment and gave me a knowing look.
Ever since Jack and I became serious, I had gotten more and more confident. And you could definitely tell. Jacie one year ago would have been mortified at the idea of wearing this costume. And now I couldn't feel anything but beautiful, sexy, and hot.
"You guys are the hottest couple here, hands down. By the way, where's the bar?" Sarah added.
Jack pointed her in the direction of the kitchen, where he had been concocting cocktails earlier. Sarah made her way there, leaving us to share some more sneaky comments.
A few drinks were had at Jack's. But that wasn't where we were going to celebrate. There were countless Halloween parties to be found in LA. And that was our ultimate goal. Just past midnight, we decided to leave behind Jack's apartment and hit the town.
Almost everybody on the streets was dressed up in their own creative costumes, hollering at us and we hollered back at them. We ended up at a club that was all too familiar. The music was blasting, lights were flashing, decorations were swinging from the ceiling, and drinks were in a special halloween theme.
With the amount of alcohol already in our bloodstream, the immediate response was to dance along with the song playing. The dance floor became our playground. Hazel, Sarah, and I ended up forming our own little trio while Jack had managed to spark up a conversation with some strangers along with a few of his other friends. I could see him laughing and having a great time with them.
I eventually met him back at the bar, feeling a strange wave of deja vu roll over me.
"Fancy meeting you here," I giggled, feeling that my eyes were struggling to focus on his face.
He smirked back at me and took a step closer. "I think this is what they call fate."
I couldn't help but bite my lip as I stared into his brown eyes. "You know, I haven't been here since..."
"I'll never forget that night."
It was like he had the same spell over me as he did that night on my twenty-first birthday. Back then, he was a stranger I barely met the day before. Now, he was my husband. But he still made me feel exactly the same way as back then.
"Buy me a drink?" I smiled sweetly as I swayed a little.
He chuckled, his hand going to my back to stabilise me. "Maybe you should just go for some water."
I leaned into him, my lips brushing against his ear. "But it's Halloween, Jack. The spookier, the better."
He chuckled, his warm breath tickling the side of my face. "Alright, but I'm officially your designated broomstick tonight. I'll make sure you don't fly away."