“Hey…”
The guys stood around the table now, staring down at us curiously. Or more specifically, wondering why my witch’s hat was now resting on Louden’s head.
“Is this guy bothering you?” asked Roman.
Louden laughed, so long and so loud that half the people in the diner turned to stare. The guys just looked at each other, in total confusion. Their next move was to look at me.
“I— I—”
Louden slid from the seat, moving with his usual snake-like efficiency. Putting on his brightest, fakest smile, he jovially extended one hand.
“I’m sorry, Savannah here has no manners!” He threw me a sideways glance as he smeared my name. “The name’s Louden. I’m one of her… friends.”
The guys hesitated for a moment, sensing something was off. One by one, they shook his hand anyway.
“Actually I’m the ex-boyfriend,” Louden admitted with a sigh. “But that’s my fault.” He shrugged theatrically. “You know how it is. You never truly know the good ones until you let them get away.”
Once again, he shot me a dirty look as he emphasized those last two words. It happened so fast, I wondered if the others even saw it.
“Your ex-boyfriend, huh?” said Erik, weighing the statement. "All the way up here. In Salem.”
“Yeah,” Zane jumped in. “What are you doing all the way up here anyway?”
Louden slipped on a mask of surprise. “What? She didn’t tell you?”
“No,” said Roman, shifting his weight from one leg to the other.
“She invited me.”
Now the guys glanced to me, waiting on an answer. Looking for me to clear this up, or somehow explain it. My heart was hammering so hard, it felt like it would come out of my chest.
“She called me earlier in the week,” Louden went on. “Told me to come up. She said we had some things to talk about…”
“Is that right?” asked Erik.
“Yes,” Louden smiled. “That’s exactly right.”
The guys were poised defensively now, hands on their hips, arms folded across their chests. But Louden stood his ground. He smirked back at them, looking casual and comfortable. Not in the least bit intimidated by them.
“I don’t want to interrupt your celebration, though,” said Louden, “so I’ll take off. Leave you to your little… costume party.”
He flicked the brim of the hat with two fingers, then looked the guys up and down. His mouth twisted into a sneer of derision. I wanted to punch his teeth out.
“I’ll come by tomorrow,” said Louden, addressing me directly. “At the shop, of course. What’d you name it? The All-Seeing Eye?”
My fear was fading, and anger was seeping in to take its place. I said nothing, though. I didn’t dare.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s it.”
Moving swiftly and suddenly, Louden took the hat from his head and fitted it back upon mine. As he did, he leaned in just close enough to hiss part of a sentence into my ear:
“You’d better bring it…”
My jaw was clenching and unclenching.
“Nice to meet y’all,” said Louden, over-playing his accent. “And have fun tonight!”
His grin was a thousand teeth. He kept it plastered across his face, all the way to the door. And for his entire walk to the exit, the guys watched him.