"Nothing." Kates threw an arm around her shoulder and drew her close. "Trust me. I'm going to make you hot. The witch look isn’t attractive. You're going to send the guys running away. You want them to come to you."
And make her hot she did. Brown emerged from our room with skintight jeans and a flashy white camisole. Kates wanted her to wear a black bra underneath, but it was vetoed by everyone else. She matched Kates, who wore skintight white pants and a black camisole. When my roommate disappeared with clothes, I was a little scared she would return with her Target outfit from the last time she had gone out with Kates and me. I was wrong and impressed when she came back in loose-fitting white pants and a conservative black tank. She had a classy look to her now. I frowned at my own closet. Kates would want me to look like a slut. Brown wouldn't care and Emily would vote for something similar to her outfit. I ended up with basic jeans and a pink top that ran around my neck, wrapped around the opposite side and looped together in the back.
Kates whistled when I stepped out of the room. "If only Roane could see you now."
I grinned and then stiffened as I sent a furtive look towards my roommate. Emily went rigid for a moment and then relaxed. Brown started to bounce up and down. "Girls' night out. Girls' night out."
She stopped when Kates grabbed her arm. "Chill, girl."
"Oh, okay." But the stupid smile wasn't wiped clean.
Emily fell in step beside me as the other two led the way. She remained quiet all the way until we got to the bar. We followed the directions the girl from across the hall gave us. After we parked five blocks away and crossed over a park, I caught a glimpse of Barbwire. The entire building looked like an old warehouse with a simple red door in the front. A line of people wrapped around the building. There was nothing glamorous about the place, but as we drew closer, I saw someone in line and groaned.
"What?" Emily looked ahead. "Is that Holly from the hotline?"
My joy for the night was gone.
Holly looked the same. Oval face. Pasty skin. Brown eyes that reminded me of an owl. She looked like a librarian intent on getting drunk. She wore a low cut gray skirt and a white top underneath a matching grey lace vest. When she reached behind and grabbed the arm of a guy, I felt the desire inside of her. Oh yes. The girl was on a mission. Then she looked my way.
And I froze. Adam was with her.
She gasped and a wide smile spread over her face. "Davy?! Is that you?"
Kates asked underneath her breath, "Who's that?"
"She works at the hotline," Emily murmured back.
"Wasn’t the that got killed from there too?"
"What?" Brown gasped.
Holly darted our way. Her hand was still attached to Adam's arm and he looked like he had seen a ghost.
Holly clapped her hands together. "How are you, Davy? You never showed up again to cover Adam's shifts. Adam, aren't you going to say hello?"
"Hi, Davy." His eyes darted behind my shoulder.
When he tensed, I knew he had recognized Kates. Then she jostled forward and threw out an arm. "How's it going? I'm Kates, Davy's best friend. Hi, Adam. Remember me?"
He froze. Even his eyes didn't blink.
Holly bright smile dimmed a bit and she glanced to her date. “Hi, I'm Holly. You know Davy?"
"Best friends. Childhood." Kates threw an arm around my shoulder. Her smile was easy, but her eyes were pinned on Adam.
"Oh. That's great."
Then Brown burst forward. "I'm Sarah, but you can call me Sarah. I'm a witch. What are you?"
Holly's eyes threatened to burst out. "What did you say?"
"I'm a witch. I'm not very powerful. Or, well, I barely have any power, but I will. Someday."
Kates muttered under her breath, "You really need to stop telling people that."
Emily moved forward. "I agree. You need to learn some boundaries."
"Boundaries? But she's a friend of Davy's."