I love Halloween! I hope you and yours are enjoying a night of fun, frolic, and spooky goodness–along with lots of sweet treats! What’s your costume this year? I’m still debating between pirate wench, witch, and disco queen.
To close out October, here’s a snippet of Bangers Tavern’s Halloween bash from Sweet Slow Sizzle. Instead of the usual break-up & make-up sequence, Jojo and Lana are driven apart by bad luck and teenage stupidity. As a result, Lana decides she must sacrifice her budding relationship with Jojo to keep her brothers safe.
Of course, Jojo’s not going to give up so easily. In this Halloween party scene, Lana is moping through her very last shift at her beloved Bangers Tavern when Jojo seizes his last chance to make things right.
***
Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” rang out, and tipsy partiers stampeded toward the miniscule dance floor, waving their arms like zombies and nearly knocking Lana off her feet. Jojo lurched forward instinctively, but the DJ had already pulled her up onto the low stage and out of harm’s way. Her gaze skimmed the crowd until it zeroed in on him. The sadness in her eyes stabbed him like a stiletto.
“All done, ladies?” Jojo peeled off his goofy accessories and tried to slide between dancers toward the door, but flying elbows and waving hands poked and pummeled him at every turn. Surrendering to fate, he flattened himself against the window and waited. Again, as if magnetized, his gaze found Lana’s. Aside from the night of their breakup—and of course, that awful period when she lost her parents—he’d never seen her look more miserable. And there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.
Rosie sidled up, her tray propped on her hip. “It’s her last shift. Wish I could convince her to stay, but you know how hard-headed she can be.” She hip-bumped him. “Maybe you’d have better luck?”
He heaved a sigh. “I’m the last person she’ll listen to.”
The dance ended, and Dawn mounted the stage, dressed in her goofiest costume yet, a rainbow unicorn, complete with a sparkly rainbow T-shirt, glittery rainbow tail, furry pink boots, and a hat with a unicorn horn. Her stubby dreadlocks were tipped in pink glitter, too. She grabbed the mic and pumped her fist in the air. “All right, spooky people. Are you ready for tonight’s scary story contest?”
This again? Dawn loved a storytelling contest. On Valentine’s Day, it was a worst first date competition; for Saint Patrick’s Day, dirty limericks; and last Christmas, it was the “best Christmas miracle ever,” a sappy sob fest.
“We’ve got a great prize for the best tale of terror—a water-view room at the Golden Cloud Inn, dinner for two at Anthony’s, and a gift certificate from Magic Leaf Dispensary.” She waggled her eyebrows. “If you can’t have fun with all of that, you’re probably dead. I’ll start the ball rolling.” She rubbed her hands together. “So, when I was a kid, there was this old, abandoned house on 22nd Street.” Off she went, blah, blah, blah, while most of the crowd drifted to their tables.
Lana hopped down and got back to work, her usual sassy strut just a weary trudge. Seeing her so deflated hollowed his chest. And then, an idea tickled. A stupid idea probably, but maybe it would help. He had to do something, or else he’d burst from pent-up sorrow and frustration. And she couldn’t hate him any more than she already did.
Dawn finished her tale to a smattering of applause. “All right, who’s next?” She scanned the crowd with an expectant grin.
His hand shot up. “I’ll go.”
“Jojo!” his divorce-party fan club crowed. Other patrons hooted. Lana’s brow rumpled as she flashed a “What the hell are you up to?” glare.
He jumped onto the stage and took the mic. “So, y’all know I’m a phlebotomist. Kinda like a vampire, right?” Giggles rang out from the crowd. “This is a story about blood—more blood that you’ve ever seen. So if you’re squeamish, maybe plug your ears.”
***
Get your copy of Sweet Slow Sizzle for a last blast of Halloween fun! https://books2read.com/SweetSlowSizzle
