Ever After (Rachel Morgan)

I said, head down and fumbling in my bag as she took them, dabbing at her front until she realized it was useless. Jenks was at the ceiling, and I dumped my bag out to distract her when the napkins hadn’t done it. “I’ve got a card in here somewhere. Send me the bill for your cleaning. Oh, that’s got angora in it, doesn’t it? I can tell.”
    “Seriously, it’s okay,” she said, but she was watching me now, not Jenks in her purse. Hell, everyone was watching me. Ivy and Jenks had helped me stock my bag, and the tampons, diaphragm, jumbo condoms, and fuzzy cuffs that Jenks had picked out were garnering snickers.
    “I am such a klutz,” I said, snatching up the pen Ivy had given me from a Hollows strip joint. I scribbled the downtown bus depot’s address on a matchbook.
    “No, really, it’s okay,” she said, hand up to keep me at arm’s length. Her expression was a mix of disgust and contempt. I was a doofus, and everyone could tell.
    “Please, just take it,” I said, and she finally did just to shut me up. “I must have been half asleep.” My order came up in its bag, and the woman realized she was going to have to go home and change. I could see it in her eyes. Behind her in the parking lot, the top was almost closed. “At least let me pay for your drinks!” I said, reaching out as if I was going to take her arm.
    She backed off fast. “I already paid for them,” she said, bouncy no more. Grimacing, she plucked at her sweater and looked at her watch. “Bill, I gotta go. Forget the coffee.”
    “Catch you tomorrow, Barbie,” one called, and I almost choked. Barbie? Really? Was that legal?
    But the car again had a roof. “Wait! Your coffee!” I exclaimed, taking my own bag of duplicate brew and following her.
    “Look, it’s okay!” the woman said, starting to get angry as she headed for the door. “I have to go home and change. Just forget it, okay? Accidents happen.”
    I hesitated, a forlorn expression on me as she stormed out. Accidents do happen, especially when you plan for them. The chimes jingled merrily, and my eyes fell to my feet. “Well, I tried!” I said to everyone, then darted back to the counter and shoved everything back in my purse.
    Hustling after her, I stiff-armed the door open. She was almost to her car, and she jerked when she saw me. “Really, it’s okay!” she said as if knowing I was going to follow. I almost smiled. My gaze slid to the nearby Dumpster, looking for a leprechaun catching a smoke beside it. Today I might risk accepting a free wish.
    Jenks dropped down, and I fluffed my scarf as he snuggled in. “Hey, you think it’s gotten colder?” I asked him as we click-clacked to her, more to be sure he was watching his temps than any need for conversation.
    Jenks tugged the scarf tighter around himself. “Dropped two degrees since this morning. We’ll be inside tonight.”
    Adrenaline flowed, sweet and beautiful. She was standing at her car, fumbling for her missing keys in her cluttered purse. It was so easy to take someone. Really, it was astounding it didn’t happen more often. She was so frazzled she didn’t even remember the top had been open when she’d gone in.
    “Here, take some money!” I said, arm out to her as I came forward. “I owe you for the drinks.”
    “I said it was okay!” she shouted, clearly pissed. Still no keys in hand, she got in her car, thinking it was safer. The door slammed, and I stood there, tapping on the window. “Leave me the fuck alone!” she shouted, open purse on her lap. “My God, are you trying to pick me up?”
    Ivy sat up from the backseat, a pale arm sliding around her neck. “No, we’re trying to abduct you,” she whispered. “There’s a difference. You’d have more fun if we were trying to pick you up.”
    The woman took a breath to scream, and I tapped on her window, shaking my head.
    “I wouldn’t,” Ivy breathed, her eyes a nice steady brown.
    “Yeah!” Jenks shouted through the glass at her as he hovered at her eye level. “It will only get her excited. You won’t like her if you get her excited.”
    “Unlock the door,” Ivy demanded, and Barbie fumbled for the lock, scared.
    I opened the door, smiling now so she wouldn’t be so frightened, but it kind of backfired. “Slide over,” I said, gesturing. “Go on. You’re skinny. Get in the passenger seat.”
    “Money?” she said, white-faced. “You want money? I don’t have any brimstone. Here, take my purse. Take