Page 34 of Not Just Gal Pals

That was the opposite of cool.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

JENNY

“Um, is she okay?” I watched Blake walk out of Novel Gossip, bewildered.

Was she regretting the kiss so much she didn’t want to talk to me? I’d hoped we’d be able to behave like adults. Even if it was a mistake, things didn’t need to get awkward between us.

And it was definitely a mistake. A mistake I’d thought a lot about since it happened, reliving the sensation of Blake’s lips against mine, trailing my jaw, teasing my ear. A delicious shiver ran down my spine at the memory, even now.

But things weren’t going any further. They couldn’t. First of all, it was Blake Mitchell, who, despite me warming to her somewhat—okay, a lot—was someone I’d disliked for well over a decade. That was a major red flag, and not one I was going to overlook. Second, I was only looking for a serious, long-term relationship. Getting involved with Blake while I was in Sapphire Springs temporarily was not going to assist that cause. It could only create more awkwardness between us, which would haunt me every time I visited Sapphire Springs and ran into her.

No thank you.

And in any event, I was sure Blake regretted the kiss. We’d gotten carried away on champagne and the high of pulling off the cake replacement. But in the cold light of day, Blake would have realized it was a mistake. She was probably horrified at what had happened.

“Yes, I’m sure she’s fine.” George tugged at the collar of her red-and-white-striped sweater. “I should probably turn down the heating. It’s getting a little warm in here.”

“Okay,” I responded, unconvinced.

I’d been buzzing with nervous excitement all day at the thought of seeing Blake tonight, but it’d been a complete letdown. Not only was her face and body completely obscured by her awful Scream outfit, but she appeared to have reverted back to rude, abrupt Blake. I couldn’t help feeling disappointed.

Dwelling on Blake was doing strange things to my insides, so I changed the subject. “Hey, I was thinking... How would you feel if I posted a photo of the two of us and all your fantastic decorations on Instagram and tagged Novel Gossip? We could even do a short “Where’s Waldo” video for TikTok?”

While I was getting a coffee the other day, George had not so subtly suggested I was more than welcome to use Novel Gossip in any content. She was clearly keen for some publicity, so this posting would kill two birds with one stone. I winced as the very non-animal-friendly phrase appeared in my mind.

George’s eyes lit up. “Sure! That sounds fun. We’ll just need to find someone sober enough to take a decent photo.” She surveyed the raucous crowd, and her smile wavered slightly. “Hmmm. Look, why don’t I go grab Blake? She just arrived, so unless she pre-gamed, we should be able to trust her.”

I paused. I knew from experience that Blake could take a great photo. However, our brief interaction didn't give me the impression Blake wanted to spend any more time with me.

“Okay, if she’s feeling up for it, then that works,” I said hesitantly.

George disappeared out the front door. I stood, waiting, for a couple of minutes. After deciding that either Blake had run away or was embroiled in an argument with George about helping, I walked over to the table of food and helped myself to a spider-web-covered cupcake, which turned out to be a delicious caramel-pumpkin flavor with walnuts. Good lord, George could bake.

I looked around the room for familiar faces. Most of my high school cohort had, like me, fled Sapphire Springs after graduating. And in the past few years, there’d been an influx of people fleeing city life. Those factors, combined with the Halloween outfits, meant I didn’t recognize most of the guests. I wished Amanda was here so I could confide in her about the whole Blake situation, but she was currently gallivanting around Mexico on her honeymoon. Relieved, I spotted Olivia in a Rosie-the-Riveter costume and made my way over to her.

“Hi! I love your outfit! I just wanted to thank you again for the gorgeous flowers. Amanda loved them.”

Olivia smiled, lifting up an arm and pretending to flex her bicep, recreating the classic pose. “Thanks! I love doing weddings, even though I don’t get to do a lot of them. I’m so glad she liked them.”

“I’ll definitely let Miriam know what a great job you did. Hopefully, she can recommend you to some other clients.”

“That would be awesome, thank you!” Olivia grinned, and then turned slightly as something caught her eye. “And here’s my favorite ghoulish sister and the host of this amazing party!”

George and Blake materialized out of nowhere, George gripping Blake’s arm like she was a flight risk.

“Okay, I’ve found our photographer. Let’s get started before things get too rowdy…” A loud crash, caused by Spiderman tripping over Wonder Woman’s handbag, made us all jump. “Um, I mean even more rowdy.”

I handed my phone over to Blake. It was disconcerting not being able to see her face. Despite my thick white Wednesday Addams face paint and dark eye makeup, my face could still betray my feelings. Blake, on the other hand, was a closed book.

George led us to a corner adorned with fake spiderwebs, where we posed in front of a large black tarantula.

Next, we did a video of George “hiding” behind a bookshelf, a bunch of balloons, the table of food, always with her head poking up, and me asking “Where’s Waldo?” A few guests who’d been enjoying George’s punch a little too much ruined a couple of shots, but we got enough footage for me to edit down to what I hoped would be a cute video.

I was just about to take my phone back from Blake when George jumped in front of us and put her hand out. “Why don’t I take a photo of you two, over there.”

Grinning, she ushered us away from the party and down one of the aisles of books. George pulled a book off the shelf, handing it to me as we reached the back of the shop. Apart from the three of us, it was deserted.