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The door swung shut behind her, and I hurried over to the mask rack, grabbing a lacey, hunter green one accented with fiery red gemstones that would go well with my hair. A little thrill of excitement burst through me, chasing all the hesitation away. Why shouldn’t I go out and have a good time tonight?
Before, with Dennis, it had always been an absolute chore planning anything. He rarely wanted to go out, claiming he worked too hard during the day and deserved a relaxing night at home. Which, okay, fair, but he also said the same thing on weekends when he didn’t work. And if I tried to do anything other than a quick lunch date or dinner with Brad or Zoe? It was a battle. Funny, he always accused me of wanting to sneak out on him whenever I went to galas with Brad, and yet he’s the one who was actually cheating.
I cringed at the realization, resolving myself to have the best time tonight simply because I could.
Me: You’re coming to a masquerade party with me tonight.
I fired off the text to Zoe.
Zoe: What? When?
Me: A couple hours.
Zoe: Thanks for the heads up.
Me: I just found out too! Do you need a mask?
Zoe: Already on my way.
I grinned at my phone, pocketing it just as the bell above my door rang again, and a handful of women spilled inside. A few I recognized—like Persephone and Anne—but there were a few others I didn’t know.
“Luna!” Anne called, hurrying over to me. “We need help!”
I laughed, waving all of them over to where I kept the masks. “I got you,” I said, practically beaming as they descended on my store in a feverish way only friends heading out for a night on the town could.
And I couldn’t help it, I loved being a part of it. Sure, I loved the sales that racked up with them buying masks and outfits, but being a part of this community of strong, capable women definitely filled my soul with a much-needed sense of companionship I didn’t know I’d been missing.
I rang everyone up, telling them all I couldn’t wait to see the outfits put together later tonight, and Zoe walked in right as everyone else was heading out.
She chatted with Anne for a few moments. I knew Anne was one of her patients but they kept a professional and friendly vibe outside of her clinic.
“Did they leave anything for me?” she asked as she came finally came inside, her rich brown eyes wide.
I chuckled, pulling out a glittery silver mask from behind the counter. “I saved the best for you,” I said, and she blew out a breath before wrapping me in a hug.
“You’re wonderful,” she said, squeezing me tight before letting me go. “I’m so proud of you.”
“For saving you a mask?” I asked, bagging it without charging her. She tried to protest, but I waved her off. I made the mask and I owned this shop. She was my best friend. Case closed.
“No, for going out tonight. It’s a great step forward in learning what your life looks like outside of him.”
I nodded, grinning at the vicious look she made when she refused to say Dennis’s name. I really had the best friends in the world, and they’re support was doing wonders for my soul.
“I’m just glad you were free tonight,” I said.
“You know I’m free every night,” she said, sighing. “You can thank the string of horrendous dates I’ve been on urging me to never venture out again.”
I laughed. “The last time you went on a date was, what, a year ago?”
“It was that bad!”
“Maybe you’ll meet someone tonight,” I said, waggling my eyebrows at her. “Echo said everyone is going to be there.”
She furrowed her brow. “Who’s everyone?”
“Reapers, both attached and single, I’m sure. Her friends. Us. Other random people all donning masks to hide their identity. The possibilities are endless.”
Zoe shook her head. “I’m not even remotely close to hopping back into that dreaded dating pool.”
“Neither am I,” I said, then pointed to her bag with the mask in it. “But Dr. Casson and Luna Josling aren’t going to this party, are they? With the masks, we can be completely different people. Hell, maybe one of us will have a one-night stand that we can look back on when we’re older, admiring how adventurous we were when we were young.”
Zoe smiled despite herself. “I kind of love this side of you,” she said. “Meet you at your place to get ready?”
“Sounds good,” I said as she headed toward the door. “I’ve got twenty minutes and I’ll close up shop.”
“Love!”
“Love,” I called back as the door swung shut behind her.
Lucid was not only giant, boasting three different stories, a half dozen bars, and private VIP-only rooftop access, but it was packed.
