At 6:00 PM, the "getting ready" ritual began.
"What is the dress code?" I asked, standing in the hallway.
"Dottie said casual," Wanda mused. "But Dottie's casual is pearls and heels."
"So, smart casual," I translated. "No tie. But a jacket."
"Yes," she agreed. "Come."
She led me upstairs to my room.
She opened my closet.
"This," she said, pulling out the navy chinos. "And the white shirt. No tie. Top button undone."
"Scandalous," I teased.
"And the grey blazer," she added, pulling it out.
She handed the pile to me.
"Go change," she commanded. "I will be in my room."
I changed. I looked in the mirror.
The white shirt was crisp. The blazer fit perfectly.
"Not bad, Spencer," I told myself. "Not bad at all."
I went downstairs to the living room to wait.
Ten minutes later, I heard the door open upstairs.
I looked up.
Wanda was descending the stairs.
She was wearing a dress I hadn't seen before. It was deep forest green… the exact color of the flannel shirt I was wearing earlier. It hugged her waist and flowed down to her knees.
She had done something to her hair. It was half up, held back with a clip, the rest cascading down her back.
I stood up. I couldn't help it.
She reached the bottom of the stairs. She stopped.
"Well?" she asked, turning a little circle. "Is it too much? For a Wednesday?"
I walked over to her. I stopped two feet away.
"You look..." I breathed. "You look absolutely beautiful."
She smiled, a blush rising on her cheeks. "Are you sure? It is not the... lighting?"
"It's not the lighting," I said seriously. "It's you. You make the dress look good."
She stepped closer. She reached out and adjusted my lapel, even though it was straight.
"You look handsome, Aryan," she whispered. "Very handsome."
"We match again," I noted, touching the velvet of her sleeve. "Green."
"We are a set," she said.
Sarah's house was packed.
It seemed the entire neighborhood had squeezed into her living room. The air was thick with chatter and the smell of warm cider.
When we walked in, the room went quiet for a second.
Then, a cheer went up.
"The heroes!"
"They're here!"
Herb came over and shook my hand vigorously. "Doc! Good to see you! How's the hand? Sore from compressions?"
"…recovered," I smiled.
We were ushered to the center of the room. Someone put a drink in my hand. Someone else put a plate of cheese in Wanda's.
"A toast!" Sarah shouted, standing on a chair. "To Aryan and Wanda! For quick thinking and steady hands! To the Spencers!"
'The Spencers.'
I glanced at Wanda. She raised her glass.
"To the neighbors," she corrected gently, but she was smiling.
We drank.
The party fractured into smaller groups. I was pulled into a conversation with Herb and a few other guys about the local football team (which I knew nothing about, but faked brilliantly).
Wanda was swept away by Dottie and the ladies to discuss... whatever ladies discussed. Probably my lack of tie.
I was nodding along to Herb's rant about the referee when I felt a presence.
A group of girls. Three of them. Young. Very... sparkly.
They surrounded me.
"Hi," the leader said. She had dark hair and a smile that was a little too practiced. "I'm Jessica. We saw you at the park. You were... intense."
"I was doing my job," I said politely, taking a sip of my drink.
"You're a doctor?" the second girl asked, stepping closer. "That's so... impressive. What kind of doctor?"
"General practice," I said, looking for an exit route. " boring stuff. Colds and flu."
"I have a cold," Jessica purred, touching her throat. "Maybe you could... examine me?"
The other girls giggled.
Oh boy, I thought. This is uncomfortable.
"I'm off the clock," I said, holding up my hand. "And I don't do house calls."
"Make an exception?" Jessica pressed, putting a hand on my blazer sleeve. "Just one?"
She was persistent. And close. Too close.
I looked around for Wanda.
I saw her.
She was across the room, holding a glass of wine. She was looking right at me.
Her eyes were narrowing. Her jaw was set.
I saw the flicker. Just a tiny distortion in the air around Jessica.
Suddenly, Jessica's face changed.
"Ew," she said, looking at her drink. "This tastes like... onions."
"What?" her friend asked.
"My drink!" Jessica gagged. "It tastes like raw onions! And... wet dog!"
"Mine too!" the second girl squeaked.
"And my shoe feels... wet," the third girl complained, looking down. "Did I step in something?"
Jessica looked at me. Then she looked at her friends.
"I need to go," she said, looking green. "I feel... wrong."
They scattered. They practically ran to the bathroom.
I stood there, alone in my circle of personal space.
I looked across the room.
Wanda was sipping her wine. She looked at the picture of serenity. She caught my eye and raised her eyebrows innocently.
I fought back a grin.
She's possessive, I thought lovingly. And I like it.
I walked right up to Wanda.
"Hi," I said.
"Hello," she said. "You seem... popular."
"I have a fan club," I admitted. "Though they seemed to leave in a hurry. Something about onions."
"Strange," Wanda said, taking a sip. "The cider is delicious."
I reached out and took her free hand. I interlaced our fingers.
"You know," I said, leaning down so only she could hear. "Every time I look at you, you become more beautiful. What kind of magic have you done on me?"
She looked up at me. Her eyes sparkled.
"Are you sure it is magic, Aryan?" she teased. "And not your heart?"
"Well," I said. "My heart rate is elevated. My pupils are dilated. My serotonin levels are spiking. Clinically speaking... it looks like affection."
"Affection," she repeated softly.
"Maybe even... infatuation," I added.
"Maybe," she whispered.
She squeezed my hand.
"Let's go home," she said. "I am tired of sharing you."
"Agreed," I said immediately. "Let's go."
We said our goodbyes. We escaped into the night.
PS: Another chapter delivered! If you enjoyed it, don't forget to throw some Power Stones this way, haha. Who knows, if the Power Stone gods are pleased, they might unlock another bonus chapter soon. Let's test our luck. 😆