The first annual Halloween party at Out of the Ashes is a wrap. From the smile on Stella and Angie’s faces as people were leaving, I think it was a huge success. I see more of these in our future despite what some of my coworkers think. It also feels weird without Patrick here, but I hope he’s having fun at his reunion. Viv has done a great job filling in for him.
Pretty much everyone is gone. They all had their own parties to attend afterwards. Joan and I are the only ones left. Checking over everything to make sure nothing will need to be done before Monday’s staff meeting. “Are the kids staying the night at Carlos & Caroline’s?”
“As far as I know.” Joan answers as she picks up the last of the cleaning rags to put in the laundry. Isaac, Abby, and my brother all went to Caroline’s to watch scary movies with Carlos’s sisters. “Caroline mentioned something about them camping out in the pasture.”
“Oh, I’m sure Carlos loves that idea.” He doesn’t exactly seem like the camping type, but he’ll do whatever Caroline wants without question.
“So, we have the house to ourselves tonight.” They’ve been spending a lot of their weekends at the house with me. Now that baseball season is on hold until he starts playing for the school and Abby doesn’t have weekend practices, they have more free time. Now if I could get them down here full time.
“Yes, we do.” She follows me to the office. I have to put the liquor order on the desk for Angie and she has to put the towels in the laundry basket.
“Good because I don’t know how much longer I can take you in this costume.” She’s wearing a long-sleeved black dress that goes all the way to the floor. It fans out at the bottom and I’ve had to avoid tripping over it more than I’d like to admit.
She tugs on the bowtie around my neck. “I agree.” It’s the first couple costume I’ve ever done, and I’m kind of glad it’s two characters who are madly in love with each other.
“Oh yeah?” I pin her against the shelf and nuzzle at her neck. My lips trail a line of kisses up her neck to her jawline before capturing her lips.
Her arms wrap around my neck and she rubs my ear lobe with her fingers. Fuck. I moan into her mouth and press into her.
“Jesus Christ.” Carlos yells. We break apart and she wipes her lipstick from my mouth. Carlos hands are thrown in the air. “I swear I’m going to install a doorbell to announce when someone is coming. I’m getting tired of walking in on people making out.”
“Sorry,” Joan laughs, “I guess I’m part of the cool kids club now.”
“You’ve always been that.” I give her one more kiss despite Carlos’s grumbling. “Let’s go home.”