How did I get into this mess? What mess I hear you ask. Well I am at a Halloween party which is pretty awful for me but that isn't the problem. I am dressed up as Frankenstein's monster which isn't great but bearable. Standing to my left and slightly back from me is a woman in a witch's costume. She is part of the mess but I am glad she is with me. The real cause of the mess is a guy dressed up as a werewolf. He is angry at the woman because she dumped him and angry at me because she is with me. Adding to his displeasure is the fact that he found us in a very hot embrace. Even that is not the real problem as I am bigger than him and also under normal circumstances, probably capable of talking him out of a confrontation. These are not normal circumstance because the real pressing problem is that he is actually a werewolf and the costume isn't really a costume, if you see what I mean.
"We are all going to a Halloween party and Cathy Smith, a friend of mine wants to come along but needs someone to accompany her. Her ex will be there and she wants to discourage any attempts at a reconciliation. You are a really nice guy and big enough to persuade her ex to keep his distance."
Sally, my sister in law to whom I owe many favours is the one asking and of course I could not, in all good conscience say "NO!" which would have been my first choice. Problem is that Sally has on occasion tried to get me hooked up with some of her single friends. Nothing has ever stuck and eventually Sally gave up until now. So this request must be very important to her and that meant I had to take it seriously. I must have looked very doubtful though.
"Cummon! You don't get out enough and this is a good excuse to break out and socialise."
The first thing that goes wrong is my date, Cathy. From a distance Cathy is a short, uninspiring woman with long brown hair. She is dressed as a witch, long green coat with arcane symbols on it and the de rigeur pointy hat. It is close up that the trouble starts. Close up she has a fairly plain, ordinary face, nothing to cause a ruckus or to launch a thousand ships. It is her eyes that are my undoing. They sparkle with laughter, mischievousness and my absolute weak spot, intelligence. One look in her eyes and I am lost. I take her hand to shake it and find myself reluctant to release it and, like a callow school boy I find myself lost for words. My only saving grace is that Cathy seems reluctant to let go of my hand too. Sally however saves the day.
"Get a room you two! After the party."
Cathy laughs.
"You don't mind if we leave early do you?"
She turns back to me and winks.
"Come on. Let's get this party done."
The party is at one of Sally's friends home. A huge, fancy double storied place set in a large park like garden. The place is decked out for a Halloween party to outdo every other party in the city.
Cathy takes my hand as we enter and she starts circulating, keeping me as close as is decent. Not that I am complaining mind. It soon becomes apparent that not only is Cathy well known but also that she is accorded a lot of respect. Now I am Irish by descent rather than anything else and many of my relatives, mainly the women have the Fey. The Fey is an ability with the supernatural. Me? I can feel if someone has the Fey but that's about all. The people coming to pay their respects ooze with the Fey and the disturbing part is that I hadn't got a whiff of it from Cathy. She's been hiding it.
"And how did I not detect the Fey on you when we met this evening?
"I hid it. Sally warned me that you were skittish and could probably detect my Fey and that you might run like the hounds of hell were after you."
She pauses, looks around and then at me.
"A bad start and I am sorry. I didn't expect..."
"At least I know now. Anything else I should know?"
"Yes!"
"Ah, Here is my darling ex lover, partner, sex slave. With a new man in tow. You have told him haven't yet have you?"
The guy in the werewolf costume or rather the werewolf in human costume is standing well within my personal space which makes me feel very uncomfortable.
"George. This is my ex, Robert. I should have known he would be here.
We smile at each other with mutual distrust.
"She hasn't told you has she? That she is part werewolf. I started her of on her path to immortality but she halted the process. Frightened of power I guess."
"Robert! Piss off!"
He laughs and walked away.
