Page 105 of The Heart You Kept

I wrap the glasses and put them into the bag. “Thank you so much for coming.”

“This was the night from hell,” Jonty whispers.

“Put the closed sign on the door, for god’s sake,” Helene mutters under her breath.

The crowd is slowing up with the last of the people loitering around shopping. Jonty and Helene go and finish up serving them.

I stand at the counter and feel a hot body slide snugly in behind me.

“You should probably delete the security tapes,” Edward whispers in my ear.

“Huh?” I glance back at him. “I thought you left ages ago.”

“Good night, Alora.” He leans in and kisses my cheek. “I had a good time.”

Without another word he walks out of the store with his two guards trailing behind him.

What? He waited all this time to just leave before we finish.

Helene holds her hands up in question. “What’s happening?” she mouths.

I shrug. “He left.”

“God, he’s so weird.”

“Tell me about it,” Jonty agrees.

“Shut up, Jonty,” Helene scolds him. “You can’t say that.”

“You said it first,” he fires back.

“Yes, but I have questionable opinions and terrible taste in men, everyone knows that.”

DARKNESS

I slide the blade through the tape holding the large box closed and fold the lid open.

I remove the plastic and look over the contents.

A padded suit, this will add at least forty to fifty pounds to my appearance, making me unrecognizable to the naked eye. I’ll be able to come and go without being noticed.

I smile, pleased with my purchase.

I open the second parcel and look over the three wigs and the two prosthetic noses.

How do I attach?

I carefully read the instructions…. Medical-grade adhesive….

Hmm, I type into Google:

Medical-grade adhesive for facial prosthetics

ALORA

The night comes to an end but my mind is in overdrive, of course I’m going to delete the security tapes. Nobody needs to see me getting pinned to a shelf of taxidermy.

I smile. Although I might want to.