Kiki squeals and shakes her fist. “We’re going to NYC, baby!”
New York City
June
I stare at my reflection in the elevator doors as Kiki and I head up to our apartment. “I still can’t believe you found the dress.”
Kiki somehow located the light purple dress I had in my binder for my fantasy prom date. “I felt a little silly wearing it home though.”
Kiki waves a hand dismissively in the air. “Liar! I saw you loving the stares you were getting.”
I smile and point a foot out in front of me to admire the jeweled high heels she bought too. “Maybe a little. I’ll pay you back for the shoes when I get my first paycheck. Now that the cast is off they finally put me on the schedule. With Tyler, of course.”
“Hey, it’s my treat—all of it. Happy birthday.”
“Well, I’m a little overdressed for the restaurant we made reservations for, but what the hell. I just hope Tyler won’t feel funny—I told him it was casual.”
She looks me up and down. “I don’t think he’ll mind.”
“Well, you need to get dressed up too, so I won’t feel out of place.”
The elevator doors open and we walk down the hall to our apartment. She rifles through her purse and then looks at me. “I think I left my keys on the counter—can you get the door?”
“Sure.” I fish out my keys and unlock the door. Tea lights are draped around the house plants and hanging from the ceiling. A cardboard pineapple tree stands next to a small table covered in a pink paper table cloth. A punch bowl sits on another table with bowls of chips and dips.
“What is this?”
She beams at me. “It’s prom.”
“What?”
“P-R-O-M. Prom!” She runs to the counter and docks her iPod. Music blares out of the speaker and she quickly turns it down a bit. “Hmm. There’s something missing,” she says loudly.
On cue Tyler walks out of my bedroom looking slightly embarrassed in a dark gray tuxedo. A purple rose is pinned to his lapel and in his hand he has a corsage made up of more purple roses mixed with baby’s breath.
“Wow. You look … stunning,” he says quietly.
Tears prick my eyes.
“What’s the matter?” he says nervously. He looks at Kiki. “Did I say something wrong?”
I throw my arms around him and bury my face in his neck. “You said everything right!” I pull away. “You guys are the best.”
Tears stream down my cheeks.
“It was actually Tyler’s idea. I was telling him about how you were always moaning about missing the prom. The setup is all me, though. Oh, and there’s one more surprise.”
“I don’t need anything else—this is perfect.”
She smiles smugly. “Just wait.” She runs out of the apartment and I hear her knocking on Sam’s door. Suddenly the hall erupts with barks.
I shake my head. “No.”
I turn to Tyler who’s laughing. “Yes.”
Kiki leads in with a small white dog on a leash. “It’s not a puppy, but I thought with our schedules we’d be better off with an older dog that doesn’t have to go out every two hours.”
I kneel down and the dog rushes over to me and sniffs my hand. I reach out and melt as I stroke his incredibly soft fur.
“I don’t know what to say.”
Kiki picks the dog up. “Say hello to Fang.”
I run my fingers down his silky ears. “Hello, Fang.” I lean in and let him lick my chin and cheeks.
Kiki puts him on the floor and heads toward the door. “Since I don’t have a date, I feel kind of funny going to the prom. I’m going to take Fang to Jerry’s apartment so we can run lines.”
“Are you ready for opening night?” Tyler asks.
“Yup! Thank goodness I got the boobs done—I was made for this part. Well, with a little help from Dr. Marx. But A Chorus Line has never seen a better Val. I sing the crap out of the Tits and Ass song, if I do say so myself. But I’ll leave you two alone.” She looks at me. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
She leads Fang out and I turn to Tyler. He holds out the corsage. “May I?”
I shake my head and take it from him and put it on the table. “There’s something I want to do first.” I take his hand and lead him to my room. I point to the bed. “Sit.”
He grins, his eyes locked onto mine.
I reach behind and slowly unzip my dress, and let it slide down my shoulders.
His mouth opens a little as he takes a jagged breath. I watch his eyes roam my body as I carefully step out of the dress pooled around my feet.
My pulse quickens as I walk slowly toward him. He stands up and wriggles out of his jacket and tosses it aside. I reach out and start to undo his bow tie, leaning my chest into his. I pull off the tie and throw it on top of his jacket. I tilt my chin and gently bite his lower lip as I unbutton his shirt. He’s breathing hard as I slide the shirt down and off his arms and then put my hands on his bare chest. I look up at his face and stare into his eyes.
“You have the most gorgeous eyes,” I say.
“I love you,” he whispers as his hands slide down my waist.
I can feel his heart pounding and I push him down on the bed. “I love you, too.”
“Aren’t you going to take your shoes off?”
I turn the light off. “Nope!” I slide onto the bed next to him and we wrap ourselves around each other.
“Happy birthday, babe,” he whispers.
As his hands move around my body I almost laugh. Tyler Harker is my boob guy after all.
Interview with Kiki Crusher for Jennifer-Kate Magazine
JK: You’re a former child star and you’ve recently made your Broadway debut in the most recent revival of A Chorus Line. What prompted you to open a huge can of worms and petition for Gabe’s Law?”
Kiki: I lost someone near and dear to me to a vampire attack, and realized it was time for the world to finally be informed about what is out there. Nine out of ten people will never meet a vampire, but if people were given even the basic information about them, my boyfriend, Gabe, might still be here. There are other paranormal creatures people should watch out for too—why not let the American public be forewarned and prepared?
JK: Aren’t you worried about the backlash? Congress has said outing vampires will change how people go out at night, crippling the economy.
Kiki: Knowledge brings power. With the newly released information, people are getting the facts about how they can protect themselves—and getting the garlic spray I’ve helped patent. The public has everything they need to ward off any potential attacks. I have friends in the slaying industry and they’ve noticed a tremendous decrease in fatalities. Gabe’s Law is helping save lives. And my show has been sold out every night—not bad for a revival!
JK: What about all the bogus “remedies” and “protection sprays” popping up?
Kiki: Only buy ones with the FDA approval seal on them.
JK: Obviously you disagree with The Ankh Society’s claim that vampires are harmless, but they really believe people and vampires can coexist. What would you say to them?
Kiki: Vampires kill. The Ankh Society would like us to believe getting bitten by a vampire is a harmless way for the creatures to feed without killing and for its members to have some fun—but the bottom line is, a creature without a soul can’t be trusted. And the bite is as addictive as heroin. I know someone who lost his mother to just such a scenario. Vampires and humans are never going to be a good combination.
JK: Well, I know there has been a tremendous amount of support—and controversy—about outing vampires. But that’s what we at Jennifer-Kate like to applaud. Do you have a few more minutes to take our Quick-Five Question Challenge?
Kiki: I’d love to!
JK: Chocolate or coffee?
Kiki: Coffee! I strive to be in a perpetual state of caffeination.
JK: Last book you read?
Kiki: The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology.
A must-read for everybody!
JK: Favorite designer?
Kiki: Christian Siriano. I’m a sucker for reality TV.
JK: Celebrity crush?
Kiki: Sutton Foster. It’s my dream to star on Broadway with her.
JK: Favorite charity?
Kiki: Proms for Everyone. My cochair, Daphne Van Helsing, and I make sure prom dresses and tickets are available to everyone who wants to go.
JK: Thanks for talking with us. Be sure to catch Kiki in the revival of A Chorus Line now playing on Broadway and keep an eye out for her forthcoming autobiography, Playhouse of Broken Dreams.
Here’s a sneak peek
at another novel by Amanda Marrone
DEVOURED
Nicki rounds the corner fast, and I clutch the arm rest tightly. I take a deep breath and see her look my way.
“Oh God, sorry,” she says as she takes her foot off the gas pedal and presses on the brake. “I get carried away on this stretch.”
I look out at the river hugging the road and will myself to take in the gorgeous White Mountains scenery instead of imagining the car skidding off into the water. “Hey, no problem,” I lie. “And thanks for driving me. Figures my mom has one of her stupid dog things the day I get the interview. She and Fergus have a new routine, and this is the first time they’re performing it.”
Nicki laughs. “How could she retire the ‘Toxic’ number? That was a showstopper!”
“Ha, ha, funny.”
Of course my mom dancing with our golden retriever in front of an audience, and then posting the videos on the Internet is anything but funny. “Anyway, I swear I’ll do all the driving when I get my license.”
“Don’t worry about it, Megan.”
“Seriously! I’m gonna do it this time. I signed up for lessons with this new driving school that just opened.”
Nicki pushes her long bangs out of her eyes. “I believe you.”
I know she’s really thinking I’ll chicken out like always, but I’m grateful she doesn’t say it out loud. She knows that despite the years of therapy, riding in a car still freaks me out.
She takes the turn onto Enchanted Boulevard like a ninety-two-year-old grandmother would, and I point to an office building near the entrance to the park. “The interview is over there.”
She pulls into the nearly empty parking lot, which will be jam-packed in a week. “Are you sure you really want to do this?” she asks.
I stare up at the Land of Enchantment sign. Smiling princesses and overly cute forest animals wave their animatronic arms. Even as a kid I wasn’t crazy about coming here all that much—the crowds, the two-minute rides that never seemed worth the long wait to get on them. But Remy loved everything about Land of Enchantment, and Dad used to say he’d never seen a pair of twins look at the world so differently.
A small shudder wracks my body. It’s been ten years since Remy died, and ten long years of being haunted by her ghost. Coming here is just asking for her to pop up, and I’m wondering if I can pull off an interview with Remy’s ghost babbling in the background. I’m very tempted to tell Nicki to put the car in reverse and go home.
But I don’t.
“I was getting sick of the bookstore,” I lie. “Ever since Diane got promoted to manager, she’s been a total bitch. And this way I’ll be outside getting a tan instead of spending another summer paler than a vampire.”
Nicki shakes her head. “This has nothing to do with getting a tan and you know it. I’ve kept my mouth shut so far, but to be honest, getting a job here because you’re afraid to leave Ryan and Samantha alone is kind of stalkery.”
“Stalkery? Since when did wanting to spend time with your boyfriend become stalking?”
Nicki gives me an incredulous look.
“Okay! The thought of him and Samantha working together has been driving me nuts, but can you blame me? She’s been his best friend since second grade, and we’ve only been going out for three weeks and two days.”
“This is so not like you! Where’s the Megan who’d never chase a guy she just started seeing? Who’d never in a million years stay with said guy if she didn’t trust him?”
I stare up at the prince on the sign, climbing Rapunzel’s long braid. “That Megan was tired of not having had a relationship since freshman year. And that Megan was confident things were strictly platonic between them until Samantha made one too many trips to the keg and made her ‘soul mate’ confession. Not to mention the fact that she’s totally gorgeous—and nice. How can I compete with that?”
“Yeah, that was real nice of her to make a play for Ryan while you were in the bathroom. But despite her drunken confession, he’s still with you, so what are you worried about?”
I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t know. I just wish he hadn’t told me about it.”
“He was being honest with you, and if you ask me, that’s a good sign.”
“Or maybe he was laying the groundwork for our breakup—so it won’t come as a big shock when he tells me he’s finally realized the girl of his dreams was living right next door all along.”
Nicki shakes her head and takes out her iPod. “Good luck. Hope they assign you to something cool like the hot dog cart. Or if you make a really great impression, maybe they’ll give you one of those little brooms and dustpans with the long handles, and you can sweep trash from the walkways.”
“Actually it’s always been a dream of mine to work the slushy machine, but what I’m really looking forward to is spending the summer endlessly repeating ‘Welcome to the Gingerbread Coaster, please keep your hands inside the car until the ride comes to a complete stop.’”
Nicki puts the earbuds in. “I’m gonna listen to some songs; the tryouts are tomorrow and I still haven’t decided what to sing.” She turns the volume up and I can hear “Defying Gravity” from Wicked. “Working at any of the fast-food joints on the outlet strip would be better than this,” she says loudly.
I pick up my purse and tell myself I’m above spying on my boyfriend. But then I think about how being with Ryan makes me feel more alive than I have in years, and I open the door and head for the park offices.
I sit in front of Mr. Roy and put on the best I-would-so-be-an-asset-to-your-amusement-park smile I can muster. Looking at his Cinderella tie, I have a feeling he’ll be a pushover.
“So …” He glances down at my application. “Megan, why do you want to work at Land of Enchantment?”
Telling him I’ve turned into a stalker because good-girl Samantha morphed into a man-stealing bitch is probably not the best approach, so I straighten up, look into his washed-out gray eyes, and lie. “I’ve loved the Land of Enchantment since I was a little girl, and nothing would make me happier than the opportunity to put a little magic into some kid’s summer vacation.”
I smile harder and hope I didn’t lay it on too thick.
Mr. Roy tilts his head and beams. He clasps his hands under his chin. “Is there a special memory of the park you could share with me? I always love hearing how we’ve affected people; it’s what keeps me going when the day-today operation details get overwhelming.”
Oh, God, what to pick? Toddler throwing up on the teacup ride? Third-degree sunburns from standing in endless lines? Eating warm egg-salad sandwiches because my parents were too cheap to buy lunch at the park?
“Um, well, I remember this one time, I think I was maybe five, and I was scared to go into Hansel and Gretel’s Haunted Forest, and then someone tapped my shoulder. I turned around and there was, uh …” My mind scrambles to come up with something plausible. “Uh, there was Snow White. She held out her white-gloved hand and said, ‘Don’t worry, sweetie; I’ll go in with you.’ With Snow White by my side, I knew I could do it, and to this day Hansel and Gretel’s Haunted Forest is one of my favorite attractions.”
Mr. Roy looks teary, and it’s all I can do to keep from rolling my eyes. Hansel and Gretel’s had to be the lamest thing here—half the animatronics were broken, and the scariest thing a
bout it was that the fact anyone actually paid money to see it.
“Well, Megan, I think we have a spot on our enchanted team for a special girl like you. I see you’ve checked off ride operations, gift shop, and character actor on your application. I’d bet a bundle you were hoping to fill Snow White’s gloves yourself, am I right?” He leans toward me and winks.
Don’t roll eyes! “Yes, sir, ‘Snow White’ is one of my favorite stories, and it would be so much fun to play her.”
“What a coincidence. ‘Snow White’ is one of my favorite stories, too. And with your dark hair, you’ll be perfect! Unfortunately, you can’t be Snow White every day; we try to mix up our team member’s experiences so everyone gets a better feel for the park, and we can find those special kids who turn their Land of Enchantment summer jobs into a life-long career. After all, you’d never know whether you have the makings of our future Fun Farm manager if you don’t get to spend some time in the Billy Goats Gruff pen—which we go to great lengths to keep clean.”
I smile like this is a wonderful opportunity, all the while praying to God I won’t be shoveling crap all summer.
“Your next step is to meet our team coordinator—my wife, Miss Patty.”
He winks at me, and I will myself to keep the wide-eyed smiley expression plastered on my face.
“She’ll give you our orientation packet and training schedule, and get your size for the costume.”
He picks up his phone and pushes a button. “Honey bear, I’m sending a new recruit down.” He glances at my application again. “Megan Sones. You’ll need to take her to the costume room for a Snow White fitting.” He pauses and smiles at me. “She’s perfect.” He hangs up and pushes his chair away from his desk. “Patty’s office is just around the corner. I’ll point you in the right direction.”
I look around at Miss Patty and her office and I’m thinking she has some unresolved issues that a few years of therapy might make a dent in. The walls of her office are bright pink and adorned with portraits of princesses with oversize lightbulb-shaped heads rendered in Day-Glo pastels. PATTY is signed in huge six-inch letters in the bottom right corner of each one, and I wonder how she could’ve willingly signed her name to these atrocities. Completely out of place with the rest of the décor, a ratty stuffed boar head hangs gathering dust above an overly gilded mirror just behind her desk.