Demons LLC (Damned and Cursed Book 7) (36 page)

"It never does.
 
Look, about Zoey…."

"What about her?
 
She's cute, don't get me wrong.
 
But Kylie—"

Alex fought frustration, but couldn't help but laugh.

"Enough about Kylie.
 
You watched Zoey all day.
 
What did she do?
 
Did she call anyone?"

"That girl needs to eat a sandwich, for one thing.
 
Maybe like two or three.
 
She's in bad shape, man.
 
Didn't leave the basement all day, didn't eat anything.
 
She goofed off on the computer, listened to music, cried for a bit.
 
It was rough watching her.
 
It messed Kylie up a little.
 
We actually got bored for a while.
 
But then Zoey got up and actually took a shower.
 
Now, do
not
freak about this.
 
I didn't mean to see, but she just dropped her clothes right in her bedroom.
 
Skin and bones, man.
 
She looks
really
bad.
 
We followed her to the club, and I came and got you."

Alex nodded, taking in all the information.
 
He wished he could have taken notes.

"What are you thinking?" Nate asked.

"I don't know.
 
This could be a complete waste of time.
 
I just wonder if we're getting the whole story."

Alex and Nate rounded their last street corner, and saw the club ahead.
 
It wasn't very hard to spot.
 
The parking lot was full, and cars were lined up and down the street.
 
Even on a weeknight, there was always an audience for dancing and drinking.
 
Young men and women dressed inappropriately for the season made their way inside.
 
The sight reminded him that it'd been a while since he spent the night with Cindy and their friends on the town.

He was surprised to see Kylie standing in the middle of the road.
 
Cars drove through her, but she didn't seem to notice.
 
She stood motionless, staring at the club before her.

"Kylie?" Nate said as they approached her.
 
"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Is Zoey inside?" Alex asked.
 
"How come you're not in there?"

She held out her arms.
 
"I can't go in there looking like this."

He took a step back, taking her in.
 
With the exception of the black shorts, she looked very similar to the night she died.

"Uh, does it really matter?"

"Of course it matters!"

"I think you wore that shirt, didn't you?"

"And we all see how that turned out!"
 
She paced and adjusted her glasses.
 
"I'm not going in there like this.
 
No one ever noticed me.
 
I tried to tell myself I didn't care, but it bothered me.
 
Zoey is so beautiful.
 
That night, everyone looked past me and only saw her.
 
That's how it always was.
 
I'm sick of it."

Alex and Nate watched as Kylie suffered a mini-meltdown.
 
She walked up to three young women making their way into the club.
 
She stared at the one in the middle, wearing a short skirt and revealing tube-top.
 
Kylie held her hands up as she copied the woman's clothes, with the exception of her sandals.

"There.
 
How's that?
 
Do I look sexy?"

Alex said nothing.
 
He glanced at Nate, who had his own look of concern.
 
Meltdown or not, Alex was impressed at her growing abilities.

"The glasses probably aren't helping," Kylie said.
 
"Well, I'm dead, so I shouldn't need them."

She ripped them from her face and tossed them.
 
They disappeared in mid-flight.
 
Kylie blinked twice and smiled, but the glasses reappeared on her face.
 
Scowling, she tossed them again, with the same result.
 
The eye-ware was a part of her identity, whether she realized it or not.

Kylie dropped to her knees and cried.
 
Alex's heart hurt as he watched her sob.
 
Every ghost had issues they went through after death.
 
Reflecting on a life cut short brought about regrets the ghost didn't even know they had.

Nate knelt in front of her.

"Kylie, you don't have to be like Zoey or anyone else."

She laughed sarcastically.
 
"Yeah.
 
This is coming from the guy who camps out in girls' locker rooms."

He looked up at Alex.
 
"There really is no way for her to see?
 
No demon mirror or something she can use?"

Alex shook his head.
 
"No.
 
Maybe I can get Kevin to magic something up.
 
But the way light and mirrors work in the spirit realm, I'm sorry.
 
No reflections."

"She just doesn't see how gorgeous she is."

Kylie held up her palm.
 
"Nate, just stop."

"I'm serious.
 
Well, I'm not sure about the tube-top.
 
Although it does show off…certain things.
 
Anyway, yes, you're gorgeous, hot, beautiful, whatever word you want to use.
 
You look good in jeans, shorts, glasses, anything.
 
I know this might be bad timing, since…you know, you just died and everything.
 
But after all this is over, I was going to ask you on a date."

She laughed as she climbed to her feet.

"Yeah, right."

"I'm serious.
 
Alex, help me out here."

He nodded.
 
"I believe it.
 
He wouldn't stop talking about you on the way over here."

Kylie wrinkled her nose.

"How would that work?"

"I'm still working on that part," Nate said, looking down and shrugging.
 
"I've never been on a date before.
 
But I have some ideas."

She reached for Nate's hand.
 
"Thank you for trying to make me feel better."

"Well, you're welcome.
 
But I wasn't just saying it.
 
We should go out.
 
We'd have fun."

The transformation was amazing.
 
Suddenly Nate was nervous and flustered, while Kylie was smiling and full of confidence.
 
She squeezed his hand.

"You think of something cool, and we'll do it," Kylie said.

The look in her eye told Alex no matter what Nate picked, Kylie was all in.
 
They were a cute couple.
 
She took a step back, and her clothes changed once again.
 
The skirt and tube-top vanished, with her familiar cat shirt and black shorts taking their place.

"Oh, thank God," Nate said.
 
"The legs are distracting enough."

"Okay, guys, I'm going to head inside," Alex said, nodding at Kylie.
 
He put a hand on her shoulder.
 
"I know this is hard, but it might really help if you come with me.
 
Closure, healing, maybe a loose memory or two."

She stared at the club and took a deep breath.
 
Adjusting her glasses, she scooted closer to Nate.

"Are you going in?"

He laughed.
 
"You two wouldn't know what to do without me."

"Alright.
 
Let's hurry before I lose my nerve."

*****

Alex remembered why he wasn't fond of the club scene the moment he stepped inside.
 
The loud music assaulted his ears.
 
People were moving and gyrating shoulder to shoulder.
 
In what he imagined was all carefully engineered to bring about a sense of intimacy and fun, for him only brought claustrophobia.
 
Plus there was the simple fact that he didn't drink.
 
The only reasons he enjoyed being at a club was spending time with his friends, and watching Cindy dance.

He paid to get inside, a mistake he wished he could take back.
 
At least he could claim it as an expense for Demons LLC.
 
There were two levels to the club.
 
Even the steps leading to the second floor were lined with people.
 
Finding an empty section of wall near the pool table, he leaned back to collect himself.

Three women and a man were playing pool, each taking turns.
 
One of the women smiled at Alex and pointed to the selection of warped pool cues behind him.

"You want to join us?" she asked.

He politely shook his head.
 
"Uh, no thanks.
 
I'm just trying to get some air."

"You might be in the wrong place for that."
 
She laughed and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

Kylie, who was only a few steps behind Alex the entire time, leaned in close.
 
She said something, but he only picked up scattered words.

"What?"

"I said," Kylie raised her voice.
 
"I think she's giving you the eye."

He glanced at the woman and caught her glancing at him in return.
 
She smiled once again before lining up suggestively across the pool table to line up a shot.
 
Alex looked at his finger to make sure his wedding ring was still there, which it was.
 
Some people simply didn't care.

Nate stood not far from Kylie.
 
He surveyed the floor, searching all around him for Zoey.
 
Kylie stayed near Alex, her eyes wide.

"Are you holding up okay?" Alex asked.

She took a deep breath.
 
"Yeah, I think so.
 
Sorry for going nuts outside."

"Do you remember anything?"

"Not much."
 
She let out a small laugh and pointed to the bar.
 
"I remember that bartender over there.
 
He had a thing for Zoey.
 
Was trying to sneak her a drink or two."

He shook his head.
 
"Serving alcohol to a minor.
 
Probably not the smartest thing for his career."

They shared a laugh before Kylie leaned in close again to whisper.

"Can ghosts change their hair color?"

"I'm not sure.
 
That's…never really come up before."

"I know Nate likes redheads.
 
And I've always kind of wanted to dye my hair anyway."

Smiling, he nudged her shoulder, drawing a look from the women nearby as he conversed with someone they couldn't see.

"I don't think Nate would change anything about you."

She adjusted her glasses and watched Nate, affection in her eyes.
 
Alex had seen stranger things.
 
Two ghosts finding each other and possibly starting something.
 
Why not?

Nate joined them while keeping his eyes moving across the dance floor.

"You know, this place reminds me of a crazy fight that broke out at a party I was at in Colorado.
 
You should have seen it.
 
This dude—"

"Later, Nate.
 
Have you seen Zoey?"

"Not yet.
 
The best way we'll probably find her is to actually be out on the dance floor."
 
He grabbed Kylie's hand.
 
"Let's go."

"Whoa, wait.
 
You mean…dancing?"

"No, of course not.
 
We'll be looking for Zoey.
 
And if it just happens you want to dance—"

"I don't dance, Nate.
 
I've told you this before.
 
On Halloween, that wasn't dancing.
 
That was you pestering me for ten minutes until I let you put your hands on my hips.
 
Which doesn't make any sense.
 
It's not like we can feel—"

Nate shook his head and dragged her away.

"Man," he said.
 
"And people tell me
I
talk too much."

Alex laughed and turned his attention to the young crowd around him.
 
Spotting Zoey would be difficult with the sea of bodies swaying back and forth.
 
The second level was open in the middle, giving an overhead view of the first floor.
 
He'd have a better vantage point from above.

He pushed his way through the crowd, keeping an eye out for Zoey.
 
He thought about slipping into the spirit realm.
 
Walk through torsos and heads.
 
But he wanted to be seen.
 
He wanted to give Zoey a chance to see him first.

It took almost two minutes and several nearly-spilled drinks to make it to the stairs.
 
He worked his way to the railing next to a group of men ogling women from above.
 
He didn't see Zoey, but did spot Kylie and Nate dancing together.
 
Kylie wasn't terrible, but Nate needed a lot of practice.
 
They made no effort to look for Zoey.
 
Alex was angry, but only for a moment, when he noticed how happy Kylie was.
 
She leaned her head back and laughed at Nate's terrible moves, and reached forward to hug him.
 
They dipped in and out of the bodies around them.
 
She wasn't thinking about how her life ended, or obsessing over catching her killer.
 
She was just having fun with a new friend.