Page 4 of Hot Zone
I set it off to the side and started unpacking the rest of the box. I’d gotten a new shipment of items in for my store, The Chrysalis Moon, and I was trying to get them all priced and on the shelves for the weekend. I’d been at it all morning, but I kept getting distracted by the merchandise, so here it was mid-afternoon, and I still had three boxes to unload.
The chime on the front door let me know someone had come in. My shop was in an old house over on the north side of town. It had originally been my aunt’s shop, but when she passed away, I got the store. I loved it, but because it was an old house, it had a bunch of little rooms, and I couldn’t see the front door from where I was sitting.
“Hello. If I can help you with anything, let me know,” I called out so the person who came in would know someone was here. The shop was open Monday through Saturday, but my helper, Ziva, didn’t work on Wednesdays, so I was here by myself.
“It’s just me. I come baring bats and burgers,” my best friend Steven said, as he walked into the room carrying a cardboard box and bag from the Burger Barn.
“How did you know I hadn’t eaten?”
He chuckled. “You never remember to eat on Wednesdays when Ziva isn’t working.”
He wasn’t wrong, but lucky for me, he worked just around the corner from the shop, and he often popped in to feed me on those days.
“You know me too well. Now, what’s in the box?”
“Honestly, I don’t know what Roxy put in here, but she’s been having a ball. Our house is covered in bats, pumpkins, and ghosts.”
His girlfriend, Roxy, crocheted the cutest animals, and she’d asked me if I’d be willing to sell them in the shop. Of course, my answer was yes, not only because Roxy was awesome, but also because I loved to support local artisans.
“Well, don’t just stand there holding the box. Let me see what she sent.”
“You have no patience, Marsy.”
“Yeah, yeah, like that’s news. Now, gimme.” I made grabby hands at the box. He handed it over, and I reached in, pulling out one cute thing after another. “The bats are adorable, and the little jack-o’-lanterns… so cute.”
“She was worried it was too late for many to sell, but she has more at the house if you run out.”
I picked up a bat and lifted it in the air, moving it up and down, making its little wings flop.
“Trust me, these will go speedy quick. Tell her if she’s still interested in making things, snowmen would be awesome in the winter.”
“I’ll tell her. I think she was planning on doing gingerbread men for sure.”
He pulled out a chair, sat down at the table, and started divvying out the food. “So what’s up? Anything worth mentioning? I know Halloween’s a busy season for you.”
“Yeah, it is. We’ll be having our traditional Samhain drumming. I was hoping for a bonfire this year, but it’s been too dry. We’ll have to make do with the chiminea this year.”
“Well, my dad thanks you for not setting the town on fire.”
“I’d like to thank your dad.” I waggled my eyebrows and laughed.
Steven froze with his burger halfway to his mouth and glared at me. “Man, you gotta stop saying shit like that about my dad.”
“Where’s the lie, Stevie? Your dad’s hot.”
He reached over and grabbed the pickles I’d taken off my burger. “You’ve thought my dad was hot since you figured out you weregay. We were, what, fifteen? So I’ve been hearing that shit for like twelve years.”
I shook my head and let out a sigh. “And sadly, he only gets better with age.” I loved to give Steven shit about his dad being hot, but I was only half joking. He really was a silver fox.
“I don’t see it. Besides, you two play for different teams.”
“Yeah, yeah, so you say. Now, on a serious note, are you and Roxy coming to the drumming? She’d really like it.”
“If we come, are you going to make us stand in a circle and talk about our feelings and shit?”
“Absolutely, but you’re still coming, right?”
“I’ll ask her.” He picked up a small box off the table that I’d unpacked but hadn’t priced yet. “Are these oracle cards or tarot cards? I don’t know the difference, but Roxy wants a deck for Christmas, and I have no idea what to get.”