Free Damsel Under Stress by Shanna Swendson Page B

men I dated, even if the men weren’t so crazy about me. In fact, back home I’d been the number-one choice of parents for their sons’ girlfriend, which was one of the reasons I’d had so few dates in high school (three overprotective big brothers were among the other reasons). It wasn’t as though I needed a fairy godmother to help me with that sort of thing.
    I put the locket back into my nightstand drawer and closed it. A firework then went off right outside the bedroom window. That window faced a narrow air shaft—so narrow I was sure if the people across the air shaft needed to borrow a cup of sugar, we could easily pass it over. It was unlikely that anyone was shooting off fireworks in that confined space. I went to the window, raised the blinds, opened the window, and leaned my head out to see what was going on.

 
    Five
    I jumped back in surprise when I saw Ethelinda hovering right outside my window. “I can’t enter your home magically,” she said. “Your young man does very good wards. I couldn’t find a single chink in them.”
    “What are you doing here?” I asked. “I didn’t summon you. There’s no need for you to come inside.”
    “You don’t have to summon me. I’ve been watching your case, and it seems to me that you’re in need of advice.”
    “No, not really, thanks. I’ve got it under control.”
    “Have you eaten?”
    “Huh?”
    “Tsk, tsk, what kind of response is that, Kathleen? It’s better to say, ‘Pardon,’ or ‘Excuse me.’”
    “What does me eating have to do with anything?” I clarified.
    “It’s better to discuss these things over food, don’t you think?”
    No, I didn’t think. Eating meant being in public with a fairy godmother who seemed a bit ditzy. I could never be sure she’d remember to hide her magic from the rest of the world. Never mind the fact that I didn’t need her there. “That’s not necessary,” I insisted.
    “Nonsense. You’re meeting his family. This is important. If this goes wrong, your future together may be doomed. Put on your coat and meet me outside.” She vanished in a shower of silver sparkles before I had a chance to argue. There went my plans for a quiet evening at home alone, but I didn’t feel I had much choice. She’d probably set off more fireworks and annoy the neighbors until she got her way. I got my coat and purse and went downstairs to find Ethelinda waiting for me on the sidewalk.
    This time, she was dressed like the Sugar Plum Fairy in a really old production of The Nutcracker, from back when they wore their tutus almost down to their ankles instead of in a little ruffle around their hips. Her previous outfits, including the rose velvet and green silk, hung out from under the hem, and the blue satin of her bodice was so faded it was almost white. It was missing a few pearls around the neckline, the threads that had once held them hanging free.
    I hoped she had a good illusion hiding all that from the rest of the world. If not, I supposed I could pass myself off as a good Samaritan taking a bag lady out to dinner. Speaking of which, I wondered if I was expected to pay for the meal. I wasn’t sure how much money I had on me. None of the etiquette lessons my mother had taught me covered how you were supposed to interact with your fairy godmother, and I didn’t recall Cinderella ever going to a restaurant with hers in the stories. Technically, Ethelinda had invited me, but she didn’t seem like the kind of person who carried cash.
    As soon as my feet hit the sidewalk, she turned and fluttered off, glancing over her shoulder and saying, “Well, come along.”
    She had a distinct advantage with her wings, so I had to trot to keep up with her. This was starting to feel like a big mistake. There were a lot of people I could ask about dealing with Owen’s parents, like Rod, who actually knew them. As far ahead of me as she was, all I had to do was stop running and she’d more than likely forget about me entirely,