Free William's Tale by Regina Morris Page B

down her fork and pushed the cheesecake aside. Why did everything always remind her of her mother? She reached for a tissue on the table and blew her nose. Her mother wasn't very old when she died, but she also wasn't that young either. She had lived a good life, with a good man. She had made that leap for love and, even though Jackie suspected their marriage had ups and downs, her mother always had someone to be with her. Someone to love her.
    Gloria Gaynor tune sounded once again on her phone. Against her better judgement, Jackie answered.

Chapter Eleven
     
    William was desperate. He couldn’t go to the party alone, so he called in a favor to the only female vampire friend he had.
    “You want me to be your date?” Sulie shook her head as she walked with William down the Hall of Columns in the Capitol building. “A masquerade party?”
    “I have a plus–one.” William replied. Overall, bringing a date made sense, but now he was second guessing his decision. As a good friend, Sulie owed him a favor or two, but she always meddled into other people’s businesses. Opening the door and letting her into his personal life felt like playing with fire, and it was a sign of how low he had sank in his love life. He hated it.
    Sulie slowed her pace as they arrived at the connecting hallway that would lead her to her next meeting. “So let me get this straight,” she began. “The school district invited you to their annual costume ball…”
    “Masquerade auction. I don’t think there will be any dancing.”
    “Uh, huh.” Sulie’s mouth twisted as she stared at William, which made him feel uneasy. “The school district where that pretty teacher worked at just happened to send you an invite?”
    William bit his lip as the two of them paused in the hallway. “I didn’t say it was her district.”
    “Puh–lease.” Sulie rolled her eyes. “You’ve been depressed ever since you met her and decided not to date her.”
    He would have protested, but he knew his mood as of late had been somewhat surly.
    Sulie shook her head. “Invite her to go with you, not me.”
    He thought about the parade of men Jackie had in her life. He didn’t need the rejection. “Not an option.” He cleared his throat. “Look, if you don’t want to be my plus–one you don’t have to. I would prefer not to show up alone though.”
    “Which is why you should ask this teacher out.” Sulie looked at her watch, and William knew he was holding her up.
    “She has a boyfriend,” William blurted out. “I’m sure she received an invite, as well, and I just don’t want to show up stag.”
    Sulie’s look softened. “How do you know she’s seeing someone? Did she tell you?”
    William rubbed the back of his neck. He was also running late to his next meeting, but wanted to secure a date for the blasted party. “Not exactly. Her neighbor hinted there was a man in her life.” He took in a deep breath. “Several men actually. I doubt I’d stack up against all of them, especially if I can’t even take her out to a meal without lying to her.”
    He watched as Sulie grinned from ear–to–ear. “You’re pathetic.” She slowly walked down the hallway to her meeting, but then turned round with a devilish grin on her face. “I’ll pick out the costumes.”
    He didn’t trust her smile. “I think we just need masks,” he protested.
    “You’ll wear what I pick out and give no complaints.”

Chapter Twelve
     
    Jackie felt ridiculous as she arrived at the school district’s annual costume party. It wasn’t her costume that fueled her mood, since she knew she looked hotter than hell in it, but something else.
    Shimmering gold silk draped from her shoulders and cascaded down her back, leading to a full–length skirt which nearly trailed the floor. Her brightly colored mask was an arrangement of feathers and beads that flattered her face and hair. The costume gave her figure an hourglass appearance, showing off her recent, and now