Chapter 3

THREE

AURORA

“I see two options.” Ruby linked her arm in mine as we walked down the dark street. “You take full advantage of the fifteen days Mr. Bananas asked for.”

“Asked for? No.” I shook my head. “Demanded.”

“Did he really demand you live with him, though? He invited you to stay in his home and play the role of Mrs. Bananas for two weeks. Why not use the opportunity, and his resources? You can hunt down Shart, get vengeance, and land the job you deserve while enjoying the comfort of a luxury lifestyle?”

“I have no idea what his place would be like.” His office had been nice, but hadn’t screamed luxury. “And I can’t use his resources.”

“That’s what married people do. You’d just be playing the role. Plus, he wouldn’t do anything unsavory to you that you didn’t totally want and agree to. If he tried, I’d murder him in his sleep for you. But you’re sure he wouldn’t, right? With all of your bragging about the orgasms, you seemed pretty sure he was a good and giving guy. You said he was all about consent.”

Foster from Christmas Village cared about consent.

It felt impossible to believe the man I spent that magical night with and the man who’d coerced me to live with him could be the same person. He hardly looked like the same man with his carefully combed hair and polished suit. Part of me wondered if I actually showed up at his place tonight, would it turn out Suit Foster was Christmas Village Foster’s evil twin. Or maybe…this whole situation was a misunderstanding?

It didn’t feel possible.

Our interaction this morning didn’t feel possible either.

The rest of Ruby’s words sunk in. I said, “You said there were two options. Taking advantage of my situation—that’s only one option. What’s the other?”

“You take full advantage of Mr. Bananas’s offer and full advantage of Mr. Bananas.”

I laughed. “No thank you.”

“What are the chances that a super-hot, blow-your-mind guy comes into your life twice? This is fate, Ror. A Christmas gift from the universe plopped into your lap.”

“Or, it’s a trick. It’s suspicious that two people from Epiphany would be at North Pole Island at the same time.”

“A holiday destination at Christmas time? Still not super likely, which is why I’m right. It’s fate. A Christmas miracle.”

“I don’t think extortion counts as a miracle.”

“Extortion? What’s he trying to get out of you?”

Maybe that was the wrong word choice.

“I don’t know. But whatever it is, I won’t give it to him,” I said. “Plus, there’s a third option for me. I stay with you while I get my life back on track.”

She gave me a tight smile. “Of course.”

It wasn’t ideal, sure, but we were doing okay-ish so far. I mean, sure, Ruby’d woken up with a kink in her neck, and I still hadn’t shaken off all the soreness from sleeping basically on the floor. And she’d elbowed me in the ribs twice while we’d tried to sleep, and in the eye once, but there were worse things, right?

“You can stay with me as long as you need to,” Ruby said.

She meant it, but she didn’t like it.

I was asking too much.

Her expression was pinched in such a way that I knew exactly what she was thinking. She wanted to mention my other obvious option, going home to stay with my parents, but she wouldn’t.

My parents never believed in my choices to go to art school or follow my dreams. They hadn’t believed in me.

Going home was not an option. It meant accepting defeat, and I would never quit.

As we rounded the final corner to reach our destination, I felt a fresh surge of renewed purpose.

I would keep Ruby from joining a murder cult.

I would right my situation and create the future I deserved.

I would do whatever it took to stay in Epiphany and bring my plans to fruition.

Bright lights greeted us as we walked into Eterni-Tea, as did a woman who sat at a table across the room, waving at Ruby. She had long black hair and golden skin.

“That’s Vivian,” Ruby whispered to me.

She looked pretty and sane from afar.

“Over here,” Vivian called with a friendly smile.

It wasn’t like we’d get lost and not be able to find the group. The building was relatively small, and they were the only customers.

Ruby nodded and headed for the counter. She called back to Vivian, “Be right there.”

“Welcome to Eterni-Tea, home to day 'n' night delights,” the guy behind the counter said in a monotone voice. “Can I interest you in a bran muffin?”

“Maybe if this was breakfast time. I’d like…” Ruby looked over the menu board. “A medium hot chocolate.”

He flicked a crumb off his shoulder. “Pity.”

“Can I get one of the colorful drinks by the wall?” I tried to ignore the crumb that now lay in the center of the counter, and instead looked him in the eye. “Whichever is the sweetest.”

The sweetest was apparently a melon tea with mango flavor balls in the bottom. The liquid was a pale green at the top of the cup, yellow most of the way down, and orange at the bottom. We paid for our drinks, waited to receive them, then headed toward the murder cult.

I liked the plastic clouds dangling from the ceiling and the wall of cooling dispensers stirring a rainbow of drinks. This place was bright, happy, and not at all the kind of venue I’d expect for a murder cult meeting.

Maybe that’s why Vivian chose it.

I took a sip of my drink and nearly melted to the floor in appreciation of the bright and sweet flavor.

Okay, this had to be why Vivian chose this place.

When we reached the circular table, there were two open chairs together. I sat between Ruby and Vivian, and took in the small group. There were four of us women, and one man.

“Now that we’re all here,” Vivian stood and clapped her hands together. “Season’s Beatings to all.”

Immediately concerned, I looked at Ruby.

Her face lit up as she watched Vivian. She was positively enthralled, which only made me more nervous.

“May our enemies have the holidays they deserve, with vengeful help from us naughty little elves,” Vivian said. “We’ll plot our retribution schemes together. Who’d like to start?”

Yeah, this was a terrible idea.

I eyed the door and wondered if it was too late to grab my bestie and drag her out of here before we became accomplices to a stabbing.

“Rory.” Ruby smacked me on the back.

I almost spit out my drink.

“Besties with almost the exact same name,” Vivian said. “Adorable.”

I almost corrected her. I’d gotten so used to everyone calling me Aurora. It’s what I wanted to be called, to be taken seriously. It bothered me when anyone but Ruby called me Rory.

Before I could open my mouth to respond, Ruby continued, “Rory’s adorable, and kind, and in dire need of help with her vengeance.”

I shook my head. “I’m good, thanks. Someone else should go.”

“Since Rory doesn’t know everyone yet, let’s start with a quick introduction,” Vivian said. “I’m Vivian. You know Ruby, obviously. This is Maeve.”

Vivian pointed at the only other woman, a petite blonde who looked almost as nervous about being here as I was. But then again, it seemed like her nerves had something to do with the guy sitting next to her because she kept side-eyeing him.

He looked like a Scandinavian fitness model, so maybe she was stunned by his hotness.

“And that’s Elliot.” Vivian gestured to the man.

Elliot lifted a hand in greeting.

He seemed to be purposefully not reacting to Maeve’s side-eyes, because there was no way he didn’t notice.

“We all live in the same building,” Vivian said.

“We do?” Maeve startled.

She and Elliot looked at each other like this was news to both of them.

There was some history there for sure.

“Anyone know how to hunt down a secretive graffiti artist?” Ruby asked. “Because this guy Shart shows up out of nowhere. He ruins everything my girl Rory has spent her life building—an art exhibit that was supposed to spotlight her.”

“Shard,” I corrected. “And it was supposed to spotlight my mentor’s work.”

“The exhibit at North Pole Island?” Maeve asked. “I read about that. Shard is big time.”

“That’s the one,” Ruby said. “And the whole world is celebrating the greasy hairball’s crime.”

Vivian whistled. “That’s bad.”

“We need to figure out who this guy is and make him pay,” Ruby said.

“We don’t,” I said.

Everyone looked at me.

I felt heat rise up my neck. “I’m not looking for vengeance. I’m just trying to figure out how to move forward.”

“If your journey doesn’t include spiteful retribution, you’re a bigger person than I am,” Vivian offered me a warm smile. “Good for you. Anyone else want to share and lead the group brainstorm?”

Maeve slowly raised her hand. “I’d like to castrate a cheater…metaphorically, of course.”

I watched and listened as the group came up with creative ideas. I listened as the others shared their stories.

I already knew about Ruby’s work rivalry. I learned about Maeve’s cheating ex, Elliot’s struggle with betrayal, and Vivian’s long-standing feud.

The more I heard, the more my earlier wariness faded. The plans—no stabbing was involved. Annoyance, discomfort, humiliation—all on the table. And as the meeting was wrapping up, I realized my chance was wrapping up, too.

Sure, there was no way I could hunt down the vandal who’d ruined my career, but I had another problem the group might be able to help me with.

A scheme was brewing in the back of my mind, one a little harmless pranking could definitely help with.

I raised my hand.

Vivian nodded at me. “Ready to scorn?”

“I could use some ideas for an entirely different problem. I need to make my husband” —I tried not to choke on the word with moderate success—“hate me. The sooner the better.”

Vivian rubbed her hands together. “Now that is a challenge we can definitely solve.”

“Squeeze his toothpaste from the middle, and leave a sticky glob of it on the handle of the sink,” Elliot suggested.

“Turn all the toilet paper rolls the other way so he has to pull from the back end and hit his knuckles on the wall,” Maeve said.

Ruby frowned. “I like when the end faces the wall.”

“You’re a monster,” Vivian said. “I love it. Keep going.”

And they did. The ideas went from benign to obnoxious. I took notes. Hope sprouted in my chest, and our machinations bloomed into a foolproof plot.