The old woman patted Ivy's hand. Her mother's diamond ring, a pink healing crystal, and a Star Trek communicator glittered on her gnarled fingers. 'I'm fine, dear, fine. I'm nothing but old,' she said.
'Why don't you rest a few minutes? I can do the receipts,' Ivy told her, taking the pile away from the owner. After they closed up, Ivy planned to walk Lillian to her car. Once the customers left and the lights were dimmed, the cavernous mall would be filled with shadows and small rustlings. That night Ivy would be as glad as Lillian to have some company.
'I'm nothing but ancient,' Lillian said with a sigh. 'Ivy, would you do me a favor? Would you close up tonight?'
'Close up?' Ivy was caught by surprise. Stay by myself? She thought.
'Sure.'
Lillian got up from the stool and put on her sweater. 'Come in late tomorrow, lovey,' she said as she walked toward the door. 'Betty should be on her feet again, and we'll be all right. You're a dear.'
'It's no trouble,' Ivy said softly as she watched Lillian disappear into the mall. She wondered where Tristan was, and if she should call him.
Don't be such a coward, Ivy chided herself, and turned to open the wall box where the light switches were. She hit the switches, dimming all the store's lights, then changed her mind and turned half of them back on again. Ivy glanced toward the dressing rooms at the back of the store.
She fought the urge to double-check and make sure everyone was out. Don't be so paranoid, she told herself. But it wasn't hard to imagine someone lurking in a fitting room, and it wasn't hard to picture someone waiting for her in the shadows of the mall.
'I want everything in your cash box.'
Ivy jumped at the sound of Eric's voice. His finger poked her in the back. Someone else laughed- Gregory.
She spun around to face both of them.
'Oh, sorry,' Gregory said when he saw the look on her face. 'We didn't mean to really scare you.'
'I meant to,' Eric said with a high-pitched laugh.
'We thought you'd be finishing up soon, so we stopped by,' Gregory said, touching her on the elbow, his voice soft and easy.
'To get your cash before you put it in the safe,' Eric interjected.
'About how much do you have?'
'Ignore him,' Gregory told Ivy.
'She does. She always has,' Eric remarked, and started rifling through the shop's bins.
'We're just hanging out tonight,' Gregory said. 'Want to hang out with us?'
Ivy forced a smile and flipped through the store receipts. 'Thanks, but I've got a lot to do.'
'We'll wait.'
She smiled again and shook her head.
'Come on, Ivy,' Gregory urged. 'You've hardly been out in the last three weeks. It'll be good for you.'
'Will it?' Ivy looked up, gazing directly into Gregory's eyes. 'You're always looking out for me.'
'And I'll continue to,' he replied, smiling at her. There wasn't a hint of what he was thinking behind his gray eyes and too-handsome face.
'Teeth!' Eric exclaimed. 'Look at these bloodsucking teeth. This is cool.' He ripped open a plastic package and stuck the vampire teeth in his mouth, grinning at Gregory. His skinny arms dangled by his sides, and his fingers danced with nervousness. Ivy thought about the way Gregory had applauded Eric the night his friend conned them at the railroad bridges. She wondered how far Eric would go to amuse Gregory and win his approval.
'It's an improvement, Eric,' Gregory said, 'and some girls get turned on by vampires.' He gave Ivy a sly smile. 'Don't they?'
The last time Gregory had come late to the shop, he had dressed up as Dracula. Ivy remembered his insistent kisses and how she had given in to them.
Now her skin grew warm, and she could feel herself flushing with anger.
Her fingers curled into fists, which she quickly put behind her. I can play this game as well as he can, she thought, and tilted back her head. 'Some girls do.'
Gregory stared at her neck, his eyes glimmering, then focused on her mouth, as if he wanted to kiss her again.
'Ivy, what in the world are you doing?'
The question stunned her. It was Tristan's voice. She hadn't been aware of him slipping inside her mind, yet clearly neither Eric nor Gregory had heard him speak. Ivy knew her face was red, and she quickly dropped her chin.
Gregory laughed. 'You're blushing.'
Ivy turned and walked away from him. But she couldn't get away from Tristan.
'You think he wants to kiss you?' Tristan asked scornfully. 'Strangle you, maybe! Ivy, don't be stupid.
These are tricks.'
Silently she told Tristan, 'I know what I'm doing.'
?Gregory followed her over to the counter and slid his hand around her waist.
'Gregory, please,' she said.
'Please what?' he asked, his mouth close to her ear.
'Eric is here,' she reminded him, and glanced over her shoulder. But Eric was on the other side of a rack, lost in a world of costumes.
'My mistake,' Gregory said softly, 'bringing Eric along.'
'Get rid of Gregory,' Tristan cut in. 'Get rid of both of them and lock the door.'
Ivy slid away from Gregory.
'Call security,' Tristan continued. 'Ask them to walk you to your car.'
'Besides,' Ivy said to Gregory, 'there's Suzanne. You know Suzanne and I have been friends forever.'
'Ivy!' Tristan exclaimed. 'Don't you know anything about guys? You're setting yourself up. Now he's going to use one of those old excuses.'
Ivy silently retorted, 'I know what I'm doing.'
'Suzanne is too easy,' Gregory said, moving closer to Ivy. 'Too jealous and too easy. I'm bored.'
'I guess it's a lot more interesting,' Tristan remarked, 'to get it on with the girlfriend of the guy you murdered.'
Ivy jerked her head as if she had been slapped.
'What's wrong?' Gregory asked her.
'Ivy, I'm sorry,' Tristan said quickly, 'but you're not listening to me.
You don't seem to understand-' 'I understand, Tristan,' Ivy thought angrily. 'Leave me alone before I mess up.'
'What are you thinking?' Gregory asked. 'You're mad, I can tell.' He smoothed her brow, then traced her cheek, his fingers lightly touching her neck. 'You used to like it when I touched you,' he said.
Ivy could feel Tristan's anger surging up inside her. She felt as if she was losing control. She closed her eyes, focused her attention, and pressed him out, out as far as she could from her mind.
When she opened her eyes Gregory was staring at her. 'Out?' he said.
'Were you talking to me?'
'Talking to you?' Ivy echoed. Terrific. She had spoken aloud. 'No,' she told Gregory, 'I don't remember saying anything to you.'
He frowned at her.
'But you know me,' she said cheerfully, 'I'm just a little crazy.'
He continued to stare at her. 'Maybe,' he said.
Ivy smiled and moved past him. For the next fifteen minutes she paid attention to Eric, helping him find parts of costumes, while keeping one eye on the shop door, waiting for security to pass by. When the guard did and
