Kim Harrison - Dates From Hell

Kyle nodded, his eyes moving over her solemnly as he took a sip of his own drink. Lowering the glass, he asked, “How do you feel? Any ill effects from this afternoon?”

Claire shook her head quickly and told herself she wasn’t lying as she took a sip of wine. After all, being able to shape-shift wasn’t necessarily an “ill effect,” was it? Sighing, she lowered her glass and glanced around. The tables had been set up around the outside of the large room, leaving a wide space to dance in, and couples were out there now sweeping along to a ten-year-old love song.

“Would you like to dance?” Kyle asked, following her gaze.

Claire hesitated and nearly said no, but it would have been a lie. She really would like to dance, she was just afraid of stumbling and making a fool of herself. Deciding to be brave, she nodded.

Kyle took her wine and set it on a table next to them. He then took Claire’s arm and led her out onto the center of the floor.

Claire was as tense and sweaty as a teenager as Kyle took her in his arms. She hadn’t been this nervous with a man in a long time, but then none of the men she’d dated had meant as much to her as Kyle did. She was so wired up it took a moment for her to notice that they fit perfectly together, her body matching itself to his as if fitting into a puzzle slot.

“We fit together perfectly,” Kyle whispered by her ear.

Claire stiffened in surprise at his verbalizing her thoughts, then lifted her head to peer at him. He stared back, his gaze traveling over her face in a caress that she could almost feel. Her lips parted slightly of their own accord when his eyes settled there and Claire felt her breathing become more swift and shallow with anticipation. She was finally, finally going to be kissed by Kyle Lockhart, Claire thought, almost faint at the prospect. But, rather than kiss her, Kyle used a hand to urge her head back to his chest.

Claire sighed and tried to relax against him, but her mind was on the fact that he’d passed up the perfect opportunity to kiss her.

Why? She wondered. What was wrong with her? Was it her figure? Perhaps if she had larger breasts…

Claire stumbled in the dance and blinked in surprise as her neck was suddenly forced to bend farther forward to keep her head on Kyle’s chest. For a moment she didn’t understand what had happened, then she realized her breasts had suddenly grown between them, like two balloons inflating.

“Er…Claire?” Kyle said uncertainly, apparently noticing something was amiss.

“Oh God,” Claire breathed and squeezed her eyes closed, thinking Go away, go away, go away.

“Claire?” Kyle pulled back and she forced her eyes open, relieved to find her chest normal-sized again.

“Yes?” She raised her head to his, but Kyle was peering at her cleavage with confusion.

After a moment, he shook his head. “I thought—”

“Kyle! Is that you?”

Claire and Kyle broke apart to peer at the excited man suddenly standing beside them.

“It is you!” the man said. He had boyish good looks and a full head of dark hair, but was almost painfully short at a couple of inches less than five feet. It was his height that helped Claire to recognize him right away.

“Bobby Loth,” she said, happy for the distraction.

“Claire! You remember me!” he said with surprised pleasure.

“Of course, I do.” Claire smiled. Bobby had been in the science club with them; intelligent and good-humored, he’d been a good friend in high school.

“Who could forget you, Bobby?” Kyle asked lightly. “How are you, old friend.”

“Good.” Bobby beamed as they shook hands, then stepped back to catch the arm of a petite brunette waiting shyly a step behind him. “This is my wife, Meredith. Meredith, this is Kyle and Claire.”

Claire and Kyle smiled and said hello. The four of them stood talking on the dance floor for several minutes, before moving to collect their drinks and settle at a table together. The conversation continued, but Claire was slightly distracted as she kept one eye on the wire-covered clock on the wall. As pleasant as she found the interlude with Bobby and his wife, Claire just couldn’t relax. It was almost a relief when it was time to leave. At least it meant an end to her tense waiting.

Excusing herself—ostensibly to visit the ladies’ room—Claire slipped from the table and made her escape.

“Right on time,” Jill said cheerfully as Claire slid into the front passenger seat of her car a moment later. She was obviously looking forward to what was to come. Claire wasn’t. There were too many things that could go wrong.

“Thanks,” she murmured as Jill handed her the photos. She handed back the snapshot of herself, then took the picture of Brad Cruise they’d ripped out of the magazine and hesitated as she squinted at it in the dark. “I don’t suppose you brought a flashlight or something?”

“No, I didn’t think of it. Just a minute.” Jill dug through her purse briefly, then held out a small item.

“A lighter?” Claire asked with surprise as she took it. “You don’t smoke.”

“Ted smoked cigars once in a while and always forgot his lighter.”

“Oh.” Claire glanced around nervously, but the parking lot appeared empty. She flicked the lighter on and concentrated on the picture once more.

“Perfect.”

The one word from Jill a moment later told Claire she’d finished the change. She let the lighter go out with relief. It had started to get warm under her thumb, distracting her, but she’d feared letting it go out before she was done.

“Okay?” Claire asked, lifting her head.

Jill flicked the interior car light on just long enough to look her over, then flicked it back off to avoid attracting attention.

“As I said, perfect,” she assured her. “Come on.”

Sighing, Claire slid out of the car and walked around to meet her, then handed back the magazine photo for her to put away.

“Take my arm, like a gentleman,” Jill instructed as they started toward the entrance to the school.

Claire took her arm, and mentally reminded herself that she was now a man, so she should pull out chairs, take Jill’s arm, and all those other little courtesies.

“What are you doing?”

Claire glanced at Jill with surprise. “What do you mean?”

“You’re swaying your hips.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are. You’re walking like a girl.”

“I am a girl,” Claire said with irritation.

“Not tonight you’re not,” Jill said firmly. “Think manly, try to swagger. And don’t talk.”

“Anything else?” Claire asked dryly.

“Yes.” Jill patted her hand and said, “Thank you…By the way, how is the date with Kyle going?”

“Good…until I had to come out here,” Claire said, then recalled the incident with Magda and Ted and quickly related it to Jill who—fortunately—wasn’t upset.

The registration table was empty when they reached the gym. They truly were going to be the last to enter. Jill paused outside the closed gym doors, took a deep breath, then glanced at her and said, “Show time. Just smile and nod and agree with anything I say. Okay?”

Against her better judgment, Claire nodded her agreement, then added, “Just don’t leave me alone.”

“Like I’d abandon Brad Cruise in the same room with a bimbo like Magda on the loose,” Jill said dryly, then pushed through the door. Still holding her arm, Claire pushed her own door open and entered with her, noting that everyone was now seated and servers were moving through the tables delivering the first entrée.

“Perfect,” Jill whispered, pausing just inside the doors to peer around. Their entrance had not gone unnoticed. Several people had turned their way to see who had entered, then more people looked toward them as the first people nudged those next to them. A loud whispering began to move through the crowd, most of it made up of the name “Brad Cruise.”