Maybe she was fae? That could have been and it would also provide an easy explanation for her silver hair and ethereal beauty. Yet, there was something to her energy that was dark—and fae were almost always light energy.
The only ones who weren’t totally captivated by her obvious and almost haunting beauty seemed to be Finn and Marty. Finn, because he’d busied himself with his Gameboy, occasionally stuffing candy corns into his mouth when he thought I wasn’t looking.
Marty just seemed bemused, as though he couldn’t understand why everyone was gaping at her. There was a hint of exasperation in his expression, like he’d caught strangers leering at his sister. Protective, yet not possessive.
It was at that moment that I wondered if maybe McFly was gay?
“Hey, Fifi,” he said mildly as she paused in front of our table. “Took you long enough! We’re starving over here!”
Now that I could tear my eyes away from her stunning face, I could see she was wearing the same outfit as Shelby. It somehow looked indecent on Fifi, though, like she was about to start stripping, giving everyone ‘come-hither’ bedroom eyes. The impression only grew stronger when she gave Marty a coquettish pout.
“Still immune to my charms?” she asked, batting her uncommonly long eyelashes as she did so.
“What charms?” he joked with her.
God, maybe he was gay? But that was a mystery I couldn’t focus on at the moment. Instead, my mind was completely taken in by her voice. Even it was sultry. A teasing, almost baby talk lilt that I imagined would act like a siren’s song to most men.
I wasn’t sure why, but I instantly distrusted her, despite the fact that we hadn’t exchanged one word yet.
“Sorry, Fifi,” Marty answered with a big smile. “But my date here, Poppy, is just so stunning, I couldn’t focus on anything else.”
“Whoa,” Finn said as he looked up, first at Marty and then at me. “You’re on a…” And then he saw Fifi and the words dropped right off his tongue. “Hi,” he said, nearly drooling. “I’m Finn.”
“Well, hi there, Finn,” Fifi answered. “Are you gonna have any room left in your tummy after eating all those candy corns, handsome?” she laughed and it sounded like bells.
I was still so completely enamored of this woman’s beauty that I couldn’t even ponder the fact that Marty had referred to me as his date and, furthermore, he’d called me ‘stunning’.
So maybe this was a date? And maybe McFly was… attracted to me?
I didn’t have the chance to argue with myself because Finn laughed at whatever Fifi had just said and it was the strangest sound I’d ever heard Finn make—a strange choking sort of giggle. Then he cleared his throat as his cheeks colored and he seemed to remember himself. “You want some candy corns?” he asked and handed her the entire bag.
She giggled and pushed them away. “Honey, at my age, I’ve gotta watch my figure.”
Not when everyone else is already doing that job for you, I thought.
Jeez. Jealous anyone?
Fifi turned those intriguing, wine-colored eyes on me, taking in the full picture… which wasn’t much. I mean, sure I was an attractive woman, but compared to her, I looked like roadkill—run over another two or three times.
But when I turned back to Marty, his eyes were soft and he was staring at me like he saw something just as beautiful as Fifi, herself. And I suddenly felt myself smiling. I’d honestly never had someone look at me like that—with complete and total… adoration, maybe? Any of my past boyfriends would have been salivating at the sight of Fifi and would have forgotten I was even in the same state.
“That’s sweet,” Fifi said, but the sour note in her tone said she thought it was anything but.
What was sweet? Oh yeah, that McFly had said we were on a date and I was… ‘stunning’.
Fifi frowned. It seemed like someone wasn’t used to getting the brush off. “Can I get you something to drink?” she asked as Finn stared up at her, still in a complete stupor.
“Can I have a…” he started and then shook his head as he looked down. “I forgot what I was going to say.”
Fifi giggled, her previous upset apparently completely forgotten. “Take your time, sugar.”
“Okay,” Finn answered with another smile.
“I’d like an iced tea with lemon, please,” I started and then looked at my son who was still tongue-tied. “Finn would like a strawberry lemonade, and...” I glanced over at Marty.
He snapped his menu shut. “I’ll take an iced tea, as well, with six sugar packets.”
“Six sugar packets?” I repeated, shocked.
“He likes sweet tea,” Fifi answered, and the familiarity between them suddenly burned me, though I wasn’t sure why.
“And we’ll take some beer nuts with mustard to start,” Marty continued, completely oblivious to the strange hostility brewing between Fifi and me. “And the wings please.”
“Got it,” Fifi said.
“Oh, and Fifi,” Marty continued. “Don’t skimp out on the buffalo sauce.”
She giggled. “I’ll make a special note.” Then she winked at him as something akin to rage traveled up my esophagus, giving me heartburn. She disappeared down the aisle with an extra sashay to her hips.
“Who was that?” Finn asked as he turned to face Marty.
“Oh, that was Fifi,” Marty answered and sounded bored.
“She an ex-girlfriend?” I asked before I could help myself.
Marty threw his head back and laughed. “Good God, no! Why do you ask?”
I frowned and tried to find my previous good mood, but it seemed like it was long gone.
“She just seemed… very… into you,” I started, not really sure how to phrase it, because it was damned embarrassing and I wished I’d never even started the conversation.
“That’s just Fifi,” Marty said, waving a hand dismissively. “She’s like that with every man,” he started and then looked at Finn, “Or young man she meets.”
“I felt like I was hypnotized just by looking at her,” Finn said as he returned his attention to his Gameboy, seemingly unperturbed by that fact.
Marty nodded. “She has that sort of... effect on men.” Then he shrugged. “I’ve never quite understood it. Some people say she’s gotta be a witch.”
My stomach did a nervous flip-flop. She hadn’t felt like a witch, but maybe that would have explained the feeling of… animosity I got from her? Hmm...
She wasn’t a witch. I would have felt that energy coming off her.
Right. And I hadn’t felt that energy. But, I had felt something…
“I hope not,” I muttered.
“Witches are bad news,” Finn added.
Marty’s eyebrows lifted a little at that, but he didn’t ask the question until Fifi had returned with the beer nuts, the wings, multiple dipping sauces, and our drinks. Then she made another grand exit, flourishing her hips as she walked away.
“You believe in witches?” Marty asked as he looked at me.
Chapter Eleven
I shrugged. “You don’t?” I mean, believing in witches wasn’t that far off from believing in ghosts…