Biting Serendipity: April Fools For Love (Biting Love Short Bites Book 4) by Mary Hughes Read Free Book Online Page A

behind the bar, casually removing the ruler, and glanced around for sexy glares. Thor was chatting with Granny, who’d gotten here before me. Normally I’d worry what havoc she’d gotten into, but this time I pumped air and mouthed a silent, Yes. Distracted, neither would walk up on me mid-measure.
    I dropped below the bar and quietly opened the fridge and used the ruler. There was just room for the jumbo pickle jar I wanted to use. Double yes.
    Quickly, I texted Abigail. We are GO for MonsterMash .
 
    After work, I practically ran home, gleefully anticipating tomorrow’s test. Or rather, tonight’s test, because it was two thirty two a.m. and this was now March thirty-first. T-minus one day.
    The instant I got home I got to work, loading our printer with paper, running the steps in my head. Print out picture, let dry while getting a good night’s sleep, waterproof with breakfast, let dry while teaching, then put in pickle jar and take to Nieman’s.
    First step, print out picture. Easiest part, right?
    Naturally, our printer was out of ink.
    I dashed out to the AllRighty-AllNighty, but Kurt didn’t stock ink. Filled with panicked indecision, I finally decided I’d buy a refill at the campus bookstore my first break between classes, and run home to print in my second break, and grabbed a frustrated forty winks.
    My half-assed plan worked about that well. By arriving early at school and dashing out three separate times—first to find, then to take to the cashier, then to pay—I managed to get my ink. That blew my schedule all to hell. Even cutting short my office hours, as I hurried home I knew even if I printed the face and waterproofed it before I had to leave for Nieman’s, the waterproofing would never dry in time.
    No dry monster, no test, and tomorrow was April Fools. I’d have to do the prank cold, not even knowing if it was funny enough.
    I ran the whole way home, trying to figure out how I’d make it all fit in an impossible time frame, fretting as I ran inside—straight into Frankenstein.
    I screamed like a little girl.
    Laughter broke out. After I stuffed my heart back into my chest and glared black death at my guffawing roommates, who’d seen me coming and had been right behind the door holding the monstrous thing at face level, Gabriella explained.
    “I used my art supplies and drew the most horrific monster face I could. Abbie and I tinted the water, then stuck the paper in with just enough distance between page and glass to make it swim murkily. See?” She raised the pickle jar again.
    “Yes. Thanks. ” I stuck a hand between me and Mr. Monster, who looked horrifically real. I was grateful for their effort on my behalf, but not the new white hairs poinging out of my skull.
    I hid the thing in my gym bag and went into Nieman’s, my excuse ready that Nixie asked if she could borrow my sparring gear, and I was dropping it off after work. Nobody asked. I was disappointed.
    While Buddy was turned to grab a pricy bottle of whiskey from the highest shelf, I slipped the jar with the head onto the top shelf of the under-bar refrigerator. The thing looked so real, it scared even me. Surely, it’d give Buddy a turn. Maybe I’d even get a little yip out of him. I smiled in anticipation.
    This prankster stuff wasn’t so bad. Frankly, now that it was underway, I was having fun.
    A more realistic touch occurred to me, and I opened the refrigerator again, shoved the monster jar back an inch, and pulled a bottle of olives in front of it. Then I uncovered the olive dish in the drink prep area and stuffed all but one of them in my mouth.
    I was still chewing when Thor turned from talking with Granny and caught me, raising his version of the Eyebrow Of Truth.
    “What are you doing?”
    I grinned innocently—like an innocent chipmunk with unchewed olives in my cheeks—chomped a few times and swallowed. “Nothing.” It was true. I’d already done it.
    Frankly, I was having a lot of fun. I grabbed my tray