“Wait, now it’s sticking up in the back,” I said, frowning at the ruffled look to her dress. Clearly, I didn’t possess the skill set of your average lady-in-waiting.

“I think this strap’s supposed to go below this one,” Sarah said, turning around in a fruitless attempt to see the back of her dress.

“Wait, I think I see what the issue is…” I fumbled around the many layers of her dress, enjoying the brief glimpse of one shapely leg under all the ruffles. “This part was tucked into that part. I think it’s right now.”

She turned once and the dress moved with her, swirling around and then bouncing back into place. “Thanks,” she said. “Is my makeup all messed up? The whiskers they drew on me, I mean?”

A frown formed on my face as I looked at her. “It’s a little smudged.”

“Damn. Do you have a mirror?”

“No, I’m a man. As I believe I just proved to you.”

She grinned. “Yes, you presented some pretty compelling evidence.” She placed her hand on my chest and leaned up to kiss me on the cheek. Such a simple gesture, but for some reason it made my heart beat faster. She was a sweet girl. But sweet girls would be far better off staying away from guys like me.

To cover my mixed feelings, I made sure my own costume was back in order. When I reached down to move the wine bottle out of the way of her full skirts, I saw the condom, which I’d tied off, had leaked.

While I was looking for somewhere to discard it, I passed Sarah trying to fix her makeup by looking at her reflection in a distorted copper pot. She really was adorable.

I finally got everything cleaned up and met her by the door. “Ready to rejoin the party, Milady?”

“Yes indeed, kind sir,” she said, her eyes gleaming—which I doubted was because of the party.

I opened the door, and as soon as I did, we could hear faint noise from down the hall as well as the long, low chimes of a clock.

Sarah’s face turned pale. “What time is it?”

I glanced at my watch. “Shit! It’s midnight.”

“Oh my god, the contest! I have to go.”

“Wait, I forgot my sword.” But she’d already taken off.

“I’m sorry,” she said, over her shoulder as she ran down the hall. The clock continued to chime as she ran. “I have to get out there.”

“Meet me after,” I called. “In the main entryway, right after the costume contest.”

I was half afraid she couldn’t hear me, but she called back that she would—just before she rounded the corner.

Cursing myself for forgetting, I grabbed the sword and scabbard and trotted down the hallway after her.

Things were chaotic in the main ballroom with half of the hundreds of attendees showcasing their group costumes and the other half wandering around looking at them. Sarah was just ahead of me, and I plunged through the crowd, trying to catch her. Not sure why—just didn’t want our time together to end so abruptly. But just as I was a foot or two from her, she’d made it to the largest display of all.

At least a dozen pairs of so-called “animals” were grouped in front of a large backdrop showing an Ark. Sarah dashed up to the only man without a partner and grasped his arm, striking a pose as the others had. Her partner had on a black mask and drawn on whiskers and looked displeased at her later arrival. Asshole.

And the stuck up man-mouse was not the only one displeased. Michelle, standing some distance away, surveyed the display, her face beneath her mask a study in disgust. Her frown deepened when she saw me looking over at Sarah, but after another moment it dissolved into an obviously fake, thin smile.

She started over to me, but then I heard a loud whistle that, judging by the decibels, could only have come from Ryan. He’d had the annoying habit of hailing me that way since high school.

By the time I made it to the corner where our space was, my fellow horsemen were already in place. “War. Death. Pest,” I said by way of greeting.

“Pestilence,” Tyler said. “Where’ve you been?”

“With a chick—where else? You can tell because his fly is still open,” Adam said, causing me to look down reflexively, but it was fine.

“Jackass,” I said. And he was. But these were my buddies. We’d been friends since high school, and while only Ryan and I talked daily, Tyler and Adam were still some of my favorite guys in the world. What I’d lacked in closeness to family growing up, I’d made up for with my friends.

While the crowds milled about and my buddies and I tried to look appropriately apocalyptic, I couldn’t get Sarah out of my mind. It was true that I didn’t have a great track record with doing the right thing for women, but maybe this time could be different. I’d only shared a short time with her, but there was definitely potential there. Who knew what it might lead to? Already, I was thinking of restaurants I’d like to take her to. And naughty things I’d like to do with her. The latter thought was a very familiar one, but the former was new. I couldn’t recall the last time I’d felt so excited about someone, the last time I’d felt this sense of possibility.

And I didn’t know anything about her—nor she, me. She didn’t even know my real name, for Christ's sake. But I’d remedy that right after this ridiculous spectacle. We’d change, and I’d take her out for coffee and we’d get to know each other without masks. Without mystery. And who knows, maybe she’d agree to spend the night with me. Normally, the thought of a woman in my home, my personal space, was an unpleasant one. I preferred to go to a hotel or the woman’s place. But with Sarah? Somehow that didn’t seem like a bad thing at all. In fact, it sounded like something pretty damn special.