“What do you think?” she said, turning around.

Unhappy with the situation, I jumped off the bed and turned toward the door, pretending to ignore Gabby as I tried to decide if I would be able to follow her from a distance. That wouldn’t help when she went into the house. I needed to go with her as a man, but would she let me?

Lost in thought, I didn’t hear Rachel until the door was already opening. I jumped out of the way just before it hit me.

Rachel stopped and stared at Gabby in shock. For once, I agreed with Rachel’s reaction.

“What the hell did you do?” she said.

“I’m going for dude. It’s safe, right? What guy is going to want to hit on a guy even if he knows that underneath, it’s a girl? Guys get weird about that stuff.”

“You know what’s going to happen?” Rachel said, sitting on the bed. “All the guys are still going to be attracted to you. Only they’re going to freak out because you’re going to make them think they’re gay. You’re going to get your ass kicked tonight.”

I swore and rushed from the room. There was no way I’d let Gabby go without me now. Gabby and her classmate would just need to adjust to the change in plans.

With Rachel in Gabby’s room, I shifted my hand, let myself out the back door, and went to the garage. Dale had given me some coveralls a few weeks ago, which I’d hidden in the back. I grabbed them, dressed with speed, and pulled back my hair. I wanted every man I encountered tonight to see my eyes and know the threat they faced if they got near her.

Less than a minute later, I was at the door again. I almost let myself back in, but remembered Rachel was inside, and knocked. It didn’t take long for Rachel to answer. When she saw me, she grinned.

“I’m glad you’re here. That girl’s going to need someone to keep her safe tonight.”

I nodded. Finally, we were on the same page.

“It’s for you, Gabby,” Rachel said loudly.

Rachel didn’t move to invite me in, so I waited outside for Gabby. As soon as she reached the kitchen arch, she stopped and stared. Slowly, some of the anger and annoyance left me, and I found myself grinning at her stunned expression.

Her scent changed the longer she looked, and it made my gut clench.

Someone knocked at the front door.

“I got it,” Rachel said, grinning at us before she rushed from the room.

Gabby glanced down at my coveralls, read the name sewn on my chest, then met my gaze. “You have some explaining to do, I think.”

My job had never really been a secret, no more than everything else I didn’t say.

She turned away from me, but she didn’t seem mad. I followed her to the front door where Rachel and another woman were talking. The woman wore a form-fitting dress to attract men. A mermaid or a siren; it didn’t make much difference. It was good I meant to tag along.

“You’re gorgeous, Nicole,” Gabby said. “Are you going to be warm enough?”

Probably not. And, a sweater would help draw less attention.

Both of the women and Rachel laughed.

“Hey,” Gabby said, “it’s a valid question. It’s the end of October for Pete’s sake.”

“I’ll be fine,” the woman said as her gaze locked on me. “Hi, I’m Nicole.”

I nodded and stuck out a hand. She clasped it.

“Uh, this is Clay,” Gabby said for me. “He doesn’t talk much. And this is Rachel, my roommate. Are we ready?”

While they focused on each other, I turned, planning to beat Gabby to the car. In the beginning, she’d managed to leave the house a few times without me. I was smarter now. Silently, I left the room.

“Sure,” Nicole said. “I parked on the street.”

“Great. Let me grab my keys,” Gabby said.

Already in the kitchen, I grinned at the keys in my hand and stepped out the back door. I was down the porch steps before she reached the kitchen. The missing keys would let her know what I had in mind if the overalls hadn’t.

Sliding behind the wheel, I started the engine and waited.

A few minutes later, both Gabby and Nicole stepped onto the back porch and hurried to the car. Gabby sat up front with me, and Nicole slid into the back seat.

Gabby turned to look at Nicole.

“I don’t know where we’re going. Just tell Clay where to turn and be sure to give plenty of warning. This is the only car I have for the winter.”

I knew her warning was for me. No doubt, she questioned my ability to drive. Although we’d grown closer, there was still so much she didn’t know about me. I smiled as I backed out of the driveway and followed Nicole’s directions to the party.

The car-crowded curbs worried me as we parked a few blocks away. Just how many men would I need to deal with tonight? I glanced at Gabby, her costume still a source of concern. She seemed unbothered by both her costume and the cold. Nicole shivered as we walked, but Gabby seemed fine. Dressing as a guy was still better than what Rachel had offered.

The blaring music began to hurt my ears as we neared the party house. Stuffed sheets, their version of ghostly decorations, hung from every tree in the yard. People crowded the front lawn in groups that overflowed into the neighbor’s yard.

We caught the attention of a few men who turned to stare. Their gazes drifted to Gabby, confusion clouded their expressions, then they looked at Nicole.

“I knew you would make this fun,” Nicole said with a laugh. “Oh, I see him on the porch. Do you think I should say hi?”

I had no idea who she was talking about, but I knew this wasn’t going to be fun with Gabby’s next words.

“Let’s push our way through the crowd and get inside. We can warm up for a minute. It’ll be more attractive if you’re not stuttering with cold.”

She wanted to go in? The windows rattled in time with the beat of the music. It wouldn’t be pleasant inside, and getting there would be less so because we needed to navigate through the sea of men on the lawn.

Frustrated, I took Gabby’s hand and started to lead her through an overly interested crowd. They willingly parted for us, turning as we neared though I knew they couldn’t hear us. Gabby was right. It was as if they sensed her, as if she sent out some kind of signal. She’d told me. I’d just never seen it get this bad.

When we reached the door, a man tried to sell me an empty cup for three dollars while offering Gabby one for free. Gabby politely said no. What was he thinking? Who wanted an empty cup? Even for free?

I glared at him and pulled her inside as he continued to look at her with interest. Immediately, my eardrums wanted to bleed. The bass echoed in my ribcage and made my teeth ache.

I pulled Gabby through the crowded entry, into a packed living room, then shouldered my way to the small couch. I glared at the two males sitting there. They uneasily stood and left, making room for the women to sit. Alcohol fumes permeated the air. Uneasy with the mood of the room, I stayed near Gabby, sitting on the arm of the couch. The men around us were drunk and unpredictable. I didn’t like it.

One of the males across the room caught sight of Gabby and made his way over.

When the man stopped in front of her, he swayed slightly on his feet. Gabby wouldn’t look at him. Good girl.

The music decreased in volume as a softer song came on. I would have sighed with relief, but the man used the opportunity to try to speak to Gabby. The alcohol he’d consumed had impaired his tongue, making him hard to understand.

“Hey...wash shore name?” he asked.

“Go away.” Gabby’s quick response almost made me smile.

“Wanna go up shtairs? They have a pool table.”

Nicole coughed, an attempt to hide her amusement. I was not amused. I narrowed my eyes at him and curled my hands into fists to hide my nails, which were slowly changing color.

“No. Go away.” Gabby turned to glare at the man.

From where I was sitting, just slightly behind her, I caught the man’s attention and bared my teeth. The flare of white snagged his attention, and his eyes widened before he started to nod and smile.