Part One: Before
“Come on, Tina, it will be fun!” My best friend Margo called as she stood pouting at me in the doorway of my house. She was dressed to the nines, in a get up that would make men swoon. With a short little pink dress and glittery silver makeup that made her whole face shine, she was certainly ready. Me, on the other hand? Not so much.
I was still wearing a tshirt and sweatpants from laying around the house all day, and I still didn’t think going out to Club Etherealia was a good idea. I’d heard too many stories about mysterious disappearances, attacks...I didn’t want to go anywhere near the place, but Margo insisted it would be good for me. I’d just gotten over a pretty bad breakup, and I had sworn off men for a good long while. Margo reminded me that I’d only sworn off human men though, and that my tune would change once I set my sights on the bar patrons. Club Etherealia was the city’s premier paranormal bar, which meant that creatures of all shapes and sorts would be gathered there, looking for a good time. Sure, they let curious humans in, too, but there were rules, and one had to have special permission to visit.
The paranormals had surfaced about five years ago or so, and while it was a shock to everyone at first, things seemed to be going surprisingly smoothly. However, they still liked keeping on the down low, and good thing, too. There were a few radical groups out there desperate to “purge the freaks from our land”, and so the paranormals had taken to venues of their own, safe spaces where they could be themselves and not have to worry.
Margo had gotten special permission for us to visit Club Etherealia because her boss happened to be a fairy, and she’d managed to talk him into it after no small amount of flirtation. So here we were, getting ready to go into the belly of the beast, as it were. I felt woefully inadequate next to beautiful Margo with her makeup and dress. I still had yet to put on anything for the affair, because I kept telling myself that if I didn’t get dressed, then I hadn’t really committed to going yet, and that I could still back out.
“Well, come on, don’t just stand there! You’re not even dressed yet! I swear, Tina, sometimes you’re just impossible, you know that?”
I chuckled at her enthusiasm as she pushed herself inside and went straight for my wardrobe, pulling out item after item of clothing. “I never agreed to this, you know. You should just go by yourself. You’ve got a hot fairy boss to seduce, remember?”
Margo laughed her soft, tinkling laugh. “Oh, believe me, I haven’t forgotten. But I still think it would be more fun with you there. I really think it would be good for you to get out and clear your head of that loser, you’ve been staying in moping far too much.”
“Have not!” I retorted instantly, but deep down, I knew it was true. Margo always knew how to see through to things I didn’t even realize myself. That’s what I liked about her. I really had been staying in moping a lot. Maybe she was right. Maybe I should go out and hook up with some hot paranormal. That would show him.
I shook my head to clear the thoughts. Stop thinking about him, I warned myself. This isn’t about him anymore, this is about you. This is about doing something you want. After that, I steeled myself, and faced Margo. “Let’s do it.”
“Oh, I knew you’d come around!” She cried, throwing her arms around my neck and giving me a quick hug. “We’re gonna make you so sexy, the paranormals won’t know what hit them!” I rolled my eyes, and she dragged me off to the bathroom.
When I emerged, I looked (and even felt) like a different person. My black hair was done up in luscious curls that framed my face just so, and I was wearing emerald eyeshadow that brought out the color of my eyes and glinted in the light. I had on a lacy black dress that I thought I’d never see myself wearing, and if I looked at myself in the mirror