"No one would have known had some asshole not left paint in the middle of the walk way!" Kristoff shoutedback.
The door slammed behind him and Martin was gone for a few minutes. When he came back in, Kristoff trailed after him, wearing a pair of too baggy sweatpants. I had changed out of my dancing clothes and into a tank and a pair of athletic pants. "I'll grab a bag and go outside to rinse your pantsoff."
"You don't have to," Kristoffprotested.
"Nonsense. You'll get paint all over. I'll put them in a bag. I'm not sure if you'll be able to wear them again, but you cantry."
Kristoff gave me a short nod. Martin frowned at me and reached out for the bag. "I can doit.”
I snatched the bag back. "Youshould, but I want to make sure it's right and nothing else jumps out at me." With a slightly overdramatic flounce, I stomped out of thehouse.
"She's pissed at you," Kristoffremarked.
I didn't hear Martin's response, but I could only imagine what it was. I reeled out the hose, picked up Kristoff's destroyed pants and proceeded to gently spray them to get off as much paint as I could. When I'd finished, I wrung them out the best I could and folded them into the bag. There was no way he'd be able to wear them again. Some of the paint had already dried. I left the bag by the driver's side and headed back into the house. Martin and Kristoff were glaring at eachother.
"Umm, gentleman? Everythingokay?"
Kristoff held Martin's gaze for a few seconds longer before he turned to me. "We're crystal clear," he said. "I'll send your pants back withKatie."
I walked him to the door and stepped outside with him. "I'm so sorry," I said. "I have no idea how that happened." Though I did. I knew exactly who was responsible for tonight'sshenanigans.
"Oh, I do," Kristoff said, also seeming to know who wasresponsible.
"Well," I breathed. "To a weird night!" I held out my fist for a bump, but Kristoff stepped closer and gently brushed his lips acrossmine.
"Goodnight,Katie."
I touched my fingers to my lips, my heart beating a hundred miles per hour. "Night."
Kristoff bounded down the steps in his weird ass too large pants and drove off into the night. I stood there for a few moments more until I finally stepped back into thehouse.
Martin had his bag over his shoulder and was preparing toleave.
"Was that really necessary?" I askedhim.
The look of innocence on his face was astounding. "Was what reallynecessary?"
I rolled my eyes. "You left a tray full of paint in the middle of the walkway.Really?"
"I did no such thing," he said and headed to thedoor.
"Then how do you explain whathappened?"
He turned with his hand on the edge of the door. "Katie, I can assure you I did not leave a paint tray anywhere someone could step init."
The memory of the flickering curtain caught in my brain. I crossed my arms over my chest. "So you moved it when you saw himthen?"
His face went carefullyblank.
I walked over to him, so close our noses almost touched. I pressed a finger into his hard chest. "What kind of powers does a Romani have?" I studied him, breathing him in. "I don't know much about you or the Romani's. I know you read leaves, can tell fortunes, have different magics than most of the other creatures here." I leaned in even closer until his nostrils flared with the scent of me. "But can you move things? Manipulate things?" My hand splayed against his warm chest and I felt his thunderous heartbeat.
Mine was pumping rapidly at the close proximity to him. His face was so close to mine, any sudden move from either of us could change the dynamic of our relationship in aheartbeat.
Martin moved a hair closer. "I can do things you wouldn't believe, Katie Harper." His hand caught a loose strand of hair and he toyed with it as he tugged me even closer. "Do you want me to showyou?"
I swallowed hard and stepped back. "I'm assuming you'll be heretomorrow."
His smile was wolfish. "Bright andearly."
