Page 1 of Costume Party Crush

Chapter 1 - Kaleb

Acurlicue of bright green appeared on the glass, and I finished off the pumpkin stem with a flourish.

I took a step back to examine my work, trying to decide the best place to paint a leaf. Just past the loop appeared to be the most logical location, and I moved in again to add it. Satisfied with my pumpkin’s shape, I switched to a black paint to create the face of the Jack-o-lantern.

I hummed along to my music and swayed slightly as I worked. Fall was the best time of year. For a couple glorious months I could let my creativity really shine, and not just paint ‘Grand Opening’ or ‘Sale!’ as colorful as the business would let me. No, I got to paint pumpkins, skeletons, Santas and snowflakes.

Businesses who rarely called lined up to have decorative displays painted on their windows, and I loved it. I could drive past strip-malls and my work would be right there for the world to see. Shoppers would stroll past in the Valle Granja mall, and I could never hide my grin when somebody stopped to admire my creations.

I grabbed my bat-shaped sponge and dabbed it in the black paint, then used it to place several bats flying above my scene. Once there was a nice balance I set my tools aside and took several steps back so that I could look at the big picture.

I grinned as I admired my work. The secretary inside had asked for a pumpkin under a spooky tree, with ‘Happy Halloween!’ in bold letters, and I thought my painting fit the bill. I decided to add a spider dangling from the tree, but it was the finishing touch.

Satisfied, I started putting away my paints and tools.

“Oh my God, it’s perfect!” squealed the secretary as she stepped outside.

I turned and grinned. “Thank you!”

She held out a check. “This was the price, right?”

I looked, nodded, and accepted the payment. “That’s correct.”

She clapped her hands together and looked at the painting again. “Do you have a card so we can have you do our Christmas windows too?”

“Absolutely! Let me grab one.”

I rummaged through my case until I found the card with the fewest paint smudges on it, then passed it over.

She took another minute to praise the windows as I took some photos for my portfolio, then she thanked me and disappeared back inside.

I looked down the strip mall, trying to decide if I had enough time for another storefront, or if the better plan was to stop in and attempt to schedule a couple places for the next day. Eventually I ended up doing a single pane for an insurance agent, and managed to set up two small stores for the morning.

I was just packing my gear into my trunk when my phone rang.

“Kaleb,” I answered, not bothering to check the caller ID.

“Mr. Anderson?” a pleasant male voice asked.

“Yes?”

“This is Sean Jefferson from the City of Valle Granja.”

A stone started to form in the pit of my stomach. Had I missed some sort of license renewal? Why would the city be calling?

“How can I help you?” I asked, forcing a polite tone.

Sean cleared his throat. “You do window painting, right?”

“Yeah?”

“Great!” he chirped. “I saw some of your work last week, and I got the ok to ask if you’d be willing to do a mural for City Hall.”

I blinked and found myself unable to breathe. Being able to paint the city hall windows would be a major gig, even if it was only a single pane.

“I… um… when would you like to meet to discuss?” I asked.

“I’m around until five today,” he answered. “Or I can make time over the next few days, except Friday morning.”