12-09-2021, 08:14 PM
She checked the time, 4:30 AM. She decided to just get up. She started coffee, hoping no one had used the hotel coffee maker to wash their underwear, like some of the stories she’d heard. She then jumped in the shower. After she showered, she dressed in a clean pair of jeans and a hooded flannel then sat down to sip her coffee while waiting for her parents to let her know they were ready.
She didn’t have to wait long as Maggie wanted to hit the shops just as soon as the doors opened. She rushed Marie and her father out of the door, and to the elevator. Once in the parking garage they all loaded into the Bonneville, Mari and the two dogs in the backseat.
They spent most of the day shopping breaking to eat some fast food in the parking stall of a burger joint. “Really Marie, I’m sure the dogs would have been fine at the hotel. We could have eaten somewhere nice.” her mother said from the front seat.
The dogs couldn’t see what all the fuss was about, they thought the burgers were great and scarfed them down quickly. Marie, For her part, kept gazing around looking for anyone suspicious wearing a red hat. This wasn’t as easy as one would think, as it was close to Christmas after all and red seem to be the color of the day. She was however convinced that in spite of what her mother may think, the dogs would not be safer in the hotel room.
The rest of the shopping trip was a blur. Marie’s feet were aching and she couldn’t believe her mother was still so full of energy after all the stops they made. Her father was smart and used the dogs as an excuse to wait in the car. Finally convinced she’d seen everything the area had to offer Maggie called it quits on the whole shopping experience and they headed back to the hotel, packages stuffed in every spare corner of the car.
They got back to the hotel with just enough time to spare to get themselves ready for the party. Maggie grabbed Marie’s arm as she headed to her room and thrust a bag into her hand. “I picked this up for you. I saw the black dress you had hanging in your room and thought this would be a better choice. It is Christmas after all and not a funeral.”
Marie thanked her mother, took the bag and went into her room, Penny and Bella right on her heels. It was as she had expected, her room was a mess. All of her bags had been dumped and her things rummaged through. Somebody was either looking for something or sending her a message and it was pissing her off. Then she saw the broken whiskey bottle and was really pissed.
She quickly cleaned the broken glass. She didn’t want herself or the dogs to cut their feet and then proceeded to get dressed, all the while thinking she‘s find whoever did this and itching to let her .38 ask them why. She managed to calm down and looked at herself in the fall length mirror. She couldn’t believe her mother had picked this dress out for her. Luckily the red dress flared at the hips but it was barely long enough to cover her leg holster. She hadn’t looked inside the shoebox yet and shook her head at the contents. Red boots that would go over her knees were nestled inside. Those would be fine, she thought but did the heels have to be so high? How did Maggie even get them purchased without her noticing?
She put Penny and Bella’s new Christmas sweaters and reindeer antlers on them, grabbed their leashes and headed downstairs to the ballroom. The ballroom certainly was festive. A giant tree took up most of a corner in the side of the room. The extravagant decorations looked like a picture from a magazine. There was even a fake fireplace next to it. The tables were to the sides of the room with the dance floor in the center. The tables were decorated elegantly. She politely declined the champagne that was offered from the server carrying a large tray of the bubbly drink and walked over to the bar to get a glass of whiskey. She spotted her parents walking her way beaming at her. Her father looked quite handsome in his black tuxedo and her mother was a knockout in her floor length green gown with a slit that went high up on her thigh. They made their way toward one of the tables and that’s when she saw him. “What the fu...”
“Marie!” Her mother almost shouted. “Your father invited him. Be nice.”
“He did what?” Marie asked hardly believing her father would do such a thing. Before Ted could answer Loki arrived at Marie’s side and asked if she’d like to dance. She was about to tell him no but caught her mothers look telling her that she better not ruin the evening. Even monster hunters can be a little scared of their mamas. She did a slap his offered hand out of the way as they walked toward the dance floor together. The song was much too slow for Marie’s taste and as Loki put his arm around her waist he pulled her close, leaned down and whispered in her ear “Is that a .38 in your leg holster or are you just happy to see me?” Marie just stared at him. “Not funny then?”
“Not in the least.” Marie said, then asked “What are you even doing here?”
“Well, your father invited me. Your parents are very nice, makes me wonder what happened to you.”
“Not here” she snapped. “Here, in Oklahoma City.”
“Oh yes, that. Hel has it in her mind that someone here has the key to Baldur’s prison and is planning a rescue. She thinks she knows who and believes they are at this party. Now that I think of it maybe you could go talk to her and calm her down. She won’t listen to me I barely got her to wait in that fishing store’s parking lot to think about it before she came down here and did anything rash.”
“If it’ll get me away from you, I’ll go” Marie said.
She went over and motioned to Penny and Bella, who had taken a break from being the life of the party and were currently laying next to the fake fireplace, to follow her. She headed to the parking garage and climbed into the big 4 x 4. She started it up, drove out of the garage and to the fishing store, as Loki had called it. When she arrived the lot was empty, the store having closed hours ago. She looked around for Hel and finally spotted her near a park like area that had a fountain and a few benches. She slipped on her coat and started walking toward her. When she got there, she softly called out to the very tall woman who was pacing angrily “Hel?”
Hel spun around and growled out “You! Where is it?”
“Uh oh” Marie thought. “Thanks a lot Loki.” She muttered and started trying to form a plan.
She didn’t have to wait long as Maggie wanted to hit the shops just as soon as the doors opened. She rushed Marie and her father out of the door, and to the elevator. Once in the parking garage they all loaded into the Bonneville, Mari and the two dogs in the backseat.
They spent most of the day shopping breaking to eat some fast food in the parking stall of a burger joint. “Really Marie, I’m sure the dogs would have been fine at the hotel. We could have eaten somewhere nice.” her mother said from the front seat.
The dogs couldn’t see what all the fuss was about, they thought the burgers were great and scarfed them down quickly. Marie, For her part, kept gazing around looking for anyone suspicious wearing a red hat. This wasn’t as easy as one would think, as it was close to Christmas after all and red seem to be the color of the day. She was however convinced that in spite of what her mother may think, the dogs would not be safer in the hotel room.
The rest of the shopping trip was a blur. Marie’s feet were aching and she couldn’t believe her mother was still so full of energy after all the stops they made. Her father was smart and used the dogs as an excuse to wait in the car. Finally convinced she’d seen everything the area had to offer Maggie called it quits on the whole shopping experience and they headed back to the hotel, packages stuffed in every spare corner of the car.
They got back to the hotel with just enough time to spare to get themselves ready for the party. Maggie grabbed Marie’s arm as she headed to her room and thrust a bag into her hand. “I picked this up for you. I saw the black dress you had hanging in your room and thought this would be a better choice. It is Christmas after all and not a funeral.”
Marie thanked her mother, took the bag and went into her room, Penny and Bella right on her heels. It was as she had expected, her room was a mess. All of her bags had been dumped and her things rummaged through. Somebody was either looking for something or sending her a message and it was pissing her off. Then she saw the broken whiskey bottle and was really pissed.
She quickly cleaned the broken glass. She didn’t want herself or the dogs to cut their feet and then proceeded to get dressed, all the while thinking she‘s find whoever did this and itching to let her .38 ask them why. She managed to calm down and looked at herself in the fall length mirror. She couldn’t believe her mother had picked this dress out for her. Luckily the red dress flared at the hips but it was barely long enough to cover her leg holster. She hadn’t looked inside the shoebox yet and shook her head at the contents. Red boots that would go over her knees were nestled inside. Those would be fine, she thought but did the heels have to be so high? How did Maggie even get them purchased without her noticing?
She put Penny and Bella’s new Christmas sweaters and reindeer antlers on them, grabbed their leashes and headed downstairs to the ballroom. The ballroom certainly was festive. A giant tree took up most of a corner in the side of the room. The extravagant decorations looked like a picture from a magazine. There was even a fake fireplace next to it. The tables were to the sides of the room with the dance floor in the center. The tables were decorated elegantly. She politely declined the champagne that was offered from the server carrying a large tray of the bubbly drink and walked over to the bar to get a glass of whiskey. She spotted her parents walking her way beaming at her. Her father looked quite handsome in his black tuxedo and her mother was a knockout in her floor length green gown with a slit that went high up on her thigh. They made their way toward one of the tables and that’s when she saw him. “What the fu...”
“Marie!” Her mother almost shouted. “Your father invited him. Be nice.”
“He did what?” Marie asked hardly believing her father would do such a thing. Before Ted could answer Loki arrived at Marie’s side and asked if she’d like to dance. She was about to tell him no but caught her mothers look telling her that she better not ruin the evening. Even monster hunters can be a little scared of their mamas. She did a slap his offered hand out of the way as they walked toward the dance floor together. The song was much too slow for Marie’s taste and as Loki put his arm around her waist he pulled her close, leaned down and whispered in her ear “Is that a .38 in your leg holster or are you just happy to see me?” Marie just stared at him. “Not funny then?”
“Not in the least.” Marie said, then asked “What are you even doing here?”
“Well, your father invited me. Your parents are very nice, makes me wonder what happened to you.”
“Not here” she snapped. “Here, in Oklahoma City.”
“Oh yes, that. Hel has it in her mind that someone here has the key to Baldur’s prison and is planning a rescue. She thinks she knows who and believes they are at this party. Now that I think of it maybe you could go talk to her and calm her down. She won’t listen to me I barely got her to wait in that fishing store’s parking lot to think about it before she came down here and did anything rash.”
“If it’ll get me away from you, I’ll go” Marie said.
She went over and motioned to Penny and Bella, who had taken a break from being the life of the party and were currently laying next to the fake fireplace, to follow her. She headed to the parking garage and climbed into the big 4 x 4. She started it up, drove out of the garage and to the fishing store, as Loki had called it. When she arrived the lot was empty, the store having closed hours ago. She looked around for Hel and finally spotted her near a park like area that had a fountain and a few benches. She slipped on her coat and started walking toward her. When she got there, she softly called out to the very tall woman who was pacing angrily “Hel?”
Hel spun around and growled out “You! Where is it?”
“Uh oh” Marie thought. “Thanks a lot Loki.” She muttered and started trying to form a plan.