The Grim Reaper’s Mate

The Candy Man

David pulled Old Blue around to the back of candy shop to a single parking space.

"We're here," he said cheerily, and I just sat in stunned silence. Here? Like here, here? He lives here? I looked around. This must be a joke. "I'll unlock the door so we can get inside. I'll have customers in no time now that Ol' Blue is back. He's not exactly inconspicuous, you know?"

David hopped out, whistling a jolly tune. I shook myself out of my stunned stupor and stepped out of Ol' Blue, wrinkling my nose as an unpleasant scent hit me. I glanced around and spotted the neglected trash can behind the shop. I shot David a scathing look, and he shrugged meekly.

"What can I say? I didn't have time to get it to the curb last week," he explained.

"Last week?! No wonder it smells so terrible!" I groaned. He chuckled and unlocked the back door of the shop. I scooted in, and was relieved when the delightful scent of sugar assailed my senses. Fruits and sugar. Yum.

"So...you are the proprietor of this shop?" I asked as he pushed around me to turn on the lights.

"Yep. Candy man by day. Gangster assassin at night. What can I say? I like to live on the wild side," he said.

"So what kind of candies do you sell here?" I asked eagerly. I don't want many indulgences in my new life, but I've always had a sweet tooth. Of all assassins I could have ended up seducing and running away with, it's just my luck that he's a candy man!

"Ah, unfortunately I don't get much stock. I make my own chocolates like fudge, malt balls, and chocolate-covered candies, but I mostly have gum balls, hard candies, fruit-flavored candies, and some crystal sugars. Not much, I'm afraid, but it's enough to keep the kids around here happy. Chocolates I don't sell in two days go with me on a trip to the poor district where I give them out to kids for free. Rather, I give them to parents who use them to bribe their kids. I guess you can say I run two undercover operations," David smiled at his little jest, and I offered him a courtesy smirk, though I do think his gesture of taking candy down to the poor district is really nice. How is this guy a ruthless killer?

"This way. I live above the shop," David said, gesturing to a spiral staircase tucked into a corner of the shop. I gulped. Those things freak me out. It always feels like I'm falling when I'm around them. I guess I'll just have to get used to it. "I have two rooms and a bathroom up there. You can take the extra room. I only had a guest bed in there for when the boss wanted me to house someone, but I'll let him know it's occupied now for you."

"Oh, yeah. I was thinking on the way here that with my white hair maybe I could pretend to be your mother here for a visit?" I suggested. He snorted through his nose.

"My mother? No way a young beauty like you could pass for my mother. My sister, maybe, but we're thoroughly invested. Nothing in our background is secret, and I never had a sister, and my mom is deceased. They'll know you're a fraud instantly. Nah. You'll need to pose as my new girlfriend. I hate to do it to your hair, but we'll need to dye it. You'll look completely different. Incognito just with a different hair color and style. It's a shame. I like your natural look, but it is what it is if you want to remain undetected," he reached out and fingered a strand of my hair with a regretful expression.

"Oh. Okay. Whatever you think is best," I answered awkwardly, pulling away from his gentle touch. What was with that regretful look on his face? I don't mind putting my old identity far behind me. I get the rare opportunity to be a whole new person. It's kind of exciting.

David led me upstairs and showed me what will be my room. Then he showed me the bathroom and left me to go unload my stuff from Old Blue. I realized it's been a long time since I had used the restroom and gladly went in to refresh myself. I looked at myself in the small mirror as I washed my hands. What hair color do I want to try? A bold color like blue or pink? Or maybe something softer like lavender or mauve? I'm trying to stay under the radar. I'd better go with a traditional color and style.

I sized up my face from every angle. I always wore bold makeup as Christine when I was seen out in public. Personally, I don't like a lot of makeup. I prefer the natural look with very little maintenance. My dad hired a personal makeup artist who shaped my face into sharp angles and gave me dramatic eyeliner and red lips. I liked that look sometimes, but I didn't like how the men treated me at parties once they became drunk. As Angel, I think I'll keep a bare face with only a little lipgloss and some mascara. Yes. That should do. I'll be an entirely different person. This is going to be fun!

I lifted up my hair and observed my bare face from different angles. Do I really want short hair? I love my long hair. I can style it better, and I once heard my mom complaining when she cut her hair short that longer hair was easier to deal with than she realized. She would say she had made a mistake and couldn't wait to grow her hair back out. I do believe I will keep it long enough to pull up. Yeah. A pony tail. That's a style I've never worn. I'll wear it in a sporty pony tail with a bare face. No one will recognize me.