Hell's Gate: Amelia by Crymsyn Hart Page B

A squeal of delight ripped from her throat and she threw her arms around Tig’s neck. This time she didn’t move through him. Dust sat heavy on her tongue. The smell of sweat and perfume permeated the air. The stale aroma of cloves clung to people. It was all so overwhelming that she wasn’t sure in which direction she should head next.
    Tig unwound her from his body and took her hand. He led her over to the bar and tapped Lila on the shoulder. The blue haired bartender spun around and almost threw her drinks on him. However, she stopped short on the tips of her toes and clutched the bottle of beer and the shot in her hands.
    “ Tig , what the fuck? I’m busy here. You could get your ass behind here and help me.” The bartender gave her drinks to the customers who were waiting for them.
    “Lila, chill. I wanted you to meet someone. This is Amelia.”
    Her eyes met Amelia’s for a moment as she looked her up and down and then turned back to get an order for another patron. She stopped and then went back to Amelia. “Wait a minute. Amelia, as in the ghost who keeps being a pain in my ass and rearranging all my glasses?”
    Amelia smiled and did a little twirl, feeling her dress reel around her. “That’s me.” A surge of energy gripped her. She wanted to boogie with the other people on the dance floor. All she desired was to declare that she was alive to the entire universe and that it felt wonderful. Lila poured a shot of something and Amelia snatched it from her hands and downed it. The warmth of the alcohol burned right to her stomach and then rocketed to her brain. It felt great.
    “Hey! Ghost or not, you need to pay for that,” Lila proclaimed.
    “Give her a break. She’s hasn’t had a drink in eighty-five years. Anything she wants is on the house tonight,” Tig said. He took Amelia’s hand and led her into the fray of grinding people. The manger whirled her around and then dipped her. A gleeful noise slipped through her lips. Gravity threatened to pull her to the floor even though she was in the comfort of Tig’s arms. It wasn’t something she was used to. He pulled her up and her head spun. She closed her eyes and tried to get her bearings while Tig led her from the dance floor.
    “Thank you for everything,” she said. Amelia sucked in a breath, feeling her lungs expand. Taking in the air, she held her breath just because she could.
    “You’re welcome. I’ll talk to Leah about setting you up in a room downstairs. You should have one while you’re flesh.” He walked her over to the stairs and left her by the foot fetishist enclosure.
    Amelia smiled and took in everything around her. The noise hurt her ears, but it was a good hurt. With so many people surrounding her, she had forgotten what it was like to interact with others. Being alone so long on the other side, she wasn’t sure where to start.
    “Hey, honey. You looking to get your feet wet?”
    A woman beckoned her into the roped off area where men were waiting in line and others were on their knees worshiping the women’s feet. Amelia had seen her around the club before, but hadn’t interacted with her. The attendant’s red hair was pulled back into a bun. She wore a short, blue vinyl dress with thigh high, leather boots.
    “No. I don’t think so.”
    “Come on, honey. Women tell me it’s the best experience of their lives.”
    Amelia twirled her finger around her shoulder length, black locks. Once she realized what she was doing, she stopped. I thought I got rid of all those quirks. Her gaze darted at the couple of empty seats and the men who were eagerly waiting. They all seemed to have good intentions, and if anyone got out of hand they were booted from the club. Why not? I’ve been dead for almost a century. Now it’s my time to live. Have to take advantage of it while I can. The light reflected off her new ring and reminded her of what Tig had said. He didn’t know how long the spell would last. It could fade at dawn. She