Chapter One
If life as she knew it was going to end tomorrow, she might
as well enjoy herself tonight.
Sasha Kelly stepped onto the makeshift stage as the karaoke
machine blared out the beginning to a popular Jazz Age song. By the time Sasha
got to I ain’t got nobody, and nobody cares for me, she had the entire
room’s attention.
Although her voice wobbled a little near the end, nobody
noticed. Least of all her former boyfriend, who stood at the bar with his
latest flame hanging off his arm. Not that she could entirely blame her ex for
the impending eviction, but his recent betrayal still stung.
He’d taken her virginity and scant weeks later moved out of
their apartment, leaving her with his share of the rent to pay. Sasha narrowed
her eyes as she caught him staring at her, his gaze wandering hungrily up and
down her body even as his hand rested upon his new girl’s waist.
Forcing herself to concentrate, Sasha finished the song. She
didn’t miss him , but she sure missed the sex.
“Congratulations, dear.” The elderly professor running the
end-of-the-year party approached Sasha as she stepped off the stage to a
smattering of applause. “I never knew you had such a beautiful contralto
voice.”
“It comes in handy during all the parties I go to with
Roaring Twenties themes.” The professor hovered uncertainly and Sasha forced a
quick smile, already regretting her snippy reply. “Thank you for organizing
things, Mr. Brown.”
“A pleasure. Good luck after graduation, dear.” He paused,
seeming to become more focused upon her. “Got a job lined up?”
Yeah, cleaning my dad’s floors after he comes home drunk
out of his skull. And stocking shelves at the local supermarket.
“I thought I’d travel back in time and get a job as a
singer.”
Mr. Brown blinked rapidly and she saved him the trouble of
thinking up an answer by handing him the microphone. Yet he recovered more
quickly than she thought possible as she began walking away.
“Sasha.”
He knew her name? She turned, juggling coat and keys. “Yes?”
“Maybe you will.”
He was humoring her. Wasn’t he supposed to be the most
eccentric professor on campus? She shrugged. “And pigs might fly.”
Mr. Brown shuffled closer as the karaoke machine started up
again, this time blasting something with a loud bass beat.
“Haven’t you heard that this building takes on a little
magic during end-of-year parties?” he asked.
Sasha gave the multipurpose room a cursory glance. “Here?”
The professor waved his hands vaguely. “Opportunities are
everywhere if you walk through the right door.”
Sasha paused, biting back her initial flippant reply. The
elderly man seemed convinced by his own words. She decided to humor him. “Okay.
I’ll keep an eye out for promising doors.”
“You do that,” Mr. Brown said brightly. “Good luck, dear.
Oh—you’ll want to go out that way. Turn right when you leave the room.”
With a muttered thanks, Sasha navigated through the thin
crowd. She’d already said her farewells to the people who mattered. The rest of
them—well, she hardly knew anyone else. Working a part-time job instead of
socializing had alienated Sasha from most of her classmates.
Hell, she didn’t even know the way out of this stupid
building. Sasha rounded a corner and frowned. Mr. Brown had told her to turn
right, but this area was filled with storage boxes. Over the hum of a generator
she could hear voices—were they coming from the other side of the wall?
There was a door as well, but it didn’t look like a way out.
It was easily the strangest door she’d ever seen. Its threshold was raised
while the clearance was low, forcing one to step high while stooping at the
same time.
Opportunities are everywhere if you walk through the
right door.
Seized by the same devil-may-care attitude that had carried
her onto the karaoke stage, Sasha opened the door. On this, her last night of
freedom, she wasn't minded to be
If life as she knew it was going to end tomorrow, she might
as well enjoy herself tonight.
Sasha Kelly stepped onto the makeshift stage as the karaoke
machine blared out the beginning to a popular Jazz Age song. By the time Sasha
got to I ain’t got nobody, and nobody cares for me, she had the entire
room’s attention.
Although her voice wobbled a little near the end, nobody
noticed. Least of all her former boyfriend, who stood at the bar with his
latest flame hanging off his arm. Not that she could entirely blame her ex for
the impending eviction, but his recent betrayal still stung.
He’d taken her virginity and scant weeks later moved out of
their apartment, leaving her with his share of the rent to pay. Sasha narrowed
her eyes as she caught him staring at her, his gaze wandering hungrily up and
down her body even as his hand rested upon his new girl’s waist.
Forcing herself to concentrate, Sasha finished the song. She
didn’t miss him , but she sure missed the sex.
“Congratulations, dear.” The elderly professor running the
end-of-the-year party approached Sasha as she stepped off the stage to a
smattering of applause. “I never knew you had such a beautiful contralto
voice.”
“It comes in handy during all the parties I go to with
Roaring Twenties themes.” The professor hovered uncertainly and Sasha forced a
quick smile, already regretting her snippy reply. “Thank you for organizing
things, Mr. Brown.”
“A pleasure. Good luck after graduation, dear.” He paused,
seeming to become more focused upon her. “Got a job lined up?”
Yeah, cleaning my dad’s floors after he comes home drunk
out of his skull. And stocking shelves at the local supermarket.
“I thought I’d travel back in time and get a job as a
singer.”
Mr. Brown blinked rapidly and she saved him the trouble of
thinking up an answer by handing him the microphone. Yet he recovered more
quickly than she thought possible as she began walking away.
“Sasha.”
He knew her name? She turned, juggling coat and keys. “Yes?”
“Maybe you will.”
He was humoring her. Wasn’t he supposed to be the most
eccentric professor on campus? She shrugged. “And pigs might fly.”
Mr. Brown shuffled closer as the karaoke machine started up
again, this time blasting something with a loud bass beat.
“Haven’t you heard that this building takes on a little
magic during end-of-year parties?” he asked.
Sasha gave the multipurpose room a cursory glance. “Here?”
The professor waved his hands vaguely. “Opportunities are
everywhere if you walk through the right door.”
Sasha paused, biting back her initial flippant reply. The
elderly man seemed convinced by his own words. She decided to humor him. “Okay.
I’ll keep an eye out for promising doors.”
“You do that,” Mr. Brown said brightly. “Good luck, dear.
Oh—you’ll want to go out that way. Turn right when you leave the room.”
With a muttered thanks, Sasha navigated through the thin
crowd. She’d already said her farewells to the people who mattered. The rest of
them—well, she hardly knew anyone else. Working a part-time job instead of
socializing had alienated Sasha from most of her classmates.
Hell, she didn’t even know the way out of this stupid
building. Sasha rounded a corner and frowned. Mr. Brown had told her to turn
right, but this area was filled with storage boxes. Over the hum of a generator
she could hear voices—were they coming from the other side of the wall?
There was a door as well, but it didn’t look like a way out.
It was easily the strangest door she’d ever seen. Its threshold was raised
while the clearance was low, forcing one to step high while stooping at the
same time.
Opportunities are everywhere if you walk through the
right door.
Seized by the same devil-may-care attitude that had carried
her onto the karaoke stage, Sasha opened the door. On this, her last night of
freedom, she wasn't minded to be
Similar Books
