B & E Ever After: A Hansel and Gretel Story

“Watch it, Broderick! You’re spilling them everywhere.”At my mother’s sharp voice, I lifted my attention from the Game Boy I’d been playing to find her swiping a super-sized bag of Skittles from my little brother.“God, you are such a mess.”Brick hung his head glumly, mumbling, “Sorry,” as she jerked him around until he was facing away from her so she could unzip the backpack he was wearing and cram the Skittles inside, out of his reach.Then she huffed impatiently and started away from us, snapping, “Well, come on. At this rate, the shopping center will close by the time we get there.”Brick dutifully shuffled after her, and I filed in behind him, returning my attention to my game. It was easy to keep track of him out of my peripheral vision; he wore a bright orange shirt and had Bart Simpson on his book bag. So I was able to beat a new record and advance a level without paying attention to where we were going, even though the foreign country we were in had some pretty cool sit

Judge Fashions Industry sat in the heart of the city’s downtown. If legend could be believed, Marcella and Arthur Judge had started the business in a crumbling building that once stood in this very lot, on the second floor above a laundromat with a single Singer sewing machine Arthur had given Marcella on their wedding day and bits of material neighbors had cast off from their own darning endeavors.Marcella had been the art and creation—or what her husband had termed the soul—behind the clothes they made, while Arthur was the businessman. With his animated and persuasive personality, he could’ve sold sand to people on a beach. He could’ve been anything. But what he was most proud of was his wife, so he put his life’s work into selling the designs she made.And within ten years, they were millionaires with three dozen employees and business ventures around the globe. They bought the entire block around that deteriorating laundromat, razed all the buildings, and built up JFI as it sto

Gasping, I reared back, drawing my hand to my chest so the resident wouldn’t see I’d been about to touch their amazing door.A woman exited.“There you are,” she said, her voice accusing as her thin eyebrows arched high with irritation. “I called for you nearly ten minutes ago.”I blinked, confusion reigning. Um. Did I know her?“I—What?”She let out a dramatic sigh. “Dear Lord, please tell me you at least understand English. Is that really too much to ask for in the help around here?”“O-oh,” I stumbled out in sudden realization. She thought I was part of the staff. “No. I’m sorry, you have the wrong—”“And where is your uniform?” she cut in, eyeing my clothes as if they might be contagious. “Don’t think I won’t be reporting you for such blatant disregard for your dress code. It’s utter insolence, is what it is. I don’t pay this place what I do for such subpar service. Your people should learn to be more respectful.”Excuse me, but did she just say, my people?What the actual

“I—You—This...” Gabby fumbled a moment before looking at the sack in her hands and gulping in miserable guilt.“What’s in there?” I demanded, setting my hands on my hips. “You didn’t steal anything, did you?”“I…” Her eyes were huge as they veered back to me. Then she bobbed her head up and down in confirmation as if her body was answering me without her permission, even as she whispered, “No.”“You little thief,” I accused softly, striding toward her. This was why I stayed away from women and relationships. Being attracted to someone didn’t make them decent or honest or worth the price of your thoughts. It just made you lose your stupid head and want things you shouldn’t.“What the fuck did you steal?”“Nothing!” she screeched.She didn’t try to dodge away from me until I’d nearly reached her, which was why she was too late when she finally gasped and veered backward, trying to escape me.I leapt forward and caught her wrist all too easily.“What—” she started when I hooked an

I had no idea where the man was taking me. I just blindly followed along, still clutching his sleeve as he strode down the hall, leaving his mother’s apartment far behind.It didn’t occur to me that we could part ways now, not until he’d pushed through a side exit and paused us beside a nice, tan-colored sedan sitting next to the curb. And still, I stuck by him.“You can put your things back in here now,” he murmured, tugging the crinkled sack from the back waistband of his pants and snapping it open.I nodded without speaking. After slipping in the bottle of soda and saltines, I glanced up to watch him remove everything from his person and toss them into the bag as well. Then he tied it closed with a knot and opened the back door of the car next to us. After shutting it away inside, he opened the front passenger side door, and glanced at me, telling me to get inside with a single tip of his head.I didn’t say anything in return. I just got into the car. I have no idea why I did th