Diluted Desire by Desiree Day

it’s almost fifty degrees outside.”
    “I know.  I’m feeling it, I’m burning up.” Summer tugged at her white turtleneck.  She had dressed up as a four-tiered wedding cake, while creative it was cumbersome but she as well as everybody else loved it.  “Aren’t you hot?”
    “A little,” Clint admitted.  He had dressed up as Medusa, complete with mechanical snakes.  Crystal had burst into tears when she saw him, but stopped when she realized it was her daddy.  He grinned down at his daughter.  “Are you okay?”
    “I am,” she smiled up at him.  She was dressed up as Princess Tiana Disney’s first black princess. 
    “I’ll go mingle, unless there’s something else you need me to do,” Summer said.
    “No, go enjoy yourself, and again you did a wonderful job coordinating this,” Clint praised her then nudged her gently, urging her to join the party.  Summer took the hint and merged into the crowd. 
    Summer was talking with one of Sugah Cakes’ regular customers when she felt a tap on her shoulder.  Grinning she turned around and found herself face-to-face with Klyde, she immediately frowned.  She hadn’t seen him since she told him that she didn’t want to see him anymore.  He had on a lab jacket and a pair of wire-rimmed glasses.
    “Hey Klyde, who are you supposed to be,” she asked politely.
    He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of peanuts.  “George Washington Carver,” he said.
    “Oh cool.  Well it was nice seeing you.  I, um, need to check on the food.”  She began inching away from him.
    “You mind if I come with you?”
    “You don’t have to.”
    “But I do.” 
    Summer turned on her heels and pushed her way through the crowd, trying to get away from Klyde, she burst through the doors leading to the kitchen and he was right behind her.
    She rounded on him.  “I told you that you didn’t have to come.”
    “I wanted to talk to you.”
    Summer faced him.  Normally she would cross her arms over her chest or even sit down, but her costume prevented that.  “Okay what?”
    “I want for us to start seeing each other again.”
    Summer shook her head.  “No Klyde I’m not ready to date.  But thank you for asking.”  She was turning away to go to one of the refrigerators that was holding the cupcakes, when Klyde grabbed her arm.
    “Give me another chance.”
    Summer snatched her arm away.  “No!”
    “I’m not the person you think I am.  I was just stressed out.”
    “It’s okay Klyde, it really is,” she said, then nervously looked over his shoulder, hoping that someone would come into the kitchen.  She began to question her decision to be in the empty kitchen with him.  “Let’s just forget about it.”  She tried to step around him, but he mirrored her movements, blocking her.  “Come on Klyde, that’s not funny, I need to get back out in front.”
    “I thought you needed to get more food?” he asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
    “I did, but I forgot what I needed, so now I need to go back out and check.”  She tried to dart around him but he was too quick, he caught her again. 
    “You’re not going anywhere,” he hissed in her ear, his breath hot on her skin.
    “Let me go!”
    “Not until you agree to go out with me again.”
    “Fuck you!” She struggled against him, but with her costume her efforts were futile.  He kept a firm grip on her.
    Klyde laughed at her.  “That was fun.”
    She suddenly remembered something from a self-defense class she had taken.  “Like hell, it was.” 
I hope this works
.  She smacked him as hard as she could in the face with her head.  Klyde let out a howl and as his grip loosened, she pulled away and raced out of the kitchen.  Klyde was right behind her.  Panicked, she searched the crowd for Clint and when she found him, she rushed into his arms.
    “What’s wrong?”
    “Klyde. Tried. To. Hurt. Me.”
    “What the…”
    Coming through the crowd was Klyde with his hand over