| |
––––––––
“I can’t wear this, Leslie!”
Derek stood over his phone from where he placed it on the rickety kitchen table, the smell of stale coffee lingering in the air. He secured the black mask around his head, debating how he would get through the evening wearing it and the large sombrero, without running into people.
“These pants have one pocket. How am I supposed to carry my phone, wallet, and keys?”
“Put them in your hat.” Her velvety warm chuckle careened through him.
He loved her laugh. He loved everything about her. Her costuming skills, however, he was still iffy about.
“You do realize I will run into everyone with this thing.” He picked up the hat and set it on his head. The comically oversized brim dipped to his chest. “Tell Dawn the hats are too big.”
“Stop complaining.”
The voice was higher, less throaty than Leslie’s. He figured Dawn had joined her sister in her room.
“Is Dawn there?”
“She’s here.” It was Leslie again. “Completely dressed and ready to go.” She sounded happier than he had heard her in months. “You’re right. Those sombreros are too big.”
Before her break up with Beau, he’d thought Dawn bitchy due to her preoccupation with her popularity, cheerleading, and obliviousness to her boyfriend’s cruelty. But since then, she’d won Derek over with her sometimes flighty, always brash, optimistic viewpoint.
“Aw, come on you guys. They’re fun.” Dawn sounded close to the phone.
“Derek says he doesn’t have enough pockets for his phone,” Leslie told her sister.
“Then tell him to leave his phone in his truck. We’ll have our phones. We have to be in the same costumes. He can’t cop out and change his pants so he can carry his phone. So not cool.”
Derek could almost picture the eye roll Dawn gave him.
Leslie came back on. “You heard that, right?”
He heard it. He didn’t like it, but if Dawn insisted he wear the same outfit, he would do it. Their costumes represented their new friendship, and for Derek, the evening marked an important milestone—he’d won the trust of the entire Moore household. Even Shelley had warmed up to him. It gave him a sense of belonging; he had become part of a family.
“You need to get dressed, Leelee. We’ll be late.”
An uncomfortable twinge raked across his gut. “Late? I thought we weren’t meeting there until seven. It’s not even six yet.”
“We’re getting there early.” Leslie’s tone changed to right above a whisper. “I have a surprise for you.”
He tossed his hat on the kitchen table. “What surprise?”
“Just meet me in that room we found behind The Abbey at seven. I’ll show you what I have planned.”
He played with a loose green thread in his sombrero, the uneasiness in his gut not letting up. “Why would you want to meet in the cells? I thought The Abbey creeped you out?”
“I can stand it for one night. Besides, it’s only a place to meet. We won’t be hanging around there for long.”
“We won’t?” He became suspicious. “Please tell me this isn’t a scary surprise.”
“No way! You’re going to love it.”
The front door opened. Carol Foster rushed inside, her arms laden with file folders, a laptop bag hanging from her shoulder.
“Hey, Mom.” Derek ran to help her. “What you got there?”
Carol handed him the pile in her arms. “Cases from the firm. Mr. Garrison wants me to go through them and type up the notes he made. He even gave me the office laptop to bring home. It will probably take me all weekend, but he’s paying me, so I don’t mind one bit.”
Carol kicked the door closed and set her purse and keys on a table by the door.
“Is that your mom?”
“Hold on,” he told Leslie as he carried the files to their kitchen table.
He set them down and picked up his phone. “Yeah, Mom just got home from work. She went in today to get caught up and came home with more work from the law firm.”
Carol took off her gray pantsuit jacket and set it on the table next to the files. “Is that Leslie?”
He put the phone up to her.
“Leslie, tell your dad thank you again.” She went to the coffeemaker and took the empty pot to the sink. “The job is wonderful. The Garrisons are giving me more and more to do every day.”
“I’m so glad everything is working out,” Leslie called to her. “I’ll tell Dad when I see him later tonight. He and Mom went to the party at the brewery.”
Derek watched his mother refill the coffeepot with water and chat with his girlfriend. To see her doing so well gave him a profound sense of relief. Her eyes brighter, her waiflike figure filling out her new pantsuit, she was more vibrant than he could remember.
He could finally look to the future with excitement instead of worry. How had he gotten so lucky? A great mom, a girlfriend who he loved, and a family who filled him with hope.
“Leelee!" Dawn shouted. “Get off the phone. You have to get dressed now.”
A strange rustling sound erupted over his speaker.
“Everything okay?”
“Leelee will see you at the party, Derek,” Dawn said.
“Okay. Tell Leslie, I love—”
Click.
That’s weird.
Carol spooned a measure of coffee in the top of the maker. “What was that about?”
He set his phone on the kitchen table. “I think Dawn was mad Leslie hadn’t dressed yet for the party.”
Carol flipped on the coffeemaker, checking out his outfit. “What are you? A pirate?”
“No.” He picked up his sombrero and put it on his head. “Leslie, Dawn, and I are going as the three amigos.”
Carol chuckled and lifted the brim of his hat. “Lose the sombrero; keep the mask. You’re more convincing as a pirate.”
