Page 29 of Come Back To Me
“You want to try on something, hun?” a lady with red hair asks, smacking gum between her lips.
“Yeah. I only have this one.”
“Okay. Right this way.” She takes me to the last room on the right and hands me a number after opening the door with her set of keys. “Just call out if you need me.”
“Will do, thanks,” I shout behind her as she walks away.
I step inside and freeze when I look in front of me. A costume is hanging up on the hook on the door. It’s the zombie husband. Eyes widening, I look around me and my heart gallops. It has to be some weird coincidence. I turn away from the costume and strip out of my clothes. A knock comes to my door as I’m velcroing up the back. “Yeah?” I say, tugging at the long fabric around my legs.
“How’s it going?” Leo’s pink shoes come into view under the door.
“Good. I think this is as good as it’s going to get.”
“We can hem the legs if we have to.”
“How’d you know that was my issue.”
He laughs. “Because from one short guy to another, I understand the struggle. Why do you think I picked the skirt?”
“You sure that’s the only reason why?”
“Okay, maybe also because I have nice legs and life’s too short not to show them off.”
“And finally, part of the truth,” I tease. “I’ll be out in a bit and then you can buy me that lunch you mentioned earlier.”
“Sounds good. I’ll go pay and wait in the car. Glen called asking me to call him back.”
“Okay. Hope all’s okay.”
“Ah, yeah. Just deciding whose family to see during the upcoming holidays. Hopefully we can reach some middle ground.”
“Hopefully,” I say with a tinge of encouragement in my voice.
“Don’t take too long. There are no frozen pipes or mice stuck in traps you have to worry about here.”
“That you know of.”
He huffs a breath. “You got ten minutes.”
“What if there’s a long line when I get out?” I undo the back of my costume.
“Ten minutes.”
Shaking my head, I smile and slide the one piece off all the way. I’m lifting my pants from the small bench in the corner when another knock comes. I roll my eyes. “It hasn’t even been five minutes yet.”
I’m met with silence. Tilting my head, I look in the mirror, eyes traveling to where my feet are and my heart shoots into my throat. I drop my pants on the bench. Black boots. They’re scuffed at the toes exactly like Gareth’s. No. I told him to stay home. How would he even get here?
Teeth clenching, I slowly turn around while closing and opening my eyes. I back up and look down to the floor again. The boots are gone. I was seeing things. All of what’s happened is fucking with my head. I mean, how could it not? Maybe my wounds are getting infected.
I reach for my pants again and quickly toss my clothes back on. Then I gather the costume into the plastic bag and exit the changing room. After paying, I meet Leo at the car, and he’s still on the phone with Glen.
“Yeah, we were just about to eat.” He moves the bottom of the phone from his mouth, whispering to me, “Do you care if he meets with us to eat?”
“Of course not. The more the merrier.” I set my bag at my feet and he continues his conversation on the phone. They both suggest different restaurants, and it doesn’t take us long to settle on one. I’m too starved to be picky, and I don’t want to be out too much longer than we already have been. I told Gareth a couple of hours. It’s already been over two.
With the deli only being three blocks away, we get there pretty quickly, even more so with my friend’s crazy driving. Glen teases him about it as we’re meeting him at the door. Leo shoves at him and laughter fills around us as we enter the restaurant. It feels good to be out of the house and being surrounded by other people.
We’re seated at a table, and after telling the waitress what drink I want, I excuse myself to the bathroom. Right on time too, because Leo is playing footsie with his fiancé under the table and throwing sexual innuendos his way. It’s better than seeing my friend upset over an argument they’re having. I wouldn’t have guessed there was anything wrong by watching them.
