“I bet he’s okay to walk to your car,” I offered. I’d reminded Paula time and again that Ivan was perfectly capable of walking, but it was one lesson she couldn’t retain.
She peeked out the door. “I don’t know, there are a bunch of big guys hanging around outside by that gym place.I’mscared of them so I’m sure he will be too.”
I’d hoped the Crush crowd would die down, but the party was still going strong.
“Okay, then maybe it’s fine to carry him this time. But make it worth his while rather than chasing him. Squat down, let him approach you at his own pace, give him a treat, tell him what you’re about to do,thenpick him up. Like this.”
I kneeled and Ivan toddled over to check me out. When he was close enough I grabbed a bit of freeze-dried liver from a nearby bowl and gave it to him, then put my hands on his sides. I paused to let him acclimate to the sensation. “Up,” I said, lifting him, and he settled into my arms.
“You make it look so easy,” Paula said, shaking her head.
“You’ll get it,” I reassured her and handed Ivan over.
After a little more chitchat Paula finally collected her things. She said something as she headed out the door that I couldn’t quite hear.
“What’s that?” I called to her.
“I said that there are a lot of men out there and I want you tobe safe,” she said, pausing before walking outside with Ivan clutched in her arms.
Once she was gone I kicked off my heels and slipped on my Birkenstocks, letting out a moan of relief. I wasn’t lying when I told Paula I had cleanup down to a science. I’d already run the messy paper towels from the accidental puddles and piles out to the dumpster, and the rest of the trash was bagged up and ready to go. I moved the hay bales and pumpkins to the back door, put the folding chairs in my storage area, and stashed the agility equipment where it belonged.
I was happy I’d hidden two of Roz’s frosted ghost sugar cookies at the beginning of the night because the trays of food I’d put out were down to crumbs and I was starving. I shoved one in my mouth, grabbed an overfull trash bag, and headed for the back door.
It was going to be a quick trip to the trash, an in-and-out so fast that I wouldn’t need my silly fur coat, which was hanging by the front door because it got too hot by the end of the party. I hip-checked my way outside, pausing to kick my trusty propping rock into place to hold the door open. The cold slammed into me and I instantly regretted my no-coat decision. My black dress was made from thin velvet with spaghetti straps and I might as well have been naked in the freezing night air. I shuffled as fast as I could, considering my black nylons made my Birks slippery, and readied myself to toss the heavy bag into the bin Highland games shot put–style.
Was the twinge in my shoulders as I hoisted the bag a remnant from my workout with Andrew, or just proof that Iwasn’tstrong like ox? I was too tired to think about either option. I glanced toward Andrew’s side of the building, half expecting tosee people overflowing out here too, but it was dark. I could hear Myrtle meowing in the distance as I flip-flopped to my door.
Myclosedback door.
I let out a groan of frustration. It wasn’t the first time my not-so-trusty propping rock had failed to do its job. Now I’d have to sneak around the building to slip in the front main door without anyone from Andrew’s party seeing me.
I cursed my stupid nineteen-dollar dress as I speed-shuffled with my arms crossed tightly over my chest. I was freezing, overtired, grumpy, and hungry. I pitied the fool who got in between me and the end of my night.
Andrew’s DJ was still cranking club hits that drifted out his open front door. The party had thinned, but there was still a group gathered hobo-style around a firepit at the edge of the parking lot. It had to be a building violation, but I was too tired to call him on it. One of the guys was seated in an Iron Throne and I had to give him props for the realism. They seemed drunk and rowdy, chanting something and laughing. It sounded like they were saying “give it to me” over and over until I realized that they were actually saying “Gib it to me.” Andrew Gibson had acatchphrase. I slunk against the building, staying in the shadows until I finally reached the door, then placed my hand on the handle and pulled.
Nothing.
I wrenched it a few times even though I knew it was locked, my frustration and anger making me want to scream.Thatwas what Paula had said to me as she left. She’d locked me in, to protect me from the swole-bros.
I leaned my head against my door as I spooled throughpossible solutions, trying not to shiver while the wind sliced through my dress. My phone was locked inside. Roz, the keeper of my spare key, was gone. The only option was to go to Andrew’s, beg to use his phone, and get my mom to drive over with her spare key. Maybe Patricia was still there and I could summon her without anyone else seeing me? Because at this point my messy wig, dress, and Birks combo was scarier than any zombie.
“You okay?”
I whirled around and there was Aqua-Andrew in all of his sleeveless fake-tattooed glory, acting like it wasn’t thirty degrees. There was something a little dangerous about him standing in the shadows with his arms crossed, making his biceps look bigger than normal. Even in the darkness I could tell he was sizing me up, trying to make sense of what the hell I was doing and if he should intervene.
“No, I’m obviously not okay,” I griped before I could temper my frustration. “I’m locked out.”
He worked hard to hide a smile but not hard enough. “You seem to have a problem with doors.”
“And?”
“And... I’m a little afraid to help you, given what happened last time.”
The vapor puffs around my face gave away the fact that I was frustrated and breathing hard.
“I said I was sorry.”
That got a rumbling round of laughter out of him. “You absolutely did not. In fact, you gave me a list of rules I needed to follow, remember?”
