Tish’s eyes widened at the reminder.“It never crossed my mind that Halloween fell during this.”
“How?”Misty adjusted the hood over her hair.“Sorry I don’t have anything to lend you.It’s the only onesie I brought.”
“And I don’t know if you should wear it to practice anyway.”Tish sat down to lace up her shoes.“First off, you’re gonna get crazy hot after doing ice sprints in that, and not in a fun way.”
Oh, great, Tish was quoting her.“Second, this is the World Winter Games bobsled combine, not the cosplay 10K or pub night with the kickball team.Everyone’s got their eye on us, and they’re only going to accept people that they think will take this seriously.”
“There’s a cosplay 10K?Why haven’t we done that yet?”Misty forced flippancy into the tone to keep from snapping at Tish.She put every bit as much effort into the kickball season as Tish did her races, and didn’t appreciate it not being acknowledged.
“I don’t have an answer to either.I’ll cut you a deal.If it turns out there is a cosplay 10K, I’ll run it with you all dressed up as long as you leave off the onesie for today.”
Misty didn’t change right away.“Who picks the theme?”
“You can.I’d hate to see you not chosen for the team just because they didn’t like what you wore to practice one day.”
“That would be the stupidest reason ever.”
“Exactly, which is why you shouldn’t hand it to them.”
Misty realized too late she’d set herself up for that one.“Go on down.I’ll change and meet you.”
Tish tied one more knot in her sneaker laces before leaving Misty to change in private and nurse a few dark thoughts about her best friend.She stripped off the onesie and faced her luggage in her underwear and sports bra.She’d packed plenty for this trip but couldn’t find anything she’d feel as happy to wear.Even in her days at the ad agency, they’d gotten away with wearing costumes to work on Halloween, even been encouraged to.
She rifled through her clothes in search of her Riverside Rockets t-shirt.When she couldn’t find it, she felt even more deflated.It would have cheered her up to have a wearable reminder of everything she could do.
In the end, she settled on a shirt with a superhero logo across the chest.It would allow the slightest touch of festive spirit while still falling within the parameters of the dress code she hadn’t even known about until today.She arrived in the dining area to see Tallulah consoling Angela, who was sad about not being able to dress her daughter in her Halloween costume, and no one else even close to dressed up.
Misty wondered how Spencer would have reacted if she’d come to the gym in the dragon onesie.Would he have laughed at her or with her?Would he have been okay with her doing a workout in it?How much fun would it have been to have him unzip it after to find her wearing so little underneath?
She pushed the melancholy aside and headed downstairs.Soon they’d be hard at work, and a good dose of endorphins should wash these blues away.
****
“Now that takes me back,” Kurt said as Spencer removed his sweatshirt to reveal a red t-shirt with aGuardians of Melody Coveemblem across the chest.It matched the mask that covered half his face and paired well with his black shorts.“Cool costume.”
“Yours too, but how are you going to train in those?”Spencer looked askance at Kurt’s deadly-looking gloves.He was going to maim himself or someone else.
“I’ll take them off.You can still tell who I’m supposed to be.”Kurt wore a tight Wolverine shirt with a headpiece and a matching pair of shorts.The designers of the shirt had included the outline of muscles, but he didn’t need it to hint at what was underneath.He headed off to meet with his client.
They weren’t the only ones who’d dressed up.The gym was putting on a contest for people who showed up in costume, and a good number of people were participating.A weightlifter who had once been in the military had embraced that today with a full camouflage ensemble.Another guy walked past in a medieval-looking costume that Spencer couldn’t imagine how he’d be able to move freely in.And that made the third woman he’d seen wearing cat ears with her all-black workout ensemble, though only one had added a tail.
Another walked by in a red workout set and devil horns, but Spencer was too lost in thought to pay much attention.He was also prepared to bet his entire savings that if Misty had been here, she would’ve shown up in a costume, and one more colorful and imaginative than a headband with animal ears.She’d probably have the sense to choose one she could move in and would still have looked terrific.
All too late, he realized he’d dressed up for her.But because she wasn’t there, and because he wasn’t eligible to enter the contest, he wondered what the point was.He took off his mask and dug around his locker until he found a gym-branded t-shirt to wear instead.Boring, but at least now there was nothing to remind him of what used to be or what could have been.
Kurt frowned as Spencer left the locker room.“Where’s your costume?”
“Spilled on my shirt, and it looked stupid with just the mask.”The lie slipped out easily.
“That sucks, but this’ll cheer you up—Emily brought cookies!”
They headed to the office area, where a box of what looked like chocolate chip cookies sat on the counter.Spencer didn’t normally indulge, but helped himself to one in the hopes that a little Halloween treat might lift his spirits.Instead, his heart and throat clenched at the taste of it.“What kind did you say these were?”
“Choconut chip,” their fellow trainer said proudly, adjusting the witch hat she’d paired with a cape over her branded gym clothes.“Chocolate, coconut, toasted nuts—”
Spencer barely heard anything of the other ingredients Emily was rattling off.The flavors blended beautifully, and the dough was moist, but he couldn’t take another bite of it.Not with Misty’s scent of choice torturing him.
Some of it must have shown on his face because Emily looked concerned.“Oh shit, are you okay?Do we need the Epi-Pen?”
