Semi-solid five out of ten.
And Katie was home.
In the corner of the ballroom, I found her and some friends standing around the coat check desk. She was hanging out with Jude’s girlfriend, Roni, and Talia, the Players’ assistant manager. The actual coat check girls were long gone, and I squeezed behind the desk with Talia, who’d been providing casual, drunken coat check services as the place cleared out.
I handed her a Red Bull I’d acquired from the catering guys.
“Thank you,” she gushed, and promptly popped it open. “I should really sober up.”
I tapped my little can to hers, then opened it. “If you say so,” I teased. I was not drunk. But right about now, I would’ve given anything to be her. Cute, drunk, single.
Happy.
Life sure as hell was simpler when I was in those shoes.
Katie and Roni had been waiting for their men to finish dragging out their goodbyes, forever, and I was waiting to leave with them, a sad hanger-on. Jesse and Jude stood with their backs to us, talking to some guys. And as I leaned on the coat check desk and took a swig of my energy drink, Katie leaned in next to me, just telling me with her closeness that she was there. I leaned into her, too.
“You good?” she whispered.
“Yeah. I’m good.”
Roni was eying me from where she sat on top of the coat check desk, nursing a beer. “So, are we ever getting an explanation?” she asked me. “We’re running out of time here.”
“What?” I blinked at her.
“You know. Costume.”
I sighed. “Come on. Really?” I pushed off the desk, standing back so they could see my costume clearly.
Roni, Talia and Katie all looked me up and down. The girls had been trying to figure out my mystery costume all night. I didn’t intend for it to be a mystery costume, but so far no one had been able to quite figure me out. I’d fielded guesses all night, ranging from Xena: Warrior Princess to She-Ra: Princess of Power.
All wrong.
I teased them by telling them I’d reveal my costume identity at the end of the night, but I figured someone would’ve figured it out by then.
Nope.
When no one ventured another guess, I finally informed them, “I’m Jane Foster.”
Blank looks.
“Come on!” I took my helmet off, shaking out my hair. “Didn’t you guys read any comic books when you were kids?”
“Um, did you?” Katie asked me, confused.
“No. But—”
“Jane Foster is Thor’s girlfriend,” Jude supplied, picking up on our conversation.
We all looked at him. Jesse muttered, “Geek,” as he coughed into his hand.
“Ignore him,” I told Jude. “And please, fill them in.”
“Sorry, darlin’. That’s all I’ve got.”
“You look fantastic, though,” Roni offered.
“Very hot,” Katie agreed.
