Buckle grins when he finds a bright green shirt with orange fish. “I’m wearing this.” He grabs a bucket hat from a table. “And this.”
Perry grabs a neon blue shirt with red drinks and shrugs it on over his shirt. “I’ve never been to one of these. I’m so excited.”
“Elsbeth was talking about it at the last Valentine’s Day meeting and I bought us tickets. It sounded so fun. And I love stories. This way we get to play a part in one.” I bounce on my toes as Perry buttons up my shirt.
There’s sun screen on the table and Buckle smears some on his face, then across both my and Perry’s noses.
“Now we all look like we’re on vacation,” Buckle says.
Elsbeth sweeps back into the room with a basket. “Everyone looks perfect. It’s time to pick your assignments.” She holds out the basket with envelopes.
Other guests arrive to pick their costumes as we pick our envelopes.
Buckle goes first, then Perry, and me.
Elsbeth passes me a paper ticket. “Hand this to the man at the first door to your right. He’ll get you seated. Read your information, but don’t tell anyone what it says other than your name for the night.”
Perry takes my hand and we skip down the hall, with Buckle following.
We’re seated and open our envelopes. It’s hard to contain myself.
“I’m London Harding,” Perry says. “Do I look like a London?” He bats his lashes.
“Dunno about that,” Buckle says. “I’m Diesel Berry.”
“You can pull off a Diesel,” I say.
“And your name, pretty Beta?” Perry asks.
“Tracy Hall.” I giggle because of what my card says.
The room starts to fill with guests, and in the past I’d start panicking. But my guys keep me calm. And Elsbeth said there were eight guests total then the actors playing the parts so it won’t be too overwhelming.
When the clock strikes seven, I follow my card’s instructions and excuse myself for the bathroom. Two other people join, probably to throw everyone off. Elsbeth hands the three of us new envelopes with new instructions. She winks when I snort.
“Understand the assignment?” She asks us before taking our cards back.
We nod and head back to our waiting audience.
