Grinning, Sara said, “Okay. I will definitely see what I can do. This is good.”
When the two walked back over and began working by Jason again, he said, “I take it you came up with something.”
He looked over at Trinity, then Sara. “And I have a feeling it somehow involves me.”
“He is so full of himself, huh, Sara?” Trinity said.
“Well…” Sara said, smiling over at him. “We should be honest. He did give us the idea, after all.”
“Maybe you are right,” Trinity said. She grinned over at Jason. “You really should not have made fun of my costume.”
Trinity’s comment actually did confuse Jason.
“What do you mean?” he asked. “I did not make fun of your costume. I thought it was a great idea.”
“You said I should get a chain mail bra and head dress!”
“Yes?”
“But…” Trinity looked over at Sara, then back at Jason. “You cannot really get those.”
Trinity’s voice grew weaker. “Can you?”
Jason nodded. “I meant the chain mail bra to be worn over something else, as an accessory. I cannot feature wearing chain mail against my skin. Your dad would kill me, then you, if you even thought about wearing something like that without something underneath.”
“I have never seen anything like that at the fairs!” Trinity protested.
“There are several sites on the Internet that sell fantasy costumes. I saw the women’s chain mail and accessories on one of them, when I was looking for RenFair items.”
“Really?” Trinity asked.
Jason nodded again.
“Oops!” Trinity said. “Uh… Maybe you should not do what we were talking about.”
Sara just grinned at Jason. “Oh, no, I think the plan is just fine. The fact that this particular time he was not annoying you should not make you forget the other times.”
“Hey! That is right!” Trinity agreed.
“So, I take it you did not get an all-female serving staff and decide to have them wear I Dream of Jeanie costumes.”
Sara shook her head. “We thought it would be really nice to have a nice quiet service staff. Quiet like mimes.”
Jason looked sour. “Mimes? They are going to be acting as mimes?”
He looked over at Trinity. “This had to be your idea.”
Trinity stepped slightly behind Sara. “Well… I thought you were making fun of me.”
“Just do not eat,” Trinity added. “You will not have to get close to them, if you do not eat.”
“Oh,” Sara said, “I think I might just have to ask the caterers to take on a few extra duties. Maybe even add two or three more to help the house staff.”
“Oh, great,” Jason groaned. “I should have asked for better terms to come to this thing.”
“You are not really mad, are you, Jason?” Trinity asked.
Jason finally smiled slightly. “No. I guess not. You know how I feel about mime performers. You are entitled to get me when you can. You have.”
He started to turn away, then turned back and added, “But since you did it because you thought I had done something that I had not done, I think you should do something for me.”
Sara and Trinity both looked at him suspiciously. “Like what?” Trinity asked.
“I think the two of you should do a karaoke duet. Say… Short Shorts.”
“No way! Not in this lifetime!” Sara immediately said.
“Unh-uh.” Trinity added her protestation.
“I suppose that is too much to ask. You guys can pick the song. But it does have to be a good one. Not something like Monster Mash.”
“Nuts!” Trinity whispered when Jason moved away. “That is what I was going to suggest.”
“We will figure out something. You give in too easy, Trinity,” Sara said. She smiled. “And I do think I will have more of the catering staff here. It was already starting to look like six would not be enough.”
Trinity started to grin again. “Assuming there is at least one of the servers that is female, do you think we could come up with a way he would have to dance with her?"
“I doubt it, Trinity,” Sara said. “I already know him well enough to know he will not make it easy to recognize him. I do not think we can have one of the servers dance with each guy at the party, just so Jason would have to dance with her.”
“Too bad,” Trinity said. “He would really hate that, especially if she was a real mime.”
“Oh, Trinity! You are a genius!” Sara said gleefully.
“I know,” Trinity said modestly. “Uh… What did I genius up this time?”
“You said there was a group of mimes locally. Maybe I can hire one to actually perform during the party.”
“Hey! That is a cool idea. I know one. He is a guy, but he might get one of the girls to come too, just in case we recognize him early enough to get him to dance with her.”
“I think we should concentrate on just getting a real trained mime here,” Sara replied. “Anything to throw Jason off stride. Make sure he gives himself away.”
Trinity looked at Sara admiringly. “You are good, you know! You are getting right up there in the same class as Jason.”
Sara grinned. “Hey! If you are going to be insulting…”
Trinity laughed delightedly.
When Jason made a point of having Candy take him to the department store where Tommy was working the day before the party, Tommy, after taking one longing look at Candy, waiting by the car, quickly led Jason several steps away.
“I did not mean for you to arrange for me to work at that party so I could get a date with Candy!”
Jason suddenly grinned. “Trinity talked to you about working at the party!”
“No. I know Trinity by sight. Some long legged Redhead. But…” Seeing the look on Jason’s face, Tommy smiled.
“Oh. She is the one.”
Jason nodded.
“Well, she hired me to perform at the Halloween costume party.”
Jason smiled. “She does know how to get things done.”
“What do you mean?”
“Trinity told her I do not care for mime performances. They cooked up the scheme to have the catering staff dress and act as mimes, in order to annoy me. I would put major money on the fact that Trinity mentioned you and your troupe. So Sara decided to hire a pro, just to make sure I really got annoyed.”
“I am good,” Tommy said, grinning.
“Yes, you are. And if it was not so low down, dirty, and underhanded, I would try to figure out a way to get you to dance with her one time.”
“Master Jason?” Candy said, stepping up to them. “Mrs. MacDougal called. She said there is a small problem. She needs us back.”
“Okay.” Jason cut his eyes from Candy to Tommy, then back again. “Miss Wellington, may I present Mr. Thomas Jones. Mr. Jones, Miss Candice Wellington.”
Candy grinned, as did Jason, when Tommy caused a rose to appear in his hand, which he offered to Candy. “Miss Wellington.”
“Mr. Jones,” Candy replied, accepting the flower.
“Tommy will be working the party, professionally,” Jason said. “Part of the entertainment Miss Lee has arranged.”
“Oh, really,” Candy said. “Interesting. You are an actor, are you not, Mr. Jones?”
“Call me Tommy,” Tommy said. “I do perform, yes.”
“I shall see you at the party, then. I too, will be working.”
“I will be right there, Candy,” Jason said, as Candy moved back toward the car.
“Hot diggity dog!” Tommy said. “She likes me!”
Jason chuckled. “I got you the intro. I will let you take it from there, just like I said. I will see you on Halloween. Just remember you do not know me.”
Tommy grinned. “Know who?”
Sara was pleased with the preparations for the party. Many of the other stu-dents and a few parents had helped. Mrs. MacDougal had supervised the food preparations
and was working very well with the caterers. The other staff had helped with the decorations and preparations.
She whistled appreciatively when Trinity entered in her revised costume. Jason had given Trinity the web addresses of the fantasy clothing makers he had mentioned.
Trinity grinned. “Good, huh? I almost feel bad about putting Jason through the mill tonight. Almost.”
“Not me,” Sara said. “He looked entirely too confident yesterday.”
“You noticed that, too?” Trinity said.
“I hope everyone has a good time,” Sara said, surveying the room. “I have never done anything like this before.”
“It will be great,” Trinity said. “You have good ideas, and know how to get good people to carry through with them. My dad was very impressed when he came to help with the stuff up on the ceiling.”
They both looked up. Many of the decorations were suspended. Mr. Vandeuson had been a big help with those. As had Jason. Sara cringed when she remembered seeing him working on the scaffolding.
“Look! Look!” Trinity said, taking Sara’s arm to turn her toward the community center kitchen doorway. “The service staff. They look great!”
Sara smiled. It had been no problem at all to get the catering staff to dress up as mimes. They often wore tuxedoes, anyway. Adding the extra touches to turn them into pseudo-mimes had been easy.
“I think the masks were a good idea, instead of the make-up,” Trinity said. “Tommy really helped out there.”
Grinning, Sara pointed to the man Trinity had just mentioned. “I think he has enjoyed the work.”
Trinity grinned, too. Tommy was talking to Candy. Animatedly.
“They sure hit it off,” Trinity said.
“I know.” Sara turned to Trinity and asked, “Was Alan able to get any infor-mation on what Jason was going to wear?”
“No. I really had to cajole him into trying. He did try, I know. But Jason… He is pretty slick.”
“Yeah,” Sara replied. She looked down at her costume. Jason had said very little about the costume as she and Juliet had made it ready that week. The occasional lifted eyebrow, casual question, and Oh replies had prompted Sara to incorporate a few changes in the original costume.
“I like it,” Trinity said, seeing Sara look down at herself.
“I am beginning to think I went a little too far,” Sara said. “Little Red Riding Hood is supposed to be a young girl. This turned out a little more adult than I intended.”
“Yeah. You implied cute pretty, not sexy pretty when we were talking about it that first time.”
“Okay, please do not start. I am getting nervous about this, already. I have to sing three songs in this thing.”
Trinity grinned. “You will be a big hit, Sara. In more ways than one. Just do not lean over too far.”
“That is not funny,” Sara said, lifting the edge of the bodice of the costume slightly.
Sara could see that Trinity was suddenly distracted. “Holy cow! Would you look at Bootsi, Pricilla and Kathy? They said they were coming early to see if there were any last minute things to do.”
“I think I will quit worrying about my costume,” Sara said, staring at her friends.
“I am going to absolutely kill him!” Trinity growled.
“Who?” Sara asked, turning to look at Trinity.
“Jason! Alan is not going to do the Phantom of the Opera thing. Jason talked Alan into coming as a sheik! I bet he knew those three were going to wear harem costumes. I am going to kill them both! Those three are gorgeous!”
“You look great, too,” Sara said.
“Yeah, I do. Great. Not gorgeous!”
Sara bit her lips to avoid laughing out loud. Trinity was fuming. “If Alan so much as…”
Bootsi, Kathy and Pricilla walked up and Trinity fell silent.
“You three look great,” Sara said,
“I thought my Dad was going to have a heart attack,” Pricilla said with a laugh, “until I showed him what I am wearing underneath.”
Illustrating, Pricilla showed Sara and Trinity the fact that the harem costumes were almost all illusion. Each of the girls wore full body suits beneath the gauzy outer portions of the costumes.
“It does not matter,” Trinity said. “You still look super sexy!”
“Yeah!” Bootsi said. “Anyone know what Jason is going to wear? He promised to dance with me, though he said I would not know it when he did.”
“Me, too,” Pricilla said. “But I will know, I am sure. He will not be able to fool me.”
“Me, either,” Kathy said. “I think I would know him anywhere.”
“He promised to dance with all of you?” Sara asked, feeling annoyed.
Bootsi turned sparkling eyes toward Sara. “Yep! You should ask him, Sara. He is a great dancer! I hope he dances a slow dance with me. I know I will know him if he does. He never gets fresh, but boy, does he make you feel good dancing slow. Just like in the movies.”
“She has a point, there,” Trinity said.
“Wait a minute,” Sara said, her annoyance barely concealed. “Everyone keeps telling me Jason does not go out on dates.”
“Nope,” Kathy said. “And boy have I tried. But he danced with me once at the Fourth of July celebration dance downtown.”
“Me, too,” Pricilla said.
“I danced with him at dance school several times,” Bootsi said. “I really hated going, until Jason and I danced that first time. He is so… smooth…”
“Yeah,” Trinity said.
Sara glared at Trinity.
Her attention was drawn to one of the caterers coming toward them. Sara had to smile. Tommy had done a good job in the short time he had to teach them a few simple mime moves.
Sara had no trouble understanding the meaning the caterer was trying to convey without words. “I have to go check with the kitchen,” Sara told the others. “And you guys look great.” She grinned at Trinity. “Alan is going to be in heaven.”
“More likely hell, if I catch him doing anything I do not like,” Trinity threatened.
The other three giggled and started to tease Trinity as Sara left, following the caterer.
Sara consulted with Mrs. MacDougal, then went back into the decorated community center. This had been her and her friends idea. They had agreed to be at the doors when the party was ready to start to begin letting people in.
“Commodore! Mrs. Erickson! What are you two doing here?” Sara said when she walked up and saw them talking to Trinity and the others.
“We heard about this great party down at the Civic Center. Bunch of high school kids putting on a charity bash for the homeless. And providing an alternative Trick or Treat location for those that do not want to be out in the weather.”
“Well… It was just going to be a party for the class,” Sara said.
“But Sara thought we should do something for the community,” Kathy said. “I never would have thought of turning it into a food and clothing drive.”
“Everyone in our class has done great,” Bootsi added. “We already have a whole pick-up truck load of food and clothes. And that was just collected while we were getting the civic center ready.”
“We expect lots more as people come in,” Pricilla said, motioning toward several large containers close by.
“We thought we might come down and help with the little ones,” Mrs. Erickson said. “Hand out the treats while you older young ones have a good time.”
“I think the Commodore should go home and put on a costume, first,” Trinity said, then giggled and jumped behind Sara when the Commodore made a move as if to attack her.
Except for Sara and Mrs. Erickson, the others looked aghast at Trinity’s comment.
“I will have you know, young lady,” the Commodore said haughtily, “this is an authentic recreation of John Paul Jones’ naval uniform.”
“Did you serve with hi…”
Sara clamped her hand over Trinity’s mouth. “Thank you for coming dow
n, Commodore, Mrs. Erickson. It really was not necessary, but from the looks of things, I think we will appreciate the help.”
Everyone turned to look at the main doors of the Civic Center Entrance, not yet unlocked. There were half a dozen masked faces of youngsters pressed against the glass.
“Put your funny hat on, dear, and we will give the darling children some treats.”
“Healthy ones, no doubt,” the Commodore said, after harumphing mightily. But he put on his tri-corner hat and winked at Trinity. She grinned back, after Sara removed her hand from Trinity’s mouth.
Sara moved toward the doors, looking around for Mrs. MacDougal, who had the keys. Sara smiled. Mrs. MacDougal and Mrs. Erickson wore similar costumes. They were both Fairy Godmothers.
“Jeez, Trinity!” Pricilla whispered to Trinity as they moved out of the way. “I thought he was going to pull his sword and run you through! How could you talk to the Commodore that way?”
“Aw! He is a sweetheart! Look at him with those kids!” Trinity replied. “He has known me since I was little. He would think I was mad at him if I did not give him a hard time.”
Sara joined the group and they moved away as three more adults, parents of the some of their classmates, began helping the Commodore and his wife with the Trick or Treaters.
“What do we do now, Sara?” Bootsi asked. “The doors are open and people are coming in.”
The others looked at Sara. “Me?” she asked weakly.
They all grinned when Trinity said, “You should do one of your three karaoke songs to get things started.”
“No, I think…”
They were leading her toward the low stage on which the DJ had set up his equipment. The DJ would be playing dance music when someone was not singing karaoke.
Kathy laughed and said, “Just think, Sara. There are only a few people here now. It will be even worse later. I think half the town is going to show. My Mom and Dad said they saw the flyers all over town.”
“Oh, Lord!” Sara exclaimed.
Mrs. MacDougal was approaching. “Good, Miss Sara. There are enough people here for you to do the welcome.”
“Me?” Sara said, again with a weak voice.
The others pushed her up onto the stage.
All heads turned to look at her when she took the microphone and it squealed loudly. The DJ made a quick adjustment. “Sorry. Try it now,” he said.
The Contract Page 21