“You’re the best, you know that?”
Cora grinned, and brushed more tendrils of hair away from her girlfriend’s face.
“I know. Now, what do you need to be calm and comfortable? Do you need a cup of tea or lemonade or something? The weighted blanket?”
Elena sat quietly for a moment, taking stock of what state her body was in.
“I think a cup of tea would be nice,” she decided. “Do we have any of the peppermint left?”
Cora rose from the floor gracefully and offered a hand to the larger woman.
“Let’s go and find out, shall we?”
Elena accepted, using the bed as an anchor for her other hand. She gestured to the chaotic wreck that their normally pristine bedroom had turned into.
“Shouldn’t we clean this up first?”
“Nope. I’m gonna take care of you, and then we can deal with this.”
Ten minutes later, Elena felt like she could breathe again for the first time in over an hour. She inhaled the steam from her mug of tea, enjoying the herbal and minty smell that surrounded her in their apartment’s tiny kitchen. Cora had made herself a cup of hot cocoa, and was sitting quietly on the barstool next to her, contentedly swirling the mini marshmallows into the drink.
Elena watched her silently for a few minutes, taking sips of tea as she watched the small globs of sugar dissolve into the cocoa. She loved the way the hot drink made her mouth feel cooler and cleaner. It was exactly what she needed after the panic attack.
“Sorry I freaked out on you.”
Cora tilted her head up to meet Elena’s eyes. The cool LED lights in the kitchen made her fair skin and blonde curls look almost luminescent, and brought out hints of green in her brown eyes.
“It’s all right,” she said simply. “You’ve had a lot going on the last few weeks, and I know how much unexpected parties stress you out.”
“Yeah, but still. What a useless thing to have a panic attack over, right?”
Cora laughed.
“I’m fairly certain that no one has ever gone into a panic attack over something that actually works panicking over,” she pointed out. “It’s usually just the last straw that sends you over the edge.”
“Yeah, but still. A Halloween costume?”
“Babe, you know brains don’t make sense. It’s really all right. I’m just glad I was able here to help you through it. Not that I’m glad that it happened, but… You know what I mean.”
And she did. It was always easier coming down from a panic attack with somebody else around, especially when that someone else knew exactly how to help you.”
“I’m glad you were here to help me through it, too, Cora.”
“What else are girlfriends for?”
Cora asked the question rhetorically, then smirked.
“What?” Elena asked, curious.
“Well, I can think of one other thing girlfriends are for.”
“Oh?”
Cora leaned forward and planted a kiss on Elena’s lips that tasted of chocolate and sugar. Elena couldn’t resist the giggle that bubbled through her lips.
“You are absolutely ridiculous, you know that?”
Cora raised a thin blonde eyebrow at the question and beamed, affecting a posh, old-fashioned accent.
“But of course, darling! It’s one of my finest qualities.”
They both dissolved into peals of laughter, leaning into each other on their wooden bar stools. They went back to their drinks and the quiet of the kitchen. Everything was starting to feel like it was actually going to be okay, just the way that Elena wanted it to be.
After they finished their drinks, Cora and Elena Made their way to the doorway of their bedroom, staring at the mess in front of them.
“So, I’ve got to ask…. Was there something in particular you were looking for when you did all of this?”
Elena crossed her arms in front of her chest, surveying the damage.
“Would you believe me if I said I have absolutely no idea?”
“Looking at this room… yes. I would. Let’s start with the tried and true tenet of my room cleaning policy - make a path to the closet.”
“The fact that you even have a room cleaning policy explains so much about you.”
Cora grinned up at her.
“C’mon. Let’s get to work. We can get this room back into shape without much of a fuss, I think.”
Without further ado, the petite, slim woman Rolled up the sleeves of her flannel over shirt and got to work picking up the clothes that had been flung everywhere.
Cora had been right. The two of them had made short work of the mess she’d made, even pulling out a few items that she had forgotten she owned and put them in an empty Amazon box to donate or resell later.
The room was even cleaner than it had been before she got home from work, turning it back into a space that made her feel at ease and peaceful. The woman next to her had a lot to do with that, and Elena was struck with a sincere sense of gratefulness for her.
“Cora?” she called softly.
She turned her head towards Elena, a curl flopping into her eyes.
“Hm?”
“You are literally my favorite person in the world, you know that?”
The corners of her mouth quirked up into a smile that emphasized her apple-like cheeks that were now bright pink.
“And you’re mine, Elena.”
They both sat on the bed, smiling at each other for several heartbeats.
“So, you need a bookish Halloween costume,” Cora said matter-of-factly, breaking the silence. Did your coworkers give you any hints on what they were going to do?”
“Apparently the boss and his wife always dress up as The Old Man and The Sea, and it’s a sight to behold, but that’s all I’ve got to work with.”
“How… No, I’ll just have to see it. Okay, so typically kids books offer the best options for costumes...”
She thought for a moment.
“How about Amelia Bedelia?”
“You don’t think it’s a little stereotypical for a Latina to dress up as a maid? All my white bread coworkers don’t need that image of me in their heads.”
“Ugh, that’s true. Hester Prynne?”
Before Elena could respond, Cora waved that suggestion away.
“No, that’s also stereotypical in a gross way. How about some characters from Matilda?”
“Nah, Madame Trunchbull is yet another fatphobic character. Dahl was super bigoted. I’m not doing that.”
“Damn. That is a fair point. Hmmm…..”
Cora tapped her chin thoughtfully.
“I mean, there’s always Harry Potter.”
“Yeah, but I don’t have any of the stuff for Harry Potter costume. I mean, I maybe have the shoes. They just wear regular shoes, right?”
Cora fell back on the bed laughing.
“Yes, they just wear regular shoes in Harry Potter, you weirdo.”
“But also JK Rowling continues to be the worst in pretty much every possible way, so I don’t want to dress up as her characters either.”
“Ugh.Why is choosing a costume so hard?”
“Because I’m fat and brown-skinned,” Elena said matter-of-factly. “And because I care about what I want to wear. If I looked like you, I would have much less of a problem. I could just go and grab something off the shelf. But I’m not, so.”
She shrugged.
“It sucks.”
“Yup. But it’s the way it is, so for now we have to work with it. I’m gonna have another cup of tea. Do you want any?”
“Nah. I’m gonna sit here and do some research on what we can do.”
Cora whipped her phone out and typed furiously. Elena pulled herself up from the bed and gathered her cardigan around herself. It was chilly in the apartment.
She detoured to the thermostat on her way to the kitchen, turning the heat on. It was in the mid-60s. If Elena was cold, Cora had to be freezing. She refilled the electric kettle and
waited for the whistle of hot water.
She rinsed out her favorite bright orange mug from the earlier drink, and put in a new bag of tea. When the kettle whistled, she began to pour.
Elena nearly spilled the boiling water down the front of herself when Cora came running into the kitchen, squealing. Her face was alight and her hands flapping as she flew in.
“I’ve got it! I’ve got the perfect costume for you!”
“What is it? What’s the costume?”
“Okay, well, first I gotta tell you how I got inspired. Come back to the bedroom.”
“Gimme a second to set a timer. My tea needs to steep before I can drink it.”
“Okay, well hurry up!”
She dashed back down the hallway, still squealing with happiness. Elena laughed and set a timer on her phone before sliding it back into her cardigan pocket.
She made her way back into their bedroom to discover that clothes once again covered their queen sized bed.
“Cora, we just cleaned this!” she groaned.
“No, I know! But look at what’s on the bed, Elena.”
She narrowed her focus to the individual pieces on the bed, trying to make it look a little bit less like a mess.
She saw a pair of red pumps sitting on top of a black maxi skirt that she knew had a slit up the middle. Next to it, sat a white wool sweater with a pink heart knitted into it, and a full-length crimson coat that she was pretty sure one of her tears had bought at a thrift store several years before.
“Okay, this is a cute outfit, but I’m not seeing a Halloween costume here.”
Cora’s hands were clasped together in glee.
“I’ll give you one hint, okay? Alice in Wonderland.”
It was like a lightbulb went off in Elena’s head. She gasped.
“Of course! It’s the queen of hearts! Cora, you’re a genius!”
The sight of Cora bouncing with joy made Elena’s heart clench in her chest in a good way.
“Isn’t it great? There’s like two or three things that you need to make it all come together, but with a little bit of makeup and a crown? It will be just perfect!”
“It’s already perfect,” Elena told her. “I can’t believe you just came up with this out of my closet.”
“You’ve got a great closet, babe. If I tried this in my own closet it would not have worked.”
“You also don’t have any coworkers to spring parties on or have parties sprung upon you by.”
Cora shrugged.
“Also true, but that’s besides the point. This is all yours, Elena, just like me.”
“Come here and let me kiss you.”
Cora obliged with a grin.
Over the next few days, Elena kept catching Cora returning from thrift and craft stores with small things to add to the costume - some fake roses, a tiny Gold crown, and miscellaneous small hearts to really make the costume pop. The only thing that she had not seen was Cora’s costume. She had asked several times, but always been told that she would have to wait and see.
By the time the night of the party arrived, Elena was fairly certain that she would have the best costume out of all of her new coworkers. She still had no idea what they were going to dress up as, but she didn't care. Tonight was all about getting to know her coworkers outside the bounds of their office requirements, and introducing them to Cora. It was going to be wonderful. she could already tell.
Elena knocked on the bedroom door, which she had been banished from while her girlfriend got ready for the party.
“just a second!” Cora called. Elena sighed impatiently.
“Are you almost ready for your debut? Two of us have to get ready for this party, you know.”
She kept her voice light and teasing as she leaned on the door, trying to be patient.
“Yeah, yeah, I hear you.”
The door jerked open a moment later, causing Elena to stumble into the room. Cora gasped and tried, unsuccessfully, to catch her. They both tumbled to the floor in a heap.
“Sorry! I didn’t realize you were leaning on the door!”
Elena grumbled under her breath as she pulled herself into a sitting position. She caught a glimpse of her girlfriend and had to do a double take.
“Whoa. You look amazing.”
She wore a tea length dusty Carolina blue gown that looked like it was actually made of silk, complete with a delicate lacy apron that tied behind her. She had pulled her chin-length blonde curls away from her face with a simple black bow headband, and tied the look together with a pair of white stocking tights. She was a perfectly elegant Alice in Wonderland.
“Always the tone of surprise!” Cora quipped, but her cheeks colored a sweet pink.
“Seriously, babe, your costume is amazing.”
“Why thank you! I have had years of Halloween parties moving me towards this day. One might even call me the Halloween Queen!”
“You are not the Halloween Queen. But you are an awesome Alice in Wonderland.”
“And I even fell over! At least it wasn’t down a rabbit hole,” Cora laughed.
Elena glanced at her watch and grinned wickedly, unable to resist another reference.
“If we don’t hurry, we are going to be very late for a very important date.”
Cora looked at her phone and squeaked.
“Ah, you’re right! I’m gonna go do my makeup while you get dressed, then I’m ready to go when you are!”
“I still have to do the whole face thing!” Elena called after her as she darted into the bathroom.
They had come up with a way to pull the heart-shaped theme into her makeup - Elena was going to use some of Cora’s powder foundation to create a pale heart that stretched around her eyebrows and came to a point at her chin. If it hadn’t been for a costume, Elena knew she would never have done something this extravagant of her own volition.
They had tested it, though, and it made the entire costume come together. They both knew she would need help with it to get it to look perfect.
Strangely, Elena found that she wasn’t nervous about the party anymore as she got dressed. She was just excited, the way that she figured a neurotypical person would have been from the start. She could at least be grateful that she had gotten there before she actually got to the party. It didn’t always happen that way.
Cora had added a marigold and black tulle tutu under the slitted maxi skirt to give it volume. The poof and color added a little more dimension to the costume. Elena found the scratch of tulle against her skin to be one of the most irritating sensations known to man, so she had added a pair of black leggings to the underside of the ensemble.
The thick wool sweater kept her upper body comfortably warm, and the long red coat tied everything together, literally and figuratively. She left the coat unbuttoned, but tied the belt around her waist to emphasize her waist. All that was left was her makeup and her shoes, and she would be ready to go to her first ever party at work.
Elena could hear the rumble of the bass from the packed parking lot of the party destination restaurant. She hadn’t realized this was gonna be quite so hopping.
“You ready?” Cora asked from the driver’s seat.
“Ready as I’ll ever be!”
“Just remember, you say the word and we’ll go. I’ll fake a stomach ache or an emergency and we’ll be out of there in less than five minutes. I’ve got your back.”
Elena smiled gratefully at the love of her life.
“Thanks, Cora. Same goes for you, if you get overwhelmed.”
She beamed.
“Now, let’s go party!”
The noise was more than a little overwhelming once they got into the restaurant. Cora squeezed Elena’s hand, and she smiled back. Standing tables had been placed around the room with long, trailing tablecloths with cobweb doilies at the center. A black ceramic cauldron sat on each table with fog billowing out throughout the room. Waiters wearing witch and wizard costumes wove through the room carrying trays of spooky looking
hors d’oeuvres.
Elena had to laugh out loud when she caught sight of her boss.
True to the rumor, he and his wife had dressed up as the old man and the sea. The middle-aged, balding man wore a bright purple Hawaiian shirt tucked into a pair of khaki shorts, kept firmly in place with a pair of bright red suspenders that matched the rain boots that covered his feet. In his hand, he held a gnarled old cane fishing pole that had clearly seen better days. Next to him, a plump, statuesque woman she presumed was his wife wore a tight turquoise gown with plush sea creatures attached all over it. She pulled the full look together with a headband that looked like the crest of a wave. She had to admit it was pretty impressive, especially for a book that really didn’t inspire a costume.
“Elena! You made it!” the old man crowed, startling Cora. “Happy Halloween!”
“Happy halloween, Mr. Sturgess! I love your costume!”
“I have already told you time and again to call me Ron, Elena,” he scolded her with a mock glare. She felt Cora failing to suppress a giggle beside her. He turned “And who is this lovely lady?”
“Yes, sir. Cora, this is my boss, Ron Sturgess, Esquire. Ron, this my girlfriend Cora.”
“Ah, the girlfriend!” he tapped a finger to his temple and winked at them. “I should’ve guessed.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”
Cora dropped into a curtsy that made the older man cackle, and made Elena’s jaw drop.
“When did you learn how to curtsy?”
“My mom sent me to etiquette lessons. Don’t worry about it.”
Cora turned her attention back to the law partner.
“Now, Ron, you haven’t introduced us to your companion. I assume this must be Mrs. Sturgess?”
“Call me Stacey, dears. Everyone else does. Welcome to the party!”
All of Stacey’s words stuck together as if they were connected by a trail of warm honey.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Stacey! I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you.”
The older woman threw her head back and laughed.
“You’ll hear the real stuff once you’ve been here longer. Now, what can I get y’all to drink?”
The Learning Curves Omnibus Page 13