Headlines & Deadlines (An Avery Shaw Mystery Book 7)
Page 27
“I don’t understand.”
“You will,” Lexie said. “Come on.”
I followed my cousin through the characters, nodding at Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine by one table and Mace Windu and Chewbacca by another. Lexie didn’t stop until she found Han Solo sitting at the front table. I knew before Eliot turned around that he’d picked the perfect costume. “I … .”
“Have fun,” Lexie said, beaming. “I’m going to see if that Stormtrooper over there will let me look in his plastic pants.” She scampered off, giggling like a mad woman.
“There she is,” Eliot said, smoothing his white shirt and black vest. “I was worried you weren’t going to show up.”
“I don’t understand … .” I glanced around again. “You did all of this for me?”
“I don’t know any other Star Wars freak who I would do this for,” Eliot replied. “I guess it must be for you.”
“But … how? And why is it so warm outdoors when it’s the middle of winter?”
Eliot pointed toward a large metal contraption. It looked like a really big lamp. There was one in each corner of the parking lot. “Those are heaters.”
“How much is this costing you?”
“Don’t worry about that,” Eliot said. “Worry about having fun.”
“But … I don’t know any of these people,” I said.
“Look closer.”
I did as instructed, surprised to find that Senator Palpatine was actually Fish and the woman dressed as Mon Mothma to his right was his wife. I shifted my gaze and found Carly and Kyle. She was dressed as a Jedi Knight and Kyle was an Ewok. I had a feeling Carly picked the costumes.
“But … they had their own plans tonight.”
“She thought making her announcement in front of everyone would be more dramatic and fun,” Eliot said. “You’re supposed to keep your mouth shut until she steals the spotlight in a couple of hours, though. You’ve been forewarned.”
“This is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen,” I said, my eyes filling with tears. “I … wow. You even dressed as Han Solo.”
“Don’t you dare cry,” Eliot admonished. “I didn’t do this to make you cry.”
“Why did you do this?”
“Because you always wanted to visit a galaxy far, far away. This is the best I can do.”
I threw my arms around him, surprised at the level of emotion washing over me. “I love you.”
Eliot pulled me against him tightly. “I know.”
“I … you know?”
Eliot cocked his head to the side, waiting for me to get it.
“You really are Han Solo,” I said.
“I am. For the record, though, I love you, too.” He pressed a box into my hands. “Go and change into your costume.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Is this Princess Leia’s slave costume?”
“There’s a little area behind the food truck where you can change,” Eliot said. “You have to wear whatever is in that. No arguments.”
I tore open the box, ready to complain loudly at what I knew was inside. Instead I found a costume dress. It didn’t belong to Princess Leia, though. It was Han Solo’s outfit – just a little frillier. “Where did you get this?”
“Hot Topic.”
“Why didn’t you get me the slave costume? That’s every guy’s fantasy.”
“I bought that costume,” Eliot admitted. “Then I realized tonight wasn’t about my fantasy. It was about yours. You were never Princess Leia when you played Star Wars as a kid. Derrick told me. You were always Han Solo and he was always Luke Skywalker. By the way, he still is.” Eliot pointed to a spot over my shoulder where Derrick stood, Luke’s Tatooine tunic draped over him. Devon was at his side, and although she didn’t look happy, she was dressed for the occasion. She’d opted for one of Padme’s ornate dresses and hairdos to make sure no one missed her, but she was playing the game.
“How can there be two Han Solos?”
“I guess we’ll just have to change the rules,” Eliot said. “Go change. I have a whole menu of Star Wars goodies coming your way. There’s also going to be a dance to some disco song I never knew existed.”
“It’s on my iPod.”
“I saw that coming,” Eliot said, rolling his eyes. “Change. I want to see you in the costume. There are a pair of boots already in there for you.”
“If you bought the slave costume, what did you do with it?”
A wide grin split Eliot’s face. “Well … I didn’t want it to go to waste and I didn’t think you’d like it if I got another girl to dress up in it.”
“That’s an understatement.”
“I found out that your cousin Mario will do anything for a hundred bucks.”
Now I was really confused. “What?”
Eliot gestured toward the food truck. I saw Grandpa, dressed as Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was happily dispensing wisdom to the people in line. To his left was the real star of the show: Mario. His beer gut hung over the low-hanging skirt and the slinky top didn’t cover even a quarter of his expansive chest. He also didn’t bother to shave … anything. He was the prettiest slave in the galaxy. “No way!”
“He likes it,” Eliot said. “He says the tips have never been better. When I found out they wanted to pull the food truck out for a Valentine’s Day extravaganza I offered to pay them to bring it here. It ended the fight with your uncle and gave them the money they wanted.”
“He put that on for a hundred bucks?”
“I was willing to pay two hundred, but he capitulated a lot quicker than I thought he would,” Eliot said. “Come on. I’m dying to see you in that outfit. Change for me.”
“I have to give you your gift first,” I said, digging into my pocket and withdrawing an envelope.
“I don’t need anything,” Eliot replied. “I told you that. All I want is for you to have fun tonight.”
“Then think of that as a gift for both of us.”
Eliot opened the envelope and scanned the card, smiling softly at the cutesy Star Wars message. He wrinkled his brow as he studied the sheet of paper inside. “What is this?”
“It’s a voucher for a cabin at Wolf Creek. It’s up in the Thumb,” I said. “I reserved a full week in June for the two of us. I already secured the time off. MacDonald owes me and he was more than happy to make sure I got the week I wanted after the whole Tad situation. He even bumped Duncan from the vacation seniority list to do it, so it was a double treat.”
“But you don’t want to go to a cabin,” Eliot said. His eyes were somber, but I was almost positive I saw a misty sheen there. Was he going to cry?
“I want to go wherever you want to go,” I countered. “If you want to go to a cabin, I want to go with you. You’re going to have to find ways to entertain me in the woods, but I figure that’s your problem.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Say thank you,” I said. “I need to go change into my outfit and party. This is too good to pass up.”
“Thank you,” Eliot said sincerely, dropping a soft kiss on my mouth. “I … thank you for all of this.”
“Don’t get all sentimental on me,” I warned, wagging a finger in his face. “If we get drunk enough I think I can instigate an intergalactic battle in a few hours and I want you on my team. You’re not going to scare anyone if you start crying.”
“You’re lucky I love you,” Eliot said, chuckling.
“I feel that every day.” That was the truth.
“Get moving, Trouble,” Eliot said, smacking my rear end playfully. “If you play your cards right, I promise the Force is going to be with you tonight.”
Something told me he was right.
Author’s Note
I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read my novels. I have a particular brand of humor that isn’t for everyone – and I know that.
If you liked the book, please take a few minutes and leave a review. An independent author does it all on their own, and the reviews
are helpful. I understand that my characters aren’t for everyone, though. There’s a lot of snark and sarcasm in my world – and I know some people don’t like that.
Special thanks go out to Heidi Bitsoli and Phil VanHulle for correcting the (numerous) errors that creep into a work of fiction.
If you’re interested in my future works, follow me on Facebook, Twitter or join my mailing list. I do not believe in spam. I only announce new releases or free promotions.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
Books by Amanda M. Lee
Avery Shaw Mysteries
Who, What, Where, When, Die
If it Bleeds, it Leads
Buried Leads
Shot off the Presses
The Preditorial Page
Misquoted & Demoted
Headlines & Deadlines
Misprints & Mistakes (January 2016)
Covenant College Mysteries
Awakening (Book One)
Whispering (Book Two)
Conjuring (Book Three)
Waxing & Waning (Book Four)
Graduating (Book Five)
The Living Covenant Trilogy
Rising Covenant (June 2016)
Dark Covenant (July 2016)
Eternal Covenant (August 2016)
The Dying Covenant Trilogy
Haunted Covenant (June 2017)
Desperate Covenant (July 2017)
Everlasting Covenant (August 2017)
Wicked Witches of the Midwest Mysteries
Any Witch Way You Can
Every Witch Way But Wicked
Witching You Were Here
Witching on a Star
Something to Witch About
Careful What You Witch For (A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short)
Wicked Brew (A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short)
Witch Me Luck
Witchy Tales (A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Fairy Tale)
On a Witch and a Prayer A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short
You Only Witch Once (A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short)
Life’s a Witch (November 2015)
The Christmas Witch (A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short) December 2015
Bewitched (A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short) February 2016
Aisling Grimlock
Grim Tidings (Book One)
Grim Offerings (Book Two)
Grim Discovery (October 2015)