Katie gave them each a stern look. “And child appropriate. Family party.”
Max wondered what costume Tori would choose for the party. She didn’t strike him as the cheerleader type, but she could pull off a black leather bodysuit. With high-heeled black boots, like the pair she’d worn on their mock date.
She could definitely pull that off. Shifting on the couch, he tried to focus on the halftime report and hoped the second half was about to start. He needed the distraction.
Chapter Fourteen
On Wednesday, Tori talked Hailey into putting a sign on the library door announcing she was taking a lunch break and joining her at Jeanette’s consignment store. It was the closest they had to shopping in Whitford and she didn’t have time to drive into the city.
“I am going to find a costume here,” she announced as they walked through the door.
Hailey snorted. “Unless you want to go as a crocheted toilet paper cover doll or an eighties bedspread, I think you’re out of luck.”
“There’s all kinds of things here. We’ll find something.”
“You spend most of your life on the computer. Why didn’t you order something online?”
“I meant to, but I kept putting it off and now the party’s in three days.” Tori pulled an honest-to-goodness suede jacket with fringe off a rack. “Huh.”
“It’s Village People, not Village Person, and your friends already have costumes. Put it back.”
She didn’t need to be told twice. They wandered through the aisles, pulling out random items of clothing and putting them back. Worst-case scenario, she could go as a fortune-teller. The last resort of procrastinators roaming consignment shops, looking for a costume.
Hailey pulled out a long black gown with a plunging neckline. “Elvira?”
“Or Maleficent.” It had possibilities.
“Both bad-ass sexy women.” Holding it up so they could see it better, Hailey frowned. “This dress is three feet taller than you are.”
“I’m not that short. And the hem can be cut off. It’s the neckline that’s a problem. I don’t think my belly button’s supposed to show.”
“If you wore this, Whitford would totally have something more exciting to talk about than Max Crawford and Nola Kendrick.”
Tori sighed. “I hope nobody’s saying anything mean. Having to date in this town sucks.”
“Nobody’s being mean. Everybody likes Max and Nola, so we’re being discreet...ish.”
“Great.”
“We’re missing an important question here.” Hailey looked at the gown again. “Who do you think wore this? And how do you think it ended up in a thrift store in Whitford?”
“I don’t know anybody who could pull that off. And I don’t want to imagine anybody I know wearing it and not pulling it off, if you know what I mean.”
With a sigh of regret, Hailey hung the gown back on the rack. “Hey, I have an idea. You could go as a cheerleader.”
“Really? I’m not the pom-pom shaking type.”
“Guys who like sports like cheerleaders. And Max likes sports.”
“Leave it alone.” When Hailey’s eyebrows shot up at her tone, Tori rolled her eyes. “I’m not hooking up with Max. I like him too much for that.”
“That makes no sense to me.”
“When it comes to fairy-tale romances, he’s Disney and I’m Grimm.”
“Hey, funny timing.”
Tori glanced over and saw Hailey holding up a Snow White costume. “That’s for a kid.”
“Yeah, but you’re short.”
“Again, I’m not that short. Also, I have boobs.”
Hailey put the costume back and pulled out another hanger. “Here we go. A housecoat that looks like it was made from olive green drapes.”
Tori was about to call it quits, but something about the cut of the coat or robe or whatever it was supposed to be flipped the light switch in her head and she snatched it out of her friend’s hands. “I need this. Where are the hats? Does she have a hat section?”
“You can’t be serious, Tori. That is not sexy.”
That all depended on whose buttons you were trying to push. “Trust me.”
“Based on that robe, I’m thinking no. You can’t be trusted anymore.”
“Says the woman who asked how I’d feel about a safety-orange bridesmaid gown to match her camo wedding.”
“That was a joke. You know that was a joke, right?”
Tori just laughed and walked around the end of the aisle, almost running smack into Nola Kendrick. “Oh. Hi.”
“Hi, Tori.” She looked like she was going to keep walking, but then she hesitated. “How’s Max?”
It made Tori uncomfortable that Nola would think Max came to her after their second and final date at the diner. He had, of course, but she hadn’t realized their friendship was that well-known around town. Which was stupid. She should have known better.
“He’s fine. He had a nice time with you and he’s glad you’ll be friends.” There. That was bland enough.
“Me, too. I’ll be honest. I think one of the reasons I’m not the one for him is that he’s really into you.”
“Told you,” Hailey muttered.