Free One Bad Day (One Day) by Edie Hart Page B

empty light bulb boxes. Several gentlemen nearby were quick to help Legs get her feet beneath her. From their smiles and laughter he could tell that they were all quite happy to be of assistance. Gray didn’t blame them.
    He watched Legs find her balance in those high heels, and with a little wiggle and tug of her skirt she went on her way.
    ***
    Eight hours later, Tessa sat on the locker room bench struggling to get the cumbersome light bulb off her head. Her feet hurt and she was sure she had several blisters from her stupid, but still cute, shoes. She made a mental note to request to see the costume ahead of time if she was ever asked to be a mascot again.
    “Let me help you get the head off,” Irene said while lifting the giant light bulb off of Tessa. “I’m going to put this in the main office and then I’ve gotta run. After you change, just take Claudia’s gloves and stuff home and wash them. I gave her your number. She said she’ll text you to get it all back.”
    “Okay.” Tessa began pulling off the white gloves.
    “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you doing this for me.” Irene opened the locker room door, awkwardly clutching the mascot head. “Turn off the lights when you leave. Have a great weekend,” she called over her shoulder as she left, the door closing behind her.
    Tessa sighed and then caught her reflection in the locker room mirror. Oh crap. With the thin, white tank top that showed the outline of her bra, the white skirt that came to the tops of her thighs and her strappy stilettos, she totally looked like a hooker. She went over to get her bag so she could change into her own clothes and saw it wasn’t there. Remembering how she’d knocked all her things all over the floor, she looked around. She found a stray quarter under the bench, but no bag. She clearly remembered hanging it up. She checked around the locker room to see if it was hanging somewhere else. No bag. Well didn’t that just figure? Now she’d have to go home in the hooker clothes.
    Tessa grabbed her coat off the hook and put it on. After rolling off the white gloves and jamming them in a coat pocket, she stuck her hand in the other pocket and sighed with relief when she felt her keys. Jiggling them a bit to loosen the change and other items tangled with them, she fished around until she found her cell phone. At least she had her phone and a way of getting home. She would hate to have to walk home looking like an exotic dancer from the waist down.

Chapter Three
    Gray glanced across the parking garage and smiled. Legs in hot pants was coming out of the hotel and walking toward the parking garage. Her gloves and huge light bulb head were missing but—lucky for him—she still had on the strappy heels and tiny white skirt. Without the head she was tiny. She walked under the light in front of the hotel and he saw that she had light brown curly hair that came to her shoulders. She looked to be a couple of years younger than him. She stumbled and he thought her heard her say “Shit!” which made him chuckle out loud. She righted herself while tugging at her skirt.
    ***
    Tessa tried to remember where she parked. Was it on the third deck of the parking garage or the fourth? She entered the garage and a breeze blew her skirt up. Damn, it was cold tonight. She smoothed her skirt down and stopped to brush her hair off her face. Which way? Right or left?
    She heard a loud noise to her left and the lights in that section went out.
    Right it is. She turned to the right and those lights flickered and then went out as well.
    Crap. She was not a fan of walking through dark parking garages alone late at night dressed like a prostitute. Then again, who was?
    She debated. She could turn around and ask hotel security to take her to her car or she could try to brave it out. There had been a nice burly security guy at the hotel entrance this morning. She bet he had a nice, big, fat flashlight he could use to help her find her car.