Maizey holds Sarah’s hand, and Tongue holds Happy in his sling strapped to his chest. Happy’s tail sways from side to side, and the people that walk by us give us a wide berth when they see an alligator.
Bullseye leans against a parking meter and sways. I reach out to steady him. His skin is clammy, and his face has lost all color. “Bullseye? Are you okay?”
“I think my sugar is low.”
“Have you been checking it?” Sarah asks. “You know you have to check it.”
“If it’s low, this happens; if not, I feel great. Why bother checking it?”
“So this doesn’t happen, or something worse, Bullseye,” I say.
“I’ll go run across the street and see if the candy shop has a coke or something. I’ll be right back,” Sarah tells me.
It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask for cotton candy, but right now isn’t a good time, considering Bullseye looks like he is about to pass out. He’s sweating, and he loses his strength, his knees buckling as he falls to the ground. “I’m not feeling that well,” he says. “I’m really dizzy.”
“I know, I know,” I start to panic. What if Sarah doesn’t get back in time? What if he goes into shock? “She’ll be back soon, Bullseye.”
“Uncle Bullseye? You okay?” Maizey asks, waving her wand in the air. “You’re going to be all better.”
“You bet I am,” he says, trying to sound happy and believable, but he doesn’t.
A ding sounds in the distance, and I lift my head to see Sarah crossing the street, a bottle of orange juice in her hand along with cotton candy
I bet it’s for Bullseye.
Lucky dog.
“Here.” Sarah opens the bottle and hands it to Bullseye, who chugs it down; orange juice flows down either side of his mouth. Sarah grabs a chunk of cotton candy and shoves it between his lips. “There, maybe you’ll see how important it is to take care of yourself.”
Bullseye mumbles around the cotton candy. It’s gone in a few seconds after it melts, and he takes another swig of orange juice. We sit there for a few minutes, Bullseye laying down on his back with his eyes shut as he waits for the sugar to kick in. “I’m sorry. I’ll try to do better,” he says, finishing off the orange juice.
“We just want you to be safe,” Sarah says, pushing his dark brown hair back and off his forehead.
He nods, but I can tell he feels weak. Not physically, but mentally. He lifts his hand, and Tongue helps him to his feet. “Let’s get you a wedding dress. Gosh, I can’t believe Knives, that crazy fu—fudger is getting married.”
“Good job, Uncle Bullseye,” Maizey compliments him.
Tongue walks inside the bookstore first. The door is open, and the aroma of paint smacks me in the face.
“Hey, I’m going to go inside the boutique. You guys go and talk to Daphne. I want a minute to look alone. Say hi to her for me,” I say.
“Yeah, we’ll be there soon,” Sarah replies.
I step over a piece of gum on the sidewalk, thankful I saw it just in time, so I didn’t ruin my shoe. I stop outside the boutique, loving how cute it is. There are two mannequins in the display window. One is wearing a leather skirt with a red crop top, but the one next to it has my attention. It looks like a vintage dress, a soft peach color. The sleeves hang off the shoulders, wrapping around the biceps, and there is a silk slip underneath the beautiful lace detailing. It seems tight at the bust, but fans out on the hips.
I glance up at the name of the boutique, wanting nothing more than to try this dress on.
Ruby’s Rarities.
That’s adorable.
I skip one of the steps, since there are only three, and when I get to the top, I open the door. The bell jingles, and there is still a mistletoe hanging over the door from Christmas. With one look around the shop, I just know that this is the place where I’m going to get my dress.
“Hi, welcome to Ruby’s! I’ll be with you in just one minute.” A short woman with a pixie cut says from a wobbly ladder as she changes a lightbulb.
“Are you safe up there?” I ask.
“Oh, yeah. I do this all—woah—” the ladder teeters, “—the time.”
“Just let me know.”
“Everything in the store is fifty-percent off. Have at it.”
I want to ask her why everything is on sale, but I figure it isn’t my business. “Actually, I’d love to try on the dress in the window, if that’s okay. I’m getting married tonight, so I would love to see if that’s the one.”
“Congratulations!” she says, the metal of the ladder creaking. She isn’t tall enough to reach the light with the ladder. She’s on her tiptoes, stretching her arms, and is sticking out her tongue as the pads of her fingers graze the bulb. “Just one second,” she grunts.
The door opens, and Bullseye walks in, followed by Tongue, Sarah, and everyone else. Bullseye stares at the disaster in the middle of the floor. He runs to the ladder just as it tilts to the side, and Ruby screams.
And witnessing Bullseye saving her is like something out of a movie. He catches her in the nick of time, cradling her in his arms.
“Oh, gosh. Thank you,” she says in choppy breaths.
“You’re welcome.” Bullseye continues to stare at her, and Sarah bumps my hip with hers when we get the same idea.
Bullseye sets Ruby down, well, I think it’s Ruby. She never said what her name was, but she has a big ruby ring on her finger, so it has to be her. Bullseye grins when he sees how short she is. Her forehead comes to his stomach, and she’s skinny. “You’re tiny,” he says.
“My attitude is six-foot-six, so you better watch it with the short jokes.” She waves a fist in the air. The scowl on her face falls when she turns away from Bullseye and stares at me. “The dress in the window, right? It’s been there awhile. I’ve been waiting for the perfect person to ask for it. I think it’s going to look great on you.”
“The peach one?” Tongue asks. “That will look gorgeous with your hair up and your complexion. Good choice.”
“Oh my god, what the fuck is that?” Ruby screeches when she sees the gator.
“You owe me five bucks,” Maizey says. “Pay up.”
“She doesn’t count, sweetie,” Sarah whispers, kissing her daughter on top of the head.
“This is Happy. He is allowed in here. He is my emotional support animal.”
She points her finger to all of us and laughs. “You lot are a bit crazy, aren’t you?” She side-steps away from Happy and climbs on the stage, then unzips the dress from the mannequin. “I’ve seen it all now. Damn, gators as emotional support animals. I need me a glass of wine after seeing that; I tell you what.”
“Is she talking to us?” Maizey whispers loud enough for her to hear.
“Sorry, I do that.” Ruby jump off the stage and stumble, running right into Bullseye again.
“We keep meeting like this. I’m going to need your name,” he says, flashing his cocky smile.
“It’s on the shop.” She saunters by him and heads toward the dressing room. She slides the red curtain to the side and hangs the dress. “I’ll grab some heels. Not stripper ones. Not that I have anything against strippers, but something classy,” she tells me.