Dirk knocked on the frame of the open door. “How’s it going?” he asked.
“Fine, all things considered,” she said. She almost asked him why he hadn’t signed up for the ride-out, but stopped when she realized the question might encourage him to join them. Instead, she stuck to safer ground. “Is everything a go for the Halloween party?”
“All set. I picked the menu; hope you don’t mind.”
“That’s fine. I’ve had enough to do, what with the hurricane and all. What’s on the menu?”
“The Briny Buffet: a seafood extravaganza,” he said.
“Fitting. Can you get some party posters up in the crew break rooms, please?” She would have assigned him to run an errand to Nebraska if she could have gotten away with it.
“Will do. Say, when are we meeting with the consultant?” he asked.
The Nebraska idea looked better every second.
“I think it’s on hold till after the hurricane. For obvious reasons,” she said.
“Right, right,” he said.
“Did you need anything else?”
“No. Wait. Yes. Are we dressing up for the party?”
“As in formal wear?” she said.
“As in Halloween costumes,” he clarified.
Speechless, Vanessa stared at Dirk. She realized her mouth had fallen open. “Is that the usual procedure?”
“We don’t usually have a Halloween party, so … ” He let the sentence trail off.
She realized Dirk was dying to dress up.
Vanessa was dying to know what on earth he planned to wear.
The only way to find out was to say yes.
Thomas
Thomas retrieved another stroller blocking the path to Ghost Factory and parked it against a nearby wall.
Moving strollers was like a never-ending game of whack-a-mole.
As he contemplated flinging the next offending stroller into the nearest decorative pond, he noticed Dirk approaching from the Legacy plaza.
The spring in his step made Thomas instantly suspicious.
Even worse, Dirk was whistling.
Thomas stomped the stroller brake with a little more force than necessary, and nearly jumped when Paulina tapped him on the shoulder to relieve him. He was supposed to go straight to the next position in the attraction, but with his curiosity piqued, he hurried toward the break room instead.
Perhaps he could find out the reason for Dirk’s unusual demeanor.
By the time Thomas got to the break room, Dirk had already left. There was, however, a new flyer on the bulletin board. Thomas cringed, expecting it to be a new anti-union screed.
Instead, the bright orange flyer contained only the details of the upcoming Halloween party. “Halloween costumes optional,” he read. “Dinner will be provided. Cash bar.”
Mr. Destiny’s generosity—or his attempt to win over the crew—apparently did not extend to an open bar.
On the way to his next position, Thomas lamented the lack of interesting Halloween costumes for men.
Still, he was sure he could come up with something suitable for the occasion.
Chapter 11
Vanessa
The younger volunteers on the ride-out crew tumbled into the American Dream theater like a litter of puppies.
Vanessa and Thomas trailed them, walking side by side.
Everyone dropped their blankets, pillows, and bags in heaps along the aisles of the theater. They had only an hour or so until sundown, at which time they were supposed to retreat into the theater and take cover for the duration of the hurricane.
Vanessa distributed handfuls of zip ties.
The crew fanned out across Legacy, tying garbage cans to fences and gathering up odds and ends to bring inside the attractions. By the time they were done, they dripped with sweat.
Even still, a party atmosphere prevailed. Vanessa had to stop one of the crew members from playfully tying up another with spare zip ties.
As the sun set, the clouds glowed an unusual yellow color that faded to green in the shadows. The park itself took on an otherworldly appearance as the patterns of sunlight and darkness shifted with each passing band of clouds.
Rather than lock everyone inside American Dream before the storm arrived, Vanessa judged it best to let them burn off some energy running around the park. With their outdoor tasks complete, she released the crew members with strict orders to return before dark.
She caught Thomas smiling at her mother hen act. “Aren’t you going to go run around?” she asked.
“With them?” He indicated the crew members who were now skipping down the empty street. “I’d rather take a leisurely stroll. It’s not every day you get to see the park in this light.”
“True,” Vanessa said. “I haven’t gotten to walk around much.”
“Want to go exploring?”
“Sounds like fun. As long as we get back before the skies open up,” she said.
“Deal.”
From the Legacy plaza, they walked past Ghost Factory to reach Fantasy. The abandoned stalls of the bazaar lacked their usual cloth hangings, giving the marketplace the appearance of having been hastily abandoned.
They sat together on the edge of the outdoor stage, facing the empty bazaar.
“You should catch the show here sometime,” said Thomas.
Vanessa peered around for a clue to the show’s content. “Really? What is it?”
“Just a dance show.” Thomas shrugged. “But it’s pretty good. I go every Friday after work.”
“I’ll have to do that,” she said.
They sat and watched the clouds roll by.
“You like caramel corn?” he asked, apropos of nothing.
“Sure, who doesn’t?” she said.
“The bazaar has the best. You gotta try it,” he said.
“Now you’re making me hungry.” Vanessa scooted off the edge of the stage and stood up. “Distract me, before I give up our tour and start breaking into the hurricane rations.”
“Your wish is my command.” He hopped down.
Exiting Fantasy, they approached the Mirror Castle’s east elevation. The roiling sky reflected in the mirrors, making the castle itself appear to be formed of storm clouds and eerie light.
They followed a twisting pathway through a rose garden.