“As long as you have something to wear,” Simon says.
I glance down at my clothes. “What’s wrong with what I have on now?”
Alex’s eyes widen. “Eric,no.Your work uniform?”
I shrug. “I mean, if I take off my vest, who will notice?”
“I’ll notice,” Simon says, appearing sick. He shakes his head at me. “If you’re coming with us, you’ll need to change into something else.”
“I didn’t bring anything else,” I say.
Simon and Alex look at each other. Something must have been communicated telepathically, because they nod in unison. Simon clasps his hands together and says, “Alright, here’s the plan. We’re taking you shopping after work. There’s a few department stores we can hit on the way there.”
Alex’s eyes light up. “Yes, a makeover.”
I hold up my hands. “You guys really don’t have to—”
“Eric,hush…” Simon holds a finger to my lips to silence me. “We’ve already made the decision for you.”
Before I can say something, the phone rings. Simon stares at it, groaning. Then he picks up the receiver and says, “Who is it and what do you want?”
“It’s gonna be so much fun,” Alex whispers to me. She grabs my arm and walks me to the counter. “I’ll show you the dress I’m wearing.”
We spend the next hour on Instagram, looking up different styles for me. Alex says a warm spring palette would best complement my skin tone. During our lunch break, Simon introduces me to the girls at the concession stand for free snacks. “Nothing with too much sugar or we’ll get bloated,” he says to me.
Our shift ends around eight thirty. The old man agrees to close up, letting us head out early. We find a department store a few blocks from the theater and go shopping. Simon and Alex lead me straight to the men’s section, pulling different looks together. I try on a few jackets in different colors. There’s a dark suede bomber that fits me particularly well. Alex says it accentuates my shoulders. When I check the price tag, I nearly choke. I turn to the others to let them know. “This is almost three hundred dollars. I can’t afford this.”
“Relax,” Alex says, handing me a belt to try on. “We’re not exactly buying anything.”
I lower my voice. “Are westealingit?”
Simon smacks my arm. “Don’t be ridiculous. You want us to go to jail? We’re simply trying things out and taking them back.”
“What do you mean?”
“You see, this place has anamazingreturn policy,” he explains. “You have sixty days to basically try anything. Just don’t remove the tags.”
I look at him. “Is this… legal?”
Simon rolls his eyes. “Eric, people are committingmurdersout there. Is the world going to end if you borrow a jacket?”
“And if you really like it, you can always keep it,” Alex adds.
I glance at myself in the mirror. “I guess that’s true.”
A moment later, a woman rings me up at the counter. I keep the jacket on, placing the receipt in my wallet. We stop by the beauty department where Simon grabs a curling wand, giving my hair some waves like his. Alex spritzes me twice with cologne on our way out. “I feel like a fairy godmother,” she says, taking my arm. “Now make a wish.”
I look at her. “What kind of wish?”
“I don’t know. Something you want to happen tonight.”
I think about this during the train ride over.
I wish for something special to happen tonight.
Twelve
The Red Line takes us to River North, a wealthier neighborhood of Chicago. Simon has his app open, leading us toward a high-rise building near the water. His sequined blue jacket sparkles in the traffic lights. Alex is wearing a backless white cocktail dress with pearl earrings. There’s a doorman at the entrance of the building. “Act like you live here,” Simon whispers over his shoulder. Thankfully, no one stops us as we head through the lobby. As we step into the elevator, Simon presses the buttonPH. The second the doors close, he turns to me and says, “By the way, Eric, don’t go around telling people we work the box office.”
