Page 39 of Hockey Halloween

Larry

You are an idiot

“I’m so sorry.” Raggedy Ann—apparently Kelli, Dylan’s little sister under the red wig and makeup—apologized again.

We were hurrying down the sidewalk heading back to my mom’s.

When we hadn’t been able to find a key in the bedroom, Dylan promised to dig out the one that fell down their heating vent.

I wasn’t sure how long it would take, but I needed Mom to make this clown costume wearable and then get me and the costume to the arena where we had our event tonight.

Kelli agreed to come to Mom’s place with me while we waited so Mom could get started on the costume adjustments.

“Why are you apologizing? It was your brother who did this.” I could not believe the moron had handcuffed me to his sister.

“Sorry, it’s a habit. I get blamed for a lot of things.” Kelli was staring down at the sidewalk as she walked.

I stopped and waited for her to feel the tug and halt too. “Hey.”

She finally met my gaze. Her eyes were blue and wide, catching my attention. They were beautiful. Not the time to notice .

“I’m not blaming you. Dylan’s been doing stupid things as long as I’ve known him. This is entirely his fault.”

A shy smile lifted her lips. I stared for a moment, focused on her mouth.

Why couldn’t I remember Dylan’s little sister?

No memories popped up from then. And now, I had no idea what her hair color was with the red wig covering most of her head, or what she looked like without all the Raggedy Ann makeup on.

How could I recognize her again without it?

I turned around. I wasn’t looking for serious right now, and anyone who was modest enough to wear a Halloween costume that hid most of her figure was unlikely to agree to a casual hookup. Not that tonight was about that, anyway.

“Come on.”

Mom crossed her arms when we entered the house and she saw the handcuffs. I almost blurted out it wasn’t my fault before she’d done more than lift an eyebrow.

I didn’t know a lot about my Japanese/Korean heritage.

My dad’s family cut him off when he married my mom.

I’d been told it was because of Japan’s colonization of Korea, something that happened ages ago but his family didn’t forget.

Or forgive. I didn’t know what Japanese mothers were supposed to be like: Mom’s parents died not long after I was born, and the rest of her family was still in Japan.

But for a tiny woman she could really scare people.

“It’s not his fault, Mrs. Han,” Kelli said. “My brother did this for a joke, and then the key fell down the grate. He’s looking for it now.”

Mom rolled her eyes. “That boy…”

“We brought the seam binding tape.” I held it out to her.

“Good. I can start. Let’s see what we can do.”

My mom had been a figure skater as a teenager. She’d never been a serious competitor, but she still loved skating. She’d found a way to continue to be part of the skating world, making costumes for competitors. If anyone could make my 3XL costume work, it was her.

She took us down to the basement where she had her sewing room set up, and picked up the costume.

“Why do you have such a big clown suit?” Kelli asked.

I lifted my hand to run it through my hair but ended up jerking her arm. “Sorry. I told the rental place I needed a clown costume that was not like Chucky, but they’d reserved a Chucky costume for me when I stopped there today. I had to take anything else they had that was a clown.”

“You don’t like Chucky?”

“The event I’m going to tonight has kids, and some could be pretty young, so Chucky wouldn’t work.”

“Okay, pants first,” Mom said, shaking out the ginormous striped bottoms I was supposed to wear.

I reached for them, jerking Kelli’s arm again. “Sorry,” I repeated.

“ I will do it.” Mom made me step into the pants one leg at a time.

Kelli was fighting back a grin and I couldn’t blame her.

The costume billowed around us. Mom attached the suspenders and passed them to Kelli to hold while she tightened the waistband with the tape so that the pants wouldn’t fall down and make me trip.

There was enough fabric that I looked about twice as big around as I really was.

Yeah, this wouldn’t be a night to impress anyone.

I glanced at Kelli from the corner of my eye.

It was weird, having my mom taking in the costume, using only the tape that could be removed later, all while Kelli was standing so close.

Mom got out a stool to drop the top over my head. I could only put my free hand in a sleeve, so she started tucking in the material around my waist. After, she took the suspenders from Kelli and clipped them to the pants.

“What are you doing that needs a clown costume?” Kelli asked. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

I lifted my arm when Mom poked it. “It’s a drop-in for kids for Halloween.

We booked an arena with two rinks, and the older kids will play hockey and the younger kids can skate for fun.

We’ve got skates and equipment for everyone, and we’re ordering in pizza and drinks.

The idea is to have an option for kids to enjoy themselves without getting into trouble on Halloween, when there’s a lot going on. ”

Raggedy Ann smiled at me. “That’s a great idea. What ages are you expecting?”

I shrugged and Mom slapped my chest. She was trying to work fabric around the arm attached to Kelli now.

“It’s my first time, since I’ve been playing on American teams other years, but I was told we’d get a range. The ones who play hockey are older, but some of them are responsible for younger siblings so we don’t know exactly who will come.”

“I’ve never heard about it.”

Mom was behind me, finishing up the top. The thing was bunched up and uncomfortable, but it was definitely on the silly side of clowns, rather than scary.

“Guys on the Blaze have done it for a few years now. They don’t want it publicized, with fans sneaking in and making it about the hockey players instead of a safe place for the kids. That’s why we all dress up like clowns with makeup to disguise us.”

“Wow. That’s such a great thing to do.”

I checked her expression, to see if she was blowing smoke up my ass to impress me. The best I could tell, she was sincere, unlike a lot of the responses I’d heard.

Mom got the wig and shoved it on my head. A rainbow-colored mess of what looked like cotton candy and felt like plastic.

“I cannot put the makeup on your face.” Mom stepped back, shrugging. I couldn’t do my makeup using my left hand.

“I can help. I did mine.” Kelli waved a hand at her face, and yeah, she was wearing as much as a clown would.

Mom brought out the kit I’d bought to go with the costume and held the tubes for Kelli to work with.

Kelli was shorter than me, by about six inches. Mom shoved the stool over for her so we could stand face-to-face. Kelli brushed white onto the sponge and met my eyes.

“Ready?”

I nodded. She pulled our joined arms up so she could hold my chin in place.

Her fingers were soft, but firm. She dabbed the sponge over my forehead and down my nose, wiping gently.

It was surprisingly intimate being this close, bound together, her attention focused on me, her teeth biting her bottom lip and distracting me.

When the white base was done, she changed to red for an exaggerated mouth. As her fingers moved around my lips I was tempted to open and taste them. Whoa. Where did that come from? Not appropriate. I resolutely kept my face still and my mind away from wondering about Kelli beneath her makeup.

“Do you need your nose done?”

I cleared my throat. “No, there was one of those round red ones with the costume.”

“Here it is!”

I’d forgotten my mom was even in the room. What the hell was going on?

Mom passed the nose to Kelli, who gently pressed it over my own nose. I leaned back. “That feels weird. I’ll save that for the rink.” I used my free hand to pull it off.

“Excellent, Kelli,” Mom said. “You must have good control of your hands for work.”

“What do you do?” I didn’t know much about this woman I was cuffed to, except that she was Dylan’s little sister and might have had a crush on me way back when.

“She is a dentist for children.”

“Not a dentist, a dental hygienist,” Kelli corrected. “But yes, in a children’s practice.”

I’d had a lot of dental work over the years, so I had an idea of what the hands of a dental tech would have to do. “You enjoy it?” Working in someone’s mouth all day didn’t sound like fun to me.

“I do. I like kids.”

Mom interrupted. “Did they like your costume? I helped your mother with the wig. ”

“Most of them didn’t know who Raggedy Ann was, but I think so.”

That explained the non-sexy costume. But I noticed the time, and it was getting late. “Any word from your brother?”

Kelli reached for her phone and frowned. She picked it up and dialed. “Dylan? Any luck finding the key?” She closed her eyes. “Tell your girlfriend that you have to find the key before you can leave. We’re stuck!” I didn’t hear what Dylan said in response, but Kelli’s lips thinned. “Keep looking.”

“No key?” I asked.

“No key.” She sighed. “Do you have to go now?”

My foot was twitching. “Yeah. But I don’t know what to do about the cuffs.”

“Go with him, Kelli.”

Kelli’s eyes moved from Mom to me. “I couldn’t.”

I was getting desperate, and spending more time with Kelli was appealing. “Do you skate?”

Mom slapped me again. “I made costumes for Kelli. She competed in figure skating.”

“Really?”

Kelli shrugged. “Only for a while. I wasn’t that good.”

Mom shot me a glance. “But you are very pretty. I enjoyed making your costumes.”

I thought Kelli was blushing, but it was impossible to tell beneath the makeup. “The costumes were beautiful. More than my skating.”

I bet Mom had pictures somewhere. She took them of all the costumes she made.

Maybe if I saw one, I’d remember Kelli. “Do you have plans for the night?” If she agreed to come with me, at least till we got something worked out about the key, I wouldn’t be late.

I was never late—Mom and Dad had drilled that into me.

“I was going to handle the trick-or-treaters till Mom could get home.”

“Yes, she’s at the wedding show.” Mom and Kelli’s mother were friends because they both sewed. “Give me your phone.”

Kelli passed it over .

Mom hit a few buttons, then started talking.

“Dylan, this is Mrs. Han. You are an idiot, so your sister has to go with my son to his hockey thing tonight. You will handle the candy for the children and find that key.” A pause.

“Your girlfriend may call me and I will explain how you were an idiot and now you cannot go to her party until you find the key . Maybe she can help you. Call as soon as you succeed.” She passed the phone back to Kelli. “You should go so you’re not late.”

I smiled at Kelli, and found I wasn’t that angry with Dylan after all.