“What’s going on?” Zoe asked, taking a step back from the wave of practically every flowery and fruity scent possible from Bath & Body Works.
Kenzie made her way through the crowd. “The prom for Southwood High is tonight.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Some of the girls began wringing their hands together and bobbing at the knees. No one wore a bit of makeup. Zoe looked at all their faces like blank canvases. A twinge jolted through her fingertips as she put two and two together. “Do you guys want some help?”
“Please?” the girls all chorused.
“Did we have plans today?” Zoe asked Kenzie.
“We just have the dinner this evening.”
Zoe bit the corner of her lip. She would have loved to hang out with Will today, but this was what she considered an emergency. “Alright, let’s form a line. Do any of you have pictures of your gowns with you?” Everyone held their cell phones in the air. The room lit up with colorful glowing screens. “Well then, let’s get started. Who was here first?”
The girls all began to speak at once, trying to figure out who was at the head of the line. Other pageant staff was trying to maneuver through the foyer. Even though Zoe didn’t use the private elevator, there was another guest who did. Kathleen wheeled out and was blocked by a few of the girls. Rebecca walked out of the dining room and accidently stepped on the toes poking out from one girl’s flip-flops. This was not going to work.
Reading her mind, Will sprang into action. “Okay, okay, ladies, let’s assemble a line here.”
“I was here first.”
“No, I was,” someone else cried.
There was an easy way to handle this. Zoe stepped up another stair and cupped her hands against her mouth. “Alright, if you’re wearing a tube top or something easy to slip over your head, step forward.”
Understanding what she was trying to do, Kenzie nodded. “Okay, if you don’t have an easy top on, run back home and change into something to slip on. If you need to slip your dress over your head, come back around three.” Kenzie turned to glance up at Zoe for approval. She nodded. “Okay, let’s get to it.”
“I don’t understand what’s going on,” Will whispered.
She didn’t expect him to. Zoe patted the center of his back. “Those girls are going to put on their dresses over their heads, so the last thing they’re going to want to do is smear their makeup on the material of the gown.”
“I can help.” Rebecca moved toward the stairs and held on to the banister. “I can do hair.”
“And I can do nails,” said a pageant staffer, Lily Ortiz, from the banister at the top of the stairs. The pretty nail tech and Zoe worked together in the past at fashion expos.
“Sounds like everyone has a job,” Zoe said. “Alright, let’s get to it.”
All the girls began to scatter. Some began forming a single-file line while others trotted out the front door. Zoe turned and found Will staring at her with awe. He stood a step above her, causing her to stare right at his chest. The muscle shirt he wore revealed the work he put in at the gym. A long vein bulged down each bicep.
Will tipped her chin toward him with a brush of his finger. “What do you need me to do?”
“Probably nothing,” Zoe said honestly.
A crash came from around the corner. Some of the men from the bed-and-breakfast rushed to the rescue. Luke backed out of the room carrying a broken vase. Ramon pushed his door open and accidentally hit another girl in the back of her legs.
“I’ve got an idea,” said Will. “How about we start an assembly line of sorts in my room? The girls can hang out in there and come through our bathroom to keep out of the way down here.”
Zoe sighed with appreciation. “You wouldn’t mind?”
“Not all,” Will said, sliding his hands into the pockets of his shorts. “I was still at home when my sisters started dating. Our house was pure chaos.”
“This isn’t just a date,” Zoe reminded him. They started walking up the stairs together. The girls waddled in their heels behind them like ducks. “This is the prom.”
“Well, if you remember, I wasn’t home for prom.”