“No,” I reply. “What he has been is absent. He took off. Like that Acme chicken that goes meep-meep and zooms off.”
“It’s not a chicken,” a voice says from behind me. I turn to find Grady walking into the makeup area.
“It was so a chicken,” I respond, crossing my arms over my chest defiantly.
“Was not. It was a roadrunner.” He crosses his arms over his chest, mimicking my pose.
Barbara-Claire and Junior give us a look and then pretend to talk to one another, acting like they’re paying us no attention at all.
“Where have you been?” I ask him quietly, hating that I even have to ask. “I’ve barely seen you all week.”
He shrugs. “I had something to do.”
“What?”
He walks over close to me and tweaks my nose. “Patience, grasshopper.”
“Grady Parker, I swear—”
But he bends and kisses me.
He grins. “Jesus. If I’d known I could shut you up with a kiss, I’d have started kissing you ages ago.”
“Grady,” I try again, still smarting from his absence for the past few days, “I don’t understand.”
“I know you don’t,” he replies softly. He stares into my eyes. “I should have done a better job at communicating. But I wanted to surprise you with something. So if you can keep from chopping my head off with an axe, I promise I’ll make it up to you.” He presses his hands together like he’s praying.
“I can’t promise you that,” I reply, still irritated.
Barbara-Claire and Junior jerk to attention when Mr. Jacobson walks around the corner, carrying his clipboard.
“Where will you two be?” Grady asks as he looks at them.
“Turn number two,” Junior replies as he gazes in the mirror, admiring his appearance. “We’re supposed to shuffle along and pretend like we don’t see anybody, and then jump at them as soon as they think they’re safely past us.”
Barbara-Claire rubs her hands together. “I can’t wait.” Her eyes narrow at me. “Why aren’t you dressed?”
I look down at what I’m wearing. “I am dressed.” I have on a flannel shirt and a pair of jeans, with a pair of running shoes on my feet.
Barbara-Claire looks appalled. “You’re not going to hide in the maze like that, are you?”
“No,” I say slowly. “I’m the one who’ll run out of the maze chased by a chain saw wielding maniac.”
“Oh, fun!” Barbara-Claire says. “Who’s playing the maniac?”
I snort. “Maniac is right. I got stuck with Grady.” I jerk my thumb in his direction. He has barely said two words to me since the funeral, but I’m stuck with him anyway.
“It’s not like I asked to work with you, Clifford,” he replies.
“I didn’t ask for you either, Grady,” I inform him.
“Good.”
“Good.”
Junior snorts. “Some things never change,” he says. He turns back to the mirror. “I look amazing.” He looks toward Barbara-Claire through the mirror. “Makes you want to do me, right?”
She rolls her eyes. “Totally.”