The costume

Six days later Part 3

Oh boy, Sue is going to be furious when she finds out I haven't got a costume yet. I never looked around like I told her. I've been staying home dreading this party that I didn't want to go to in the first place. Now I don't have a costume so I guess I better start looking now. Big time before Sue finds out. I went to the mall nothing there. I went to some Halloween stores, but nothing. I went to some specialties store in hopes of finding one, but again nothing. Now I'm traveling out of town in hopes of finding one. Then my cellphone rings. It's Sue. "Hello?" I answered shaking from fear. What am I going to tell her the truth a lie oh brother this can't get any worse.

   " Tom? It's Sue." She said. Like I didn't know who was calling thanks to caller I.D.

  " Yeah. Sue, what's up?" I asked.

   " I'm trying on my costume I think you'll like it." She said. "Where's yours and where are you?"

   " I'm picking it up now. I'm just waiting for it to be cleaned. I dropped it in a mud puddle the other day so I had to get it cleaned." I lied. " I hope it didn't get ruined." I kept lying hoping she would catch on.

   " It's just mud?" She asked.

  "Yeah," I said.

   "You should have come over here to my place I would've cleaned it for you." She said.

   Damn. Caught. Now what. Think Tom, think and fast. "Tom you there? Hello? Tom?" She kept asking.

   " Uh.. yeah I'm here." I answered.

   "Well, why didn't you ask me to clean it for you?" She asked again.

  " Uh... Well... ah... I wanted it to be a surprise when I pick you up tomorrow with it on. Now it can't be a surprise if you've seen it now can it?"  I asked and lying big time. I hope she won't catch on.

   " Well, I guess not. Ok. I'll see you tomorrow night." She said. Thank god she didn't catch on and bought the whole bogus story. I'm in a pickle now and I don't know what to do. I just kept driving.

  I stopped at a couple of mom-and-pop stores on the outskirts of town with no luck. I drove to the next town. I checked everywhere malls, stores even a Salvation Army store no luck. It's now getting close to evening and getting dark. When my cellphone rings again. Mom. "Where are you are you going to be home for dinner?" She asked. I looked at my clock on the radio it said 5:45. I'm sunk there's no place going to open now. "Don't worry about me mom I'll pick up something on the way home." I said.

   "Ok. Son just be careful it gets dark early now. Oh, by the way, Sue called and wanted to talk to you I told her that you weren't home and to call your cell." My mom told me.

   " Yeah, I already talked to her. Thanks mom." I said.

   " Ok. Honey just be careful I love you." Mom said. Mothers always looking out for us and always loving us.

   "Ok. Love you too mom.  I should be home soon." I said and hung up. Boy, Sue was covering all her bases to get ahold of me. I got to give it to her she doesn't give up easily.

   Now back to my problem at hand. Now it's almost 6 and still no costume and I'm running out of time and luck. I decided to turn around and head back home since all I started to see was all farmland and no stores and stop at a diner I saw on the outskirts of this town I was in. I turned around and stopped at the diner and grabbed something quick so I could head back home which was an hour away yet. I have never been out here this far before nor had I seen this diner either. I had another 10 miles before I would hit the first town. The diner was neat and clean and had a 1950's look to it. The diner also looked like it was never updated either but it was clean, I felt like I went through a time warp and ended up back in the 50s. The menus were worn and looked like they have been using the same menu from the '50s the only difference was the prices were up to date. I got a burger and fries and they came in one of those plastic baskets. The burger was good and the fries were great and greasy. I got done and got back into my jeep and started driving again making a mental note to come back here someday.