Night Whispers - Leslie Kelly [50]
Kelsey glanced at the clock hanging above the double doors leading into the ballroom. “We’re right on time. I’m supposed to work for the first hour.”
“Does the station have a booth or something?”
“Yeah. And my boss left me a note that they’re setting up a special area for me.”
Mitch was moving to open the door for her when a group of twenty or so people came from behind them, laughing and complimenting one another’s costumes. The group moved toward the doors, sweeping Mitch and Kelsey right along with them into the ballroom.
Inside, Kelsey glanced quickly around the huge parquet-floored room. There was a large crowd standing in a buffet line, and most of the tables were already full. Several couples were on the dance floor. Along the far right wall she saw a large banner with the call letters for the station, and they steered along the outside edge of the ballroom as they made their way toward it.
“Kelsey!”
Glancing around, Kelsey saw Brian approaching them. He was dressed as a large chicken and looked about as uncomfortable as anyone she had ever seen.
“Hi, Brian. You look…interesting,” Kelsey said, trying unsuccessfully to suppress a grin.
“Don’t get me started,” Brian responded with a sour look. “I reserved the Lone Ranger and Tonto costumes for Chuck and me, but the rental place messed up and I had to choose from what was hanging on the racks. I’m the chicken, and Chuck is dressed up as Godzilla.”
“I thought that lizard looked familiar,” Kelsey said.
“You need to hurry up. The station photographer’s taking a few shots over at the booth and wants you in them. Sweetie, you two look great…I can’t wait to see you in the cover.”
“The cover?” Kelsey asked, not knowing what he was talking about. Brian hurried away without responding.
Mitch didn’t protest as Kelsey squeezed through the crowd, dragging him behind her. They generated stares throughout the length of the ballroom, and Mitch nodded to a few familiar faces, chuckling at their astonishment at his appearance. He grinned at the college dean, who was dressed as a vampire. The man’s jaw dropped so hard when he saw a chained Mitch being led by Kelsey that his false fangs popped out and landed with a bubbling fizz in his drink. Mitch imagined there would be a new topic of conversation at the next faculty party.
As they approached the large WAJO banner, which Mitch could see over the heads of people pressed near the radio station’s booth, they skirted between a few tables and came up from behind to avoid the crowd. Kelsey introduced Mitch to two of the other deejays already there, then waved at a photographer standing nearby.
“Perfect timing, Kels. I want to finish off this roll, and I’ve got to get out of here soon,” Dan said. “You don’t have a problem with me taking a few shots for the station, do you?” he asked, obviously addressing Mitch.
“I guess not,” Mitch replied.
“Good,” Dan said. “I just need you to sign the standard forms.”
Mitch watched as the man felt around his camera bag and came up with two small crumpled-looking pieces of paper and a pen. Kelsey signed first, without bothering to read the card, and Mitch followed suit. His signature ended up a crooked scrawl because Kelsey accidentally jerked the chain while he wrote. “Watch it, wench,” he muttered.
“Sorry, master,” she said with a saucy grin. “Are you going to punish me later?”
Their eyes met for one charged moment. “Only if you’re lucky.”
“Okay, we’re all set,” Dan said as he shoved the signed forms back into his camera bag. “I have to say, you two look amazing. This is going to be terrific.”
“I hope you’re right,” Kelsey said. “Where do you want us?”
The photographer rolled his eyes. “In the cover, of course, right over here.”
Dan grabbed Kelsey and Mitch by their chained hands, pulling them forward to stand beneath a large wooden frame. Kelsey could only see it from the back. She assumed a special “Lady Love” promo was on the front. The frame was about seven feet tall, and contained a large empty spot in the middle. As the photographer pulled them beneath it, Kelsey realized it