"Ya finally got a date and ya did his taxes?!" Dollface asked, exasperated.
Izzy nodded shyly. Even though she thought she should feel shame for being lame, Izzy couldn't hide her smile.
"Izzy, how scandalous of you!" Dollface wrapped an arm around Izzy's neck, unable to hold back a 40-Watt grin. Only Izzy could turn a date into tax season.
To Izzy, taxes were as intimate as sharing a bed. It wasn't all bad though, she got at least one good kiss out of him.
Waiting in the main lobby at the feet of the rainbow menagerie, Dollface, Izzy, Princess, Dolli Mae and Wolfie shuffled around the cloth covered tables, giggling in anticipation.
"Mr. Emily, when is Mr. Afton showing up?" Princess asked flatly, pushing her pink glasses up the bridge of her nose, "He's taking for-ev-er."
Henry smiled down at her. "Soon."
Dollface tapped her foot, watching Vincent and Dolli Mae play with Charlie while Maggie glared from a nearby table. She absently swatted a few flies from her face.
What's that smell? At least it hasn't gotten any worse!
"Sorry for asking, but where's Mrs. Emily?" Princess asked.
Henry smiled sadly at Princess. "Well, it's a long story."
"Oh. I'm sorry." Princess said, not sure what else to say. She shifted the crown on her head, pigtails bobbing, "Can I hear it anyway?"
Henry sighed, no light in his tired eyes now. "Come with me."
After watching Henry and Princess disappear down a hall, Dollface stared at dead-eyed Mike. He smiled limply at her, letting it fall from his face. He looked like he'd seen a ghost.
Dollface furrowed her brow, looking away.
Wonder what those two are up to.
The lobby door opened, and a giant yellow rabbit stepped in, did a small, jovial dance, twirled, then bowed deeply.
"Hey Dad." Vinnie stood from his spot on the bench and approached the rabbit. The rabbit ruffled his yellow costume paw in Vinnie's wavey black locks. Vinnie backed away, dodging William's paw.
Maggie stayed where she'd been sitting, mouth open. A look of rejection briefly crossed her face when Dolli Mae joined Vinnie, but returned to her usual bitchy glare.
Hey, does something seem off about Vinnie today?
Maybe.
"Yooooooooooo." Wolfie breathed, "I think I just found m'new hobby."
"Weirdo." Dollface muttered, trying to bite back a laugh as Wolfie pulled out a comb to elevate her choppy hair further.
"Hey kids! Follow me!" The rabbit waved his paw as he turned on his goofy gold heels. The girls fell into line, Henry and his found family following behind as they were led to the cars.
The rabbit pulled off his head, the smiling face of William beneath greeting the world around him. He pulled off the mascot torso and then the matching sleeves, piling them on the van's dull purple roof.
"Maggie, Vinnie, you're riding with me." He pulled open the back door of one of the S.U.V.s, a carseat for Charlie waiting like a padded pink throne.
"And the rest of you are coming with me!" Henry said, carrying Charlie to Afton in his bunny pants held up by purple suspenders. Afton took Charlie and smiled at her.
"Does everyone have their costumes?" Afton said, using his free hand to open the co-pilot door. "Vincenté, wanna navigate?"
"Sure." Vinnie said in a subtly shaky voice, jumping into the seat. Dollface could see Maggie's thin shoulders droop a little when he turned to look over his shoulder at Dolli Mae.
Dolli Mae smiled and waved back.
Everyone knew Maggie liked Dolli Mae's new boyfriend a little too much. What little sympathy Dollface had for Maggie was long gone by now, and she had to hide her schadenfreude every time she saw the bitch get rejected.
At this point, she only let Maggie design the new uniforms while Dollface sewed them up for Thorne And String Bean to use. Duke and Foxx, the dishwashers/attendants, however, were on their own when it came to clothing.
"Girls, you're riding with me!" Henry waved them to his car, doors already opened.
Dollface piled into the car with her friends, sitting next to Dolli Mae, a congenital dwarf who stood at four foot seven when wearing heels.
"Everyone in?" Henry asked from the front seat, Wolfie next to him.
"Yep! All clear!" Dollface replied, watching Wolfie unfold the road map.
"Let's roll!"