Disclaimer: Alice is owned by Syfy. But of course, I claim ownership of cROOKed, just because I can.
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cROOKed… Open for Business
Hatter looked around cROOKed. Everywhere there were workers getting ready for the moment that the doors would open. Waitresses ran back and forth making sure that there were napkins on the tables and pretzels had been set out. Scamp stood in the DJ booth, her shallow breathing echoing through the microphone. Hatter realized that she had forgotten to turn the mic. But that could have happened to anyone. Only a quarter hour to go…
Hart and Fowler stood at the door, ready for the flow of people lured in by the five dollar cover charge and the half price drinks. The deal was meant to bring people; Hatter hoped that the atmosphere would hook them in.
He wondered how out of place the clients would look in their modern day clothing. Every one of the workers who hadn't been born in Wonderland had gotten their outfits checked out by Hatter in advance to make sure their clothes would look authentic, even if no one around here actually knew how Wonderlanders dressed. In fact, Alice and Duchess had brought some of workers around to thrift stores in order to find uniforms that would fit with the theme.
Hatter was dressed in his absolute best. Everything from his glossy black hat down to his new black boots had been picked out especially for the occasion. His shirt was such a deep red that it almost matched the walls and it was decorated with small dark brown embroideries along the cuffs that peeked out from beneath his leather coat. It was the same old coat that he had been wearing when Alice dropped into his life and that made it special to him.
Hatter bumped into one of the tables as he walked around, nearly spilling a glass of water that one of the waitresses had been drinking out of. Thankfully the tables were bolted to the floor, so they couldn't be accidently overturned if anything got out of hand.
He brushed his hands across the dark brown fabric of his pants, trying to smooth out imaginary wrinkles. He wanted absolutely everything to be perfect, but logically he knew that was never going to happen.
Things seemed to be going smoothly, but Alice and Duchess still hadn't arrived.
As if reading they were reading his thoughts, Hart and Fowler opened the doors.
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Alice turned her head to smile at Duchess. Looking good was one of the steps to feeling good, Alice decided. They looked good. It wasn't vanity. It was just the truth. With Duchess's advice and a little help with her hair, Alice looked like she had stepped out of a movie.
The idea of wearing a go-go dancer dress and white boots had never really crossed Alice's mind until she saw the dark brown dress at the vintage shop. It was perfect for the night and made her feel as if she really did belong at cROOKed despite the fact that she was an Oyster.
Duchess walked forward, her dress flowing about her with her movements. The bell sleeved pink and orange dress was not something that a pregnant woman would normally wear, but with the wide white belt that Duchess had on above the slight swell to her stomach, no one would even notice the fact that Duchess was expecting. Her beloved oversized jewelry was once again in place and she looked like the Duchess that Alice had met months before.
Yes, they looked good, if Hatter's reaction was any indication to go by.
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Hatter remembered that he was supposed to breathe… eventually.
He had never expected Alice to come wearing a dress that barely covered her hips and a pair of boots that went up to her knees. It was a startling contrast to the clothes that she tended to wear normally and it reminded him of the little blue dress that she had been wearing when they met.
He wanted to touch the silk kerchief around her neck that nearly matched the color of his coat. They couldn't have coordinated their clothing more perfectly if they had tried.
The idea of touching that silk scarf was driving him crazy, but Hatter decided that if he couldn't touch the kerchief, he would settle for her hair. Somehow she had gotten her normally straight hair to curl slightly around the edges of her face. Was she trying to drive him mad?
"Well, now I know why my manager ran off with my girlfriend this afternoon." Both women were lovely, but he had to try to think of something else.
"We couldn't just wear just anything." said Duchess. "Any anyway, you didn't really need us today. You had everything under control." Hatter knew it was the truth, but he still would have liked them to help him.
He wrapped his arm around Alice's waist and gave her a quick kiss. His fingers stole across the silk at her throat and into her hair, careful not to disturb the curls.
Seven minutes to go…
The doors opened again and Hatter resisted the urge to ask Hart and Fowler exactly what they were up to.
Carol stepped in the door looking a bit bewildered. Of course, Hatter had agreed that she should come to the opening. She had even dressed appropriately. Alice had apparently told her about the fact that sixties clothes were the best fit for the place.
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"Mom!" Alice left Hatter's side, rushing over to her mother to compliment her on the blouse and bellbottoms that the older woman had found. Everyone who was important to Alice in this world was there. And that made her feel secure despite the nervous twists in her stomach. No matter if the people outside liked cROOKed or not, it had the approval of everyone who mattered.
Hatter joined her beside her mom. She kissed him again, not caring who saw. This was a beginning of sorts, and one that she wanted to savor.
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Hart and Fowler grinned at each other and officially opened the doors of cROOKed for the first time while their boss was locked in the arms of the woman he loved.
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AN:
Finally cROOKed is open. I liked the idea of Alice wearing dark brown and her matching clothing to Hatter's was fun. There will be more of the opening in the next chapter because I just can't leave it there.
And yes, I had to dress Duchess in pink and orange. She would do way too well as a sixties Barbie doll.
Reviews? I love reading what you all have to say about the story.