Ginger smiled, her nodding now in overdrive. “See, you’re not as lost as you thought you were.” She reached down and patted my shoulder, if just barely. “Now get your things and let’s get a move on. Time is money, after all.”
Before I could inquire, yet again, Flo raised her perfectly manicured hand up to stop me. “Again, just an expression, sugar. After all, money is only used for tips these days. And you haven’t even seen our act yet.”
To which Dara grumbled in response, “Not so sure about that.”
Still, we weren’t budging. “Uh, where exactly are we getting a move on to, if you don’t mind me asking?” I held off asking the why, seeing as this merry threesome seemed to have a hard enough time answering one question let along two. Or six. Or the ten I had lined up.
Three pairs of fabulously painted lips cracked three beguiling smiles. “Why, Liberty Island, of course.”
“Of course,” I echoed. “And where, pray tell, is Liberty Island?”
They looked at me as if I was crazy. And spending any more time with these queens would probably make me as such. Still, Ginger replied, “East of New York City. Just.”
“Just what?” tried Dara.
“Just east,” replied VaVa.
I turned to Dara and pressed my lips to her ear. “Please stop asking questions, dearest. I have a feeling they’re not going to get us anywhere.”
She nodded and then placed her lips to my ear. “So what are you saying, that we go with them?”
I paused, letting the thought sink in. Then I pointed to the thousands and thousands of zombies on all sides of us. “Sure beats the alternative.”
She squinted her eyes. “I see your point.” She then turned and stared at the impatient-looking mess of drag aimed our way. “Think they’ll loan us some of those outfits of theirs?”
I too turned. “Do you have any clothes for us?” I asked, pointing their way. “Like those?”
“Hundreds,” they instantly replied, in unison.
“Huh?” squeaked Dara.
“Hundreds,” repeated Ginger. “And just as many wigs and shoes and boas.”
“Boas.” Dara was suddenly holding my gaze. “She said boas, Creature.” And if my after-life partner could drool, a pool of it would’ve already formed on the gravel below.
I grabbed her hand in mine. “I heard, hon. I heard.” Again I turned their way. “Okay, we’re ready. All we need is a few bags of salt.”
“But what about your personal things?” asked Flo. “Toothpaste?”
“Makeup?” added Ginger.
“Clothes?” asked VaVa.
“Makeup?” repeated Ginger.
“Shoes?” tried Flo.
“Makeup?” Yep, Ginger again. Seems she had a one-track mind. Luckily, it was a rather nice-looking track.
Still, I held up my hand to stop them. “We’ll borrow yours.”
Again Dara squeaked. “Or just, uh, take them. Seeing as you have hundreds, right?”
“Hundreds,” agreed VaVa. “And you can have as many as you like, just, please, hurry.”
And it was then that I spotted my human minions, all of them clearly listening to the conversation, not a smile to be seen among them. After all, without me they were completely trapped within the fence, vulnerable. No forays into Salt Lake City. No protection from the zombies. No Britney medleys.
I frowned and turned to Ginger. “We’ll go, but only for a short while. A vacation of sorts.”
They seemed to not like the sound of that, but nodded just the same. “Fine, we’ll bring you back,” said VaVa. “Promise.” She crossed her padded heart. “Just get on the plane. Please. Now.”
I moved to the nearest minion, his frown practically dragging the pavement. “Don’t worry. There’s plenty of food, the fence is sturdy and we’ll be back in no time.”
“How soon?” he asked, clearly nervous at the prospect of my leaving.
I looked over at Ginger. She nodded and replied, “Soon. She’ll be back soon. And with a whole new wardrobe.”
“And boas,” Dara quickly piped in with.
“And boas,” agreed Flo. “Now on the plane with you.”
My eyes moved from my minions to the drag queens to Dara. Her eyes were doing the same. She then took my hand and moved us a half dozen feet away, out of earshot. “They sure seem awfully desperate, Creature.”
“My lip-synching abilities must’ve preceded me.”
“Though it seems to have taken quite a while to do so.”
I reached my hands out and pulled her in tight, my chin resting on her shoulder. “I know how it sounds, Dara, how they sound, but we’ve been here hundreds of years now; do you want to go hundreds more without a little, I don’t know, adventure.”
She sighed. “Yeah, but just how little are we talking about here?” The sigh repeated. “Plus, the humans are counting on you. Our zombies would be fine, could even blend back in with the throng, but your minions, they’d be, well—”
“Lost without me?”
She patted my back. “I was going with eaten, Creature. Torn to shreds and eaten, should the fence give way or if they had need to visit the city, which you know they do, from time to time.”