ADifferentKindOfCosplay Read Online Free PDF Page A

see.” The man smiled. “That makes sense. Well, let me
go call a taxi and then I can help you put the boxes in the car when it
arrives.”
    “Thank you, I appreciate it.”
    “All part of the service.” He headed into the back of the
shop and was gone for a few minutes, then reappeared. “Okay, all sorted.
Someone will be out the front in ten.”
    “Great, thanks. Well then, I’ll get settled up and be out of
your way.” Pulling out his wallet, he waited for the man to input the details
into the till and hand over the card machine, then slotted his credit card into
it—he’d worry about the amount in a few weeks. By then he’d have been paid
again, and he was due a fair whack of commission, so he should be able to cover
it easily enough.
    He punched in his PIN, removed the card when he was told and
put it away. Taking his receipt, he thanked the man again. “You’ve been so
helpful. I really do appreciate it.”
    “That’s what I’m here for.” Turning and popping his head
through the doorway into the back of the shop, he yelled, “I’m just going to
help my customer put his purchases into a taxi, okay? I won’t be long!”
    Zach didn’t hear the response, but it had clearly been in
the affirmative, as the manager stepped from behind the till and grabbed one of
the boxes, while Zach picked up the other. Together they headed for the door,
where the man propped the box against the frame while he pulled the handle,
letting them out.
    Once outside, they put the purchases on the pavement as they
waited—mercifully the weather was dry.
    After a couple of minutes of idle chatter—during which Zach
was supremely grateful that the man didn’t actually ask what the outfits were for —a
taxi rounded the corner, indicated and pulled over in front of the shop. The
driver, spotting the load, hopped out and opened the boot so the boxes could be
put in.
    Before climbing into the back of the car, Zach turned to the
store manager and held out his hand. “Thanks again, mate. When I’m next
shopping for this sort of stuff, you’ll be my first choice.”
    They shook hands, and the man smiled then headed back into
the shop.
    Zach got into the taxi and shut the door, then gave the
driver his address. Settling back into the seat, he felt a weight lift off his
shoulders. The most complex bit of Reese’s birthday surprise was sorted. He
grinned. It was just the fun bit to take care of now.
    When the car drew up outside his house, Zach kept his
fingers crossed that no freak occurrence had brought Reese home early. He
doubted it but hoped his luck would hold out.
    Grabbing some money from his wallet, he paid the fare,
thanking the driver, who offered to help him with the second box. Gratefully,
Zach accepted the offer and had both boxes in his hallway within a couple of
minutes.
    “Okay, Zachary,” he said to himself, closing the front door,
“now you have to find somewhere for these to live for the next week. Somewhere
Reese won’t find them.”
    The answer came to him quickly—the cupboard in the utility
room. Reese never went in there, complaining it was too full of crap and she
was scared something would fall on her head and knock her out. Both of them had
often mentioned clearing it out, but they’d never gotten around to it. Now Zach
was supremely glad of that fact—he could shift some stuff out of the way, stash
the boxes at the back, then cover them up again, so if Reese happened to look
in there, which was highly unlikely, she wouldn’t see them anyway.
    For now, though, he wanted to have a good look at exactly
what he’d bought. He hadn’t wanted to examine his purchases too closely in the
shop in case the manager thought he was looking for faults, or worse, started
asking questions. The last thing he wanted was to have to confess to someone
that he’d spent rather a lot of money on a bunch of outfits in order to
repeatedly seduce his girlfriend for her birthday because he couldn’t think of
anything