Left Behind at the Crosswalk of Life novel · Chapter 22 of 24

Chapter 22: Number One

Minnie's POV

At seven on Saturday morning, a bus driver cut the padlock off my father's bakery with bolt cutters.

"I own exactly three tools," Maggie said, dropping the chain on the sidewalk. "This is the fun one."

Nolan carried the three white tiers out through the alley in their crate, and I walked behind him with the gold script held steady in my head.

In the back seat of Maggie's Honda sat a woman in a gray cardigan with a long garment bag across her knees.

She looked at me through the window.

I got in the back beside her, because there wasn't another seat.

"I'm Minnie," I said. "I'm number two."

"I'm number one," she said, and her mouth moved. "I brought a dress."

"I have a green one."

"It'll be better than mine. Mine has a train."

We both started laughing and couldn't stop.

Maggie watched us in the rearview mirror with her hands on the wheel.

"Everybody's in a good mood for a hostage exchange," she said.

At six that evening, I stood in a line of guests at the base of the Merrick Realty tower in a green dress, with my hair down and a cream card in my hand.

My stomach was tight.

The guard at the podium looked at his tablet.

"Name?"

"Guest of Delaney Crowe," I said.

He scrolled.

He looked at the screen, and then up at me, and then at the screen again.

I kept my face still.

"Ma'am, one moment." He raised his radio. "I've got a plus-one here that..."

"She's with me," said a voice behind me.

Nolan stepped up beside me in a black tuxedo.

He had gotten a haircut, and I wanted to kiss him in the line.

"Mr. Hatch," the guard said. "Ms. Crowe's guest."

"And she's my date."

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