3, 2, 1...zero

"Told you you're in safe hands," Tina chirped. "James lets me do his skin care and his eyebrows all the time." Just to really make sure Zach didn't run away from her, Tina grabbed onto his arm, hugging it close. "I've got time right now, we can totally go along. Our sofa is really comfy!"

"that doesn't fill me with confidence considering you have a track record of being covered in greed glitter. james is your husband, he's letting you do that out of love" zach on the other hand was a hostage to tina's ideas of makeovers and setting him up on dates. "tina, i don't think this is necessary" he tried finding any excuse to run free.

"Do you think they'll hire professionals this time?"

"i'd like to think so after the last few times"

"No, no, no! I really am qualified!" Tina beamed, fishing her phone from her pocket. She had absolutely seen Zach's glance at the door. She shifted herself just enough that he would have to swerve around her to get away, holding up one hand in front while she scrolled with the other. "See?! Qualified!" On her screen was a photo of herself, dressed in a graduation gown and cap, holding what looked like a certificate. For good measure, she zoomed enough. The text wasn't totally clear, but it did confirm that she had graduated from Cosmetology school two years prior.

zach was about to make a break for it when tina had stepped in the way. he was trapped. held hostage by a tiny blonde woman with a phone. zach looked down to the phone screen and was met with a graduation photo and a qualification in hand that somehow didn't make him feel any more comfortable. "qualified"

"so, like, nowhere is safe? laugh or cry, only one of them is going to give you a puffy face," the other did threaten laugh lines though, her mother's voice noted somewhere in the back of her head. "you don't look like you're totally crashing and burning right now, if that helps." stasia paused for dramatic effect before grinning- "let's do shots."

"no, nowhere is safe. it's like the jaws theme is constantly playing in the background until i'm thrown to the metaphorical shark again" dating was crazy. dating in this town was crazier. "i'm not on a date right now. mention it's a date and i'll spiral." shots weren't a good idea. shots got people into trouble and it lowered his defences enough that he could be surprise attacked with another date from tina. yeah, shots were a bad idea... "okay..."

"You had the option of taking it off though…"

"you try and tell mrs hasagawa no and take off a jumper she made for you. besides, she was right, i was cold"

"that's sweet of you to stick around out of loyalty. you don't think you'll ever move onto something else? loyalty is a pretty rare trait these days"

"i don't know, i've never given it much thought. the shop is good to work for and the staff all get along. i don't know if there's much else out there for me"

"you're all good. this type of car is known for being difficult when it doesn't want to play ball. give me a day and i can get it up and out for you"

"i'll let jack know that he can come pick it up when you've had a chance to get the car fixed. thanks again for taking it in on such short notice. the whole thing started spitting smoke just as he was pulling out of the lot"

"Without a little outside assistance, I'd say the odds are stacked against them. Not impossible, though," she shrugged, looking back at Zach. "Have you ever been in love?"

"do you think people could ever beat the odds when they're stacked against them?" he asked curiously. he wasn't someone that could make a call on that but abby seemed knowledgeable "no, i can't say i ever have been. i don't think i've ever been social enough to get to know someone like that. what about you?"

"Oh, you know!" Tina beamed. "Just a little jooze of your hair. Maybe exfoliate your skin, do a mask. Shape an eyebrow... Nothing major! It's okay, I'm qualified."

"uhhh...." zach looked to the door to see if he would be able to outrun tina fast enough to make his escape "i don't think you're qualified, i've seen no credentials"

"Surely they'll have enough security if there are famous people coming to town," Alice hoped (if small-town bands counted as famous). "I-I don't imagine... Maybe the event organisers are better than the ones we have here in town."

"you'd like to think so. even without famous people, this town has had enough horrors for security to be a non-negotiable."

"how many more dates do you think you'll be going on? just so i know when to check in. this season of the bachelor's already over so... need to fill the void somehow," she joked, flashing a grin. stasia tilted her head as he sat, explaining his super thrilling date. "too awkward? psh. fuck her! hey, do you like sour apple?"

"i don't know, they get sprung on me and half the time i don't know one is happening until i show up somewhere and there's someone waiting. at least someone is finding the humour in it" it was a nightmare for his anxiety levels "i mean, i'm not exactly social. sour apple? i guess so, why?"

"And she gave you no colour options?"

"she didn't give me an option about wearing a sweater so..."

"that's darling, i'll need to stop by and thank him in person. do you work for him, or do you work for the flower company?"

"i work for jack. he gave me a job when i finished my studies and i guess i've just stuck around out of loyalty"

"yeah, yeah, so i'll take a look under the hood and change out the tyres for you. anything else you want looked at while you've got your car in the shop?" he asked when he caught the car keys tossed to him.

"thanks guido, jack will appreciate you being able to take it in on short notice. he was about to do a delivery run when it started making that weird noise"

Alice had stopped in their tracks in the middle of the sidwalk, head tilted as they admired a new, pristine poster on the cafe wall. "A festival? We've never had one of those here before."

tonw events made him nervous. this town didn't have the best track record of their events running smoothly and without some sort of casualty. "i guess, i just hope there's some security there"