Tales Of The Wand
#12a – Unfinished Business
by JMD

Lisa stood back and checked out how she looked in the Galaxy Girl costume in the full length mirror.  She had to admit that she much preferred wearing it as herself than she had as a blow-up doll.  Reaching up, she adjusted the blonde wig on her head.

"OH MY GOD!"

The voice had come from behind her.  She turned to see a tall redhead standing in the ladies room doorway.  The young woman was practically naked.  A tiny metal-cup bra covered her ample chest, while a chain-mail mini-skirt hung low on her hips.  Some kind of golden crown pushed her hair up high on her head.

"You mean that crazy bastard actually convinced someone else to wear that silly outfit?" the woman said, coming on into the restroom.

Lisa turned to fully face the woman.  "Ah," she nodded.  "You must be Bev."

The woman grinned.  "I see Roger's mentioned me."

"He mentioned how you used him to get out here, yeah."

The grin grew bigger.  "Trust me, Sweetie," Bev told her.  "If not me, someone else would have done it.  Everyone's always taking advantage of dear ol' Rog."  She looked Lisa over carefully.  "So, what's the little creep paying you to wear that out of date crap?  Can't be much.  He was almost completely tapped out."

"He's not paying me anything.  I'm doing this as a favor."

Bev laughed rudely.  "For him?  Or for you?"

"Wha..."

"Well, let's face it, Sugar," Bev cut her off.  "You're a little old for a booth babe, ain't cha?"

Lisa's eyes narrowed.  "I'm only twenty-seven, you..."

"Whatever," Bev said, cutting her off again.  "Still, if you ask me, I'm not the only one taking a little advantage here."  She pushed her way past Lisa.  "You want some advice, Sweetie?"

"Oh, please," Lisa answered, dripping sarcasm.

"You're still in pretty good shape," Bev told her, fluffing her hair in the mirror.  "For someone your age, I mean."  She turned to face Lisa.  "But you're never going to get anywhere in this business wearing old fashioned crap like that.  It covers too much.  You want to get ahead, you've got to show some skin."  She held her hands out to show off her own body.  She gave Lisa a wink before turning back to the mirror to check her makeup.

Lisa just stared at the taller woman's exposed back for a few moments.  Then, she reached for her purse.
   
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"What took so long?" Chris asked as Lisa came back from changing into her costume.
   
"Sorry," she told him, adjusting her skirt.  "Had some wardrobe issues."  She sat the bag with her clothes under the table.  "Okay, what's my job here?"

"You draw attention to Roger's booth," Chris explained simply.

"How?"

"Well, usually," Chris said with a smile, "the 'babe' will standing around and flaunt herself at guys to get them to come around."

Lisa eyed him carefully.  "Really?"

"Really."

"Not my style," she stated.  She reached down and picked up a stack of Roger's comics.  "I'll be back."

"Where are you going?" Chris asked as she walked away.

"To draw some attention," she called back over her shoulder.

And that's what she did.  She wandered the convention floor, showing off copies of Roger's book to anyone who would listen.  She'd then guide them back to the booth, where Chris would sign it for them.  She even managed to capture the attention of a major comic publisher's talent scout who was impressed with Roger's artwork.  He gave Roger his card and told him to call.

After a couple of hours, she took a break.  She was sitting on the edge of the table, chatting with Chris and Roger, when an angry voice caught her attention.  "You found it where?"

They all turned to see two men pushing their way through the crowd.  One was carrying what looked like metallic cloth in his hands.  "In the trash," he told his companion.  "Outside the women's john."

"The trash?"

"That's what I said, didn't I?"

"Well, that's it," the first man said.  "She's done.  By the time I get finished with her reputation, that costume won't be the only thing that's in the trash can."

At that point, the men disappeared into the crowd.  The group at the table stared after them for a moment, then Roger spoke up.  "That's odd."

"What?" Chris asked him.

"That's the guys Bev went to work for," he answered.

"Well," Lisa said, dusting some lint off the front of her Galaxy Girl dress, "looks like you're not the only one she run out on, huh?"

"Guess not," he agreed.  Someone came up to the booth, and he turned his attention to them.

Chris, however, was looking strangely at his wife.  Lisa just smiled at him, before jumping up from the table.  Blowing him a kiss, she headed back out to work the crowd.
   
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"Okay, Mr. Harris," the desk clerk said, sliding the bill across to Chris.  "If you'll just sign here, we..."
   
"BUT I'M TELLING YOU THE TRUTH!"

The voice had come from the elevator across the lobby.  Chris and Lisa turned to see a tall redhead wrapped in a blanket being escorted across the room by a couple of local police officers.  Her hands were cuffed in front of her.  "Sure you are, Ma'am," one of the officers said, his skepticism obvious.

"Don't give me that tone," the woman said.  "I'm telling you she turned me into a dress and wore me."

"Who was that, Ma'am?" the other officer asked.

"Galaxy Girl," the woman answered.

"Galaxy Girl?" the officer repeated.

"Yes," the woman told him.  "The character from Roger's comic."

"Roger?"

"The guy I tricked into bringing me here," she told them.  "His character turned me into her costume and wore me all over the convention floor yesterday."

"I see," the first officer said, nodding at the doorman to open up.  "And how did she manage that?"

The woman looked doubtful.  "Well, I don't know exactly.  I didn't see her do it.  Maybe that little plastic ray-gun did it."

"Ray-gun?"

"Yes."

"Right."  He reached down and opened the back door of the police cruiser waiting at the curb.  "Watch your head, Miss."

"But..."  Something in the officer's eyes must have told her that he'd heard enough, because she didn't finish whatever she was going to say.  She just sighed, and climbed into the car.  The officer closed the door and moved to the front.  Before he got in, he made the "crazy sign" with his finger at his temple to his partner on the other side of the car.

Chris watched the woman as she sat in the back of the police car.  She looked back out at the hotel, shaking her head.  Suddenly, she stopped and stared hard in his general direction.  Her eyes grew wide and she opened her mouth to say something.  But at that moment, the cruiser sped away from the curb and was gone.

Chris glanced over to where his wife stood beside him.  She had a satisfied smile on her face.

"Weird, huh?"  Chris and Lisa turned back to the desk clerk.  "They found her this morning, locked in a supply closet off the convention hall.  Naked as the day she was born."

"Really?" Lisa said, innocently.

"Yes, Ma'am," the clerk confirmed.  "I'm telling you.  You never know what's going to happen at one of these conventions."

"I guess not," Chris said, signing the bill.  He slid in back over to the desk clerk, who thanked him and wished him a safe trip.  Chris turned and headed across the lobby with his wife.  "Let me guess," he whispered to her.  "Bev?"

Lisa didn't answer his question.  She just took his arm and smiled.  "Come on," she said.  "Let's go home."