Page 22 of Savage

“Afraid so.”

“This is for the Daniels wedding, right?”

I nodded, feeling a bit sheepish. Mr. Hagley was the only tailor in town, and I had to admit, I wasn't thrilled about having to wear a suit. But it was a wedding and my mother insisted, so there was no getting out of it.

Mr. Hagley shuffled over to a rack of suits and began pulling them out, holding each one up for inspection. "Your mother said you're a size 40 long," he said, squinting at me through his thick glasses.

"That's right."

He handed me a navy-blue suit and gestured for me to try it. I stepped behind the curtain and pulled it closed, then quickly slipped out of my work clothes. I put on the suit and checked myself out in the mirror. It was a little snug in the shoulders but otherwise fit well.

When I stepped out from behind the curtain, Mr. Hagley was waiting for me with a measuring tape tucked between his lips. He slowly circled me, toying with the fabric and muttering measurements under his breath. He sounded pleased as he mumbled, "Okay, okay. Looks good. How does that feel?"

“It’s a little tight around the shoulders, but not too bad.”

“We could always go up a size, but this is the right fit.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right.”

“Of course, I am.” He slipped the measuring tape around my neck as he asked, “Now, what about a shirt?”

I considered refusing, but I knew there was no point. Mr. Hagley wasn’t going to let me out of there until I had everything I needed. After spending a small fortune, I said my goodbyes to Mr. Hagley and headed home. Once I got to the house, I put away my new duds and called my mother. I could hear the smile in her voice as she said, “Hey, sweetheart. I was hoping to hear from you today.”

“I just wanted to let you know that I picked up my suit.”

“Oh, good,” she replied happily. “Did you like it?”

“It’s fine... It’s a suit.”

“Well, I bet you look very handsome in it.”

My cut was the only jacket I ever wore, and I had no desire to change that. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a choice in the matter. “If you say so.”

“I do say so. I can’t wait to see you in it.”

“You got Dad wearing one, too?”

“Yes, dear.” She sighed. “He will be wearing one, and like you, he won’t be thrilled about it. But the wedding won’t last long, so maybe you two can find a way to suffer through.”

“We’ll be fine.” My encounter with Mrs. Hollings was still fresh on my mind, so I said, “I saw Mrs. Hollings today.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, she was at Marvin’s getting ice cream with some kid.”

“Really? Wonder who that could’ve been?”

“No idea. I would’ve asked her, but she was in a pretty big rush and bolted before I could ask.”

“I’m sure he was just a relative or a neighbor kid. Jane is always helping folks out.”

“That’s what I figured.” Even as I said the words, something didn’t feel right. There was something about that kid that got under my skin, so I told her, “But he looked like someone we should know.”

“Well, I’ll have to ask her about him.”

“Nah, it’s not a big deal. I was just curious.” I glanced up at the clock, and my stomach sank when I saw that it was already after eight. “I better get going. We’ve got a long one coming tomorrow.”

“Okay, sweetheart. Have a good night.”

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