An afternoon rummaging through her parents' garage earns Keely a steamy afternoon tryst with Dan that she'll never forget. She gets to be his own personal Disco Queen, 70s heels an all...
*originally appeared in Afternoon Delight edited by Alison Tyler
“Would you look at this?” Dan held the swingy pale yellow garment up and spun in a circle.
“I’m sure it will look lovely on you,” Keely said. She attempted to catch a stack of magazines as they slid to the side but it was pointless. She stepped back as they continued to spread. “Fuck.”
“What are we looking for again?” Dan sighed. But then he was laughing because the garage was stifling and his wife looked like she would start cussing up a blue streak at any moment.
“We are looking for Nana Retha’s quilt set. Mom said I could have it. She also assured me it was out here. And what is that?” Keely asked again.
“Oh, this old thing?” Dan teased, twirling in a circle and clutching the pale yellow dress to his broad chest. Circa 1971 easy, Keely thought.
“Let me see that.”
Dan tossed her the dress and she held it up. “Wow. Vintage. Am I right? Mom must have been wearing this right before she got pregnant with me.” It was her turn to hold it up and primp. Little puffs of dust came off the fabric and she sneezed and then sneezed again.
“You know, I think you’d look pretty sexy in that little disco queen number. I can see it now. A little Bee Gees blasting from the stereo and some strappy heels. Yeah, I think you could pull it off.”
Keely snorted, rolled her eyes but studied the pale yellow wrap dress again. She probably would fill it out pretty well. And it would make a hell of a costume for a Halloween party. But it was June and Halloween seemed a million miles away. Plus, she was pretty sure that she saw her grandmother’s quilt peeking out from an ancient cedar chest in the corner. She tossed the dress to Dan and said, “Yeah, yeah, jive talking. I see the quilt.”
She took off for the corner and barely paid attention when Dan said, “ And I think I just found a strobe light. Staying alive, baby.”
