Close to You Read Online Free Page B

until tonight.
    Taking the elevator down to the lobby, he stepped out and scanned the room for his uncle. At least so far he was proving to be reasonably low-maintenance on the assistant side of things.
    A flash of frizzy red hair caught his eye. Did she have no shame? He would take a jump off a high building before he’d ever wear anything so hideous. Though with that unfortunate figure, there was only so much she could do.
    He heard the thought resonate through his head, as if someone else had spoken it aloud, and flinched. When had he gotten so mean?
    Striding across the room, Dr. Shire turned as he approached.“Ah, Mr. Gregory. Mr. Duff hasn’t joined us yet, but let me introduce you to your companions on this tour for the next few weeks.”
    He hadn’t even so much as glanced at whom she’d been talking to. He looked left, pasting an expression of polite interest on his face as he did.
    As he registered what was standing there, he barely managed to keep his jaw from becoming unhinged. A man who looked to be in his forties stood in front of him in a full Legolas costume, from the long blond wig to the black boots to the bow-and-arrow set he clutched in his left hand. The guy beamed like he had swallowed a lightbulb.
    He stuck out his hand and gave Jackson’s a vigorous shake. “Elroy. Elroy Johnson from Minnesota. And this is my daughter, Esther.” He gestured to a slender girl beside him who looked to be in her early teens in a light-green flowing dress, Elf ears, and tiara.
    She cut an annoyed glance at her father. “Arwen.”
    Oh, brother. Seriously? He gave her a nod. “Nice to meet you, Arwen.”
    Now the scathing glance was turned on him. “You forget to whom you are speaking. I am Arwen, queen of the reunited kingdom of Arnor and Gondor.” Her next words were complete gibberish. Followed by a string of even more. The tween looked at him like he was not only supposed to have a clue as to what she was saying, but be doing something in response.
    He felt a poke in his ribs. “You need to kneel.”
    He gaped down at Allison. “You have got to be joking.”
    She shook her head, no hint of a joke on her face.
    Kneel? In a hotel lobby in New Zealand to a deluded teenager? He looked back at the girl, whose face now held an expectant, imperious expression.
    Suddenly he felt a tap at the back of one of his knees. Turning, he saw his uncle, in full Gandalf regalia. Of course he was.
    He held out his cane and rapped the back of Jackson’s leg again. “I’d suggest you do as Her Highness has commanded.”
    He turned back from Louis’s piercing, unblinking gaze, dropped to one knee, and bowed his head. “I apologize, Your Highness.”
    Silence. After a few seconds his old Achilles injury started suggesting he might not want to stay kneeling for too long.
    Finally, the girl deigned to speak. “You may rise.”
    Standing up, he saw that four more people had joined their congregation: two old ladies dressed in floral dresses similar to Allison’s, and a stocky guy and a slim blond girl. He wore a Lord of the Rings T-shirt and she wore one with TEAM ÉOWYN emblazoned across the front. Swords—replicas, he hoped—hung from their waists. He was the only person in the entire group dressed normally.
    The tour hadn’t even started yet and he’d already messed up. He addressed his uncle. “I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t realize this was a dress-up event.”
    Allison spoke. “It’s not. Nothing is, apart from the Hobbiton day, but we encourage our guests to assume personas if that will help them get the most out of the tour.” She raked her gaze up and down his body. “We have some costumes available. I could go and get something if you would like.” Her eyes twinkled with amusement.
    There was nothing he wanted less than to look like he belonged with this bunch of losers and misfits.