"Never again," Jennifer Riley, vowed as she stepped into
the black–paneled, wooden coffin outside the entrance
to the Hilton Hotel in downtown Tyler, Texas. Lying down
inside the macabre structure, she could hear traffic whiz
by on Main Street.
She tugged at the filmy black, chiffon dress, trying to
cover as much of her exposed cleavage as possible. "No
matter how busy Julia gets, or how much she pleads, I
refuse to do this again. I didn't come back to Tyler to
portray the over–the–hill sex queen."
Paul, her sister's employee, stood quietly by,
holding the lid open. "Ready?"
Jennifer took a deep breath, dreading the darkness
that would engulf her. "Yes, make it quick. I hate lying
inside this creepy box."
Jennifer watched the coffin lid come down, shutting out
the noise and headlights from the traffic.
"You all right?" Paul called.
"Hurry!" Her breath sounded harsh in the darkness. She
felt the pallbearers lift the coffin onto the cart and roll
it along the sidewalk into the hotel.
After tonight, Julia, her twin sister, would have to
find someone else to jump out of coffins and sing
seductively when she needed help with her business. No ifs,
ands, or buts!
As the new Development Director at County General
Hospital, Jennifer would be way too busy to fill in as
backup for her sister's fledgling singing telegram
business. Not to mention that popping out of coffins could
be damaging to her new career.
The cart jostled along the hallway of the hotel, until
she heard wolf whistles and loud, boisterous, voices
cheering and she knew they'd arrived at the party.
Paul rapped on the coffin lid. "Are you ready?"
Jennifer cleared her throat and searched for the button
that would pop open the door. Whatever happened to women
jumping out of cakes? What nut case thought coffins were
funny?
The coffin lifted. She gripped the sides, trying to find
her balance as they slid the casket off the cart until the
box stood upright. She landed with a thunk on the floor,
jarring her. You just couldn't get good pallbearers anymore.
Paul tapped on the side of the coffin three times to let
her know it was time.
"In honor of your birthday, your friends and family have
given you a gift from the other side. The other side of the
hill, that is," Paul announced, as the noise from the crowd
swelled.
Music started to play and Jennifer hit the button on the
inside of the wooden box. The door sprang open and she
slinked out, the chiffon dress clinging like a second skin
that left little to the imagination.
"Happy Birthday..." she sang in her alto voice, her eyes
blinded by the lights. She blinked rapidly, hoping her
eyesight would adjust to the brightness of the room. When
her vision finally cleared, she found herself staring into
the face of the one man she'd hoped never to see again.
There before her, wearing a stunned expression on his
face and a Marvin The Martian, child's birthday hat, sat
Brent Moulton.