A Bit Of A Pickle

The funhouse door opened just a crack, and Emily's blushing face peeked out. Just her face. Somehow, dodging water jets, custard pies and even surprise spanking machines, she'd managed to find her way all the way back to the entrance. She peered around, making very sure nobody was paying attention to her.

"Hey," she whispered. "Nathan."

Nathan was sitting in his booth, looking bored as usual, paying her no attention. She could tell he hadn't moved an inch since she'd left. What a tedious job! Well, if he opened this door, it'd get a lot less tedious in a hurry. Not that she wanted him to do that, even a little bit.

"Nathan," she said, louder. "Look over here."

"Huh?"

"Here!"

She stopped herself. She didn't want to shout. The less people who knew about this, the better. Nathan seemed to take hours, looking all around for the source of the noise, before finally spotting her by the door. He hurried over.

"Emily," he said. "You're back. Okay, I'll just open the door for you, and..."

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Because..."

"I can't see a reason. I'm just going to throw this door wide open..."

"I'm naked," whispered Emily.

"What was that, sorry? Didn't hear you. Anyway, about this door..."

"I'm naked!"

"You'll have to speak up," said Nathan, putting his hand on the door handle. Emily's heart pounded in her chest. "I'm naked!", she shouted, panicking. "Naked, naked, naked! Please don't open the door because I'm naked!"

Nathan opened the door, blinked once, and quietly closed it again. "Wow," he said. "Emily, you're naked."

"Eek."

"You should have said something."

"I lost all my clothes in the funhouse," said Emily wretchedly. Nathan was never going to think she was cute now. Never, ever, ever. "Can you help me?"

"You lost all your clothes?"

"Yes."

"How did you manage that?"

"I... there was... I don't know."

"I've been here a long time," said Nathan, "and I've never seen a new girl lose all her clothes before. You must be... well, never mind."

"What?"

"I was just going to say you must not be very good at funhouses."

"I guess not. Do you... do you have anything I can wear?"