A lot of luck.

Entering the room the three teens found a large conference table littered with pens, pencils and a few pieces of paper. Two smaller tables alongside a wall to the right. A few small trash cans held discarded fast food wrappers and the remains of fruit; an apple core, banana peels and similar refuse. Along the wall immediately to their left was a long running counter with a sink and a microwave. At the end of the counter was a large humming refrigerator. Several feet ahead against the wall was a coat rack.

Cassie darted to the coat rack and grabbed everything off of it. She held two coats, one a long woman’s coat made of black dyed wool. The other coat was a man’s jacket displaying a football team logo on one breast. Cassie tossed the man’s coat onto the conference table and immediately wrapped the wool coat around herself.

Christina briefly debated grabbing the remaining jacket, or trying to discuss with Sara who should get it before she scanned the chairs and saw another coat slung across the back of the seat. She walked over and lifted it up, finding a flannel jacket with a silk liner inside. Given the weather she wasn’t surprised to find it was reasonably lightweight. Regardless it would be sufficient to cover someone wearing it.

She turned towards Sara, “who gets what?”

Sara grabbed the sport team jacket and walked over, holding it up next to the coat Christina had found. “Yours is a little bit longer. I think I should get that one.”

“Because you’re a bit taller than me?”

“Exactly. I think half by butt would be hanging out of this thing if I wore it.”

Christina didn’t like the idea of wearing something that short, shorter than any skirts she had ever owned. She wasn’t even certain it would cover everything she wanted to keep hidden.

Cassie finished buttoning the women’s coat she had put on and was happy to find it nearly came down to her knees. “You two good?” she asked, starting to walk to the door.

“Yeah,” Sara said, “just figuring this out.”

“Okay,” she answered, grabbing the doorknob. She paused for a split second before turning back to Sara and Christina. “We’re on the same page here, right? Never a word about this to anyone?”

The other two girls both nodded. The idea of telling this story had never crossed either of their minds.

Cassie nodded in reply before exiting the room and closing the door behind her.

Christina took the football team jacket from Sara and held it up to her body. She was still doubtful about things but Sara was already putting the flannel coat on.

“You okay?” she asked.

Christina shrugged, shook her head in a “let’s give it a shot” motion and opened the coat, slipping her arms inside. It felt much higher than she liked but wasn’t certain nothing was exposed. She zipped it up and held her arms to her side, silently asking Sara for an opinion.

Sara glanced down, then looked back up at her friend, “it covers but it’s close. Take a few steps, I’m worried it’ll ride up.”

Christina walked a few paces and knew her friend was right. Immediately she felt the hem of the coat start to ride up her ass. She jammed her hands in the pockets and pushed it back down. It seemed to stay in place.

“Not great, but I think if you keep holding it like that you’ll be okay. Someone might guess you’re not wearing anything under there, but probably not.”

“I feel ridiculous,” Christina complained.

“Less ridiculous than if you didn’t find anything in here.”

She nodded.

Sara finished straightening out the flannel jacket until she felt safe that it would work long enough for her to get home. As a last minute thought she grabbed a piece of blank paper from the conference table and a pen, writing “Sorry! We’ll bring everything back!” in a brisk note. She walked to the coat hanger and balanced it on two arms. She turned back to her friend.

“Seems like the least we could do. Guess we’d better get going.”

Christina led the way through the door, checking that the hallway was once again empty as she did so. Sara followed her and quietly closed the door behind her.

“I’m beat,” Sara said. “I’ve never been so scared in my life, that really took it out of me.”

“I am too. Mind if we skip going out tonight? Too tired, and not really in the mood anymore.”

“No sweat, I was thinking the same thing.”

The two friends hugged briefly before Christina turned away to head towards the door leading towards her path home.