Page 20 of Taking the Pitch
I fucking love the holidays.Yeah, I know, Halloween isn’ttechnicallya holiday, but it really is like the kickoff that starts the entire season. This year’s Halloween looks a little different with me not going out, but at least I still get to dress up.
I hit the button to call the elevator up to my floor and check out my costume in the mirror in the hallway. Hudson chose the theme this year after watchingPirates of the Caribbeanlast month and I’m not mad about it. I adjust the parrot on my shoulder because what is a pirate without his salty parrot? The doors open and I walk in, hitting the button to the parking garage. As the doors close, I can’t help but wonder if Amelia is going out tonight too, and who she’s going with, and does she take Bruno?
Consumed with too many questions and no answers, I’m jerked out of my thoughts when the elevator dings and stops at the next floor. I look to see where we stopped, only to be slightly disappointed it’s not the floor I’d hoped it was. The doors open revealing a woman standing there with a princess and a NinjaTurtle. The mom gives me a warm smile as I move over to make room as she ushers them inside and hits the button for the lobby.
“What are you?” the Ninja Turtle asks. He has to be around six or seven, and I can see he’s missing one of his front teeth when he talks.
“Arrrgh, I’m a pirate,” I say, kneeling down so I’m at his level. “And what might you two be?” I ask in my best pirate voice. The princess hides behind her mom and peeks out to look at me, but doesn’t answer. Her brother, however, is much braver and answers me loudly.
“I’m Donatello the Ninja Turtle. My sister’s a princess,” he says, pointing to his sister.
“Inside voice baby, we don’t want to make everyone deaf,” she says, giving me an apologetic smile.
“Sorry,” he says, lowering his voice and dropping his chin like he’s embarrassed.
“Ah, it’s ok buddy. I’d be excited too if I had a costume as cool as yours,” I reassure him, giving him a wink.
He brightens up and points at my parrot. “What’s his name?”
“You know, I didn’t give him one. Do you think you could help me with that?”
The kid’s face brightens, and he turns to his mom like he’s asking permission. She nods encouragingly, and he turns back to me. “Can my sister help?”
“Of course, bud.”
He turns to his sister, and they whisper back and forth, not so silently, until they seem to agree on a name.
“We like Petey.”
I chuckle and nod. “Arrrgh, Petey’s a fine name for a parrot.”
The kids both giggle. “Why do you talk like that?” the boy asks.
“That’s how we pirate’s talk.”
The kids giggle again and the elevator dings indicating we’ve made it to the lobby. I stand and gesture for the mom and kids to go first when the doors open. She thanks me and ushers her kids out. They both yell “Happy Halloween!” at me as they leave the elevator.
“Happy Halloween! I hope you get lots of candy!”
I look around the lobby before the doors close and see it’s packed with kids and parents, all getting ready for an evening of mischief. I smile to myself as the elevator takes me down to the garage, at the memories of many Halloweens I enjoyed as a kid.
A level later, I’m out of the elevator and making my way to my blacked-out Jeep Gladiator. Kessler told me it’s one of the ugliest vehicles he’s ever seen when I came to their house after purchasing it to celebrate signing my contract with the Silverbacks. I told him it was a good thing I didn’t value his opinion on my vehicles, because he’s never liked any of my cars.
A beep of a car echoes throughout the garage as I’m walking to where my car is, and I look up to see my favorite little blonde bombshell making her way over to me. She hasn’t noticed me yet as she carries on a conversation with Bruno. She’s dressed in a pair of black workout pants that look like they were painted on, and a sweater that says,“There’s nothing I can’t do except reach the top shelf. I can’t do that.”
A laugh erupts from my chest, startling Millie. She looks up and her face morphs from startled, to annoyed, to…heated, once she lays her eyes on me. I look down to where she’s staring and notice my ruffled pirate’s shirt has gaped open more than I intended it to, showing off the top of my hard-earned abs. Instead of fixing my shirt, I leave it, liking the way her eyes rake over me hungrily. “Like what you see, Muffin?”
My voice breaks the trance my body seemed to have over her, and she wrinkles her nose. “Muffin? Ew, please don’t use that one again.”
My eyebrows lift in surprise. “Oh, so youdolike the pet names I call you?”
“No, but out of all of them, that is the worst one so far. Come on Davis, you can do better than that.”
Challenge accepted.
Striding across the garage until I’m next to her, I lower my voice, “You’re right, I can domuchbetter.” She visibly shivers at the suggestion in my voice before regaining her composure, a cool unbothered mask slipping into place.
“That’s yet to be proven,” she tells me before continuing her path towards the elevator. “Nice sword. by the way,” she shoots over her shoulder.
