Page 132 of The Reason I Married Him
I scoff. “Babe, if there is one thing you need to know about me, it’s that I’m anything but sophisticated.”
“Very true,” she says. “I don’t think anyone who writes about a killer fucking his prey right before slashing her throat could be sophisticated.”
“It was a consensual fuck. The throat slicing, well, that was because she was a cuddler, and he wasn’t. She had to go. But hot scene, right?”
“Weirdly, yes.”
I tap my temple. “All from up here and experience.”
“I’m hoping the fucking part was from experience and the murder part was from your head.”
“An author never tells.” I catch her twist her lips as she stares me down, causing me to laugh. “Fine, the fucking part was all real. The murder part was a fantasy.”
She shakes her head. “You have so many issues.”
“But here you are, letting me touch your thigh and discussing your gag reflex. So am I the one with the issues, or are you?”
“You,” she replies, making me laugh again as we turn and see cars lined up all along the street. Thankfully, we can park behind The Almond Store in the private parking section, something I discussed with Ethel since she warned me that it would be crazy down here.
She was right.
Once parked, Aubree and I get out together, and I offer her my arm. She loops her arm through mine, and we head over to the inn, where the main event is happening. See, we don’t have to hold hands to look like a couple. We got this.
Cars take up every parking spot on the side of the road as well as parking lots and even side streets. Music blasts from the inn’s lawn while the sound of generators blowing up bounce houses can be heard in the far distance. Flower garlands are draped from lamp posts to the shops up and down the street to the business signs. Every shop in town has their doors open, welcoming floods of customers. I underestimated the town’s population because, holy fuck, am I going to propose in front of all these people?
What the hell was I thinking?
Ethel didn’t mention how big this event was going to be. I just assumed a few townspeople milling about, catching up on the latest gossip while sharing a drink and snacks. But this . . . this is something else.
It’s what some might call a hullabaloo.
Food trucks, drink stands, and vendors line up along the inn’s lawn. Ropes and cones are blocking entrances, directing the crowd to the flow of traffic. Maps are being handed out, live music is playing, and those blown-up wind men who you usually find outside car dealerships, but for some reason, they’re flanking Five Six Seven Eight, catching the attention of everyone in town.
“Wow,” I say. “This is not what I expected. A lot of people are here.”
“Exactly why I don’t like coming to these things, but here you are, trying to be the best friend of the town. Look what you got us into.”
I chuckle. “Yeah, this was my mistake.”
This was a big mistake.
“You know, it’s never too late to turn around,” she says.
Tempting, very tempting.
I shake my head. “Can’t turn around now because I told Ethel I’d be here. And if there is one person in town I can’t disappoint, it’s Ethel.”
“It’s scary that you know that already.”
“Like every good author, I do my research to determine what I’m getting myself into.”Except how big this festival was. Clearly.
We make our way to the inn and walk through the front door, heading straight for the back lawn where a dance floor is set up along with a stage and a full band, Hayes being the lead guitarist. How the hell did Ethel make that happen?
From the look on his face, I’m going to guess he’s not too thrilled about being up there as he strums along to a cover ofWhy Do Birds Suddenly Appear.Yikes, I hope he’s not up there because of me. If he is, I’m going to owe him big time.
And just like out front, the area is packed. Circles of people are everywhere, hovering over high-top tables, firepits, and picnic tables. Some people dance, and others wait in line for food while kids run around like maniacs, chasing each other.
So many people.
