Page 100 of Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal
Storee:I don’t think he’s completely sniffed us out yet, but he’s cluing in, so it’s best not to lead him anywhere, you know?
Max:Oh, I know. I can meet tomorrow morning.
Storee:Good, we can discuss your next move.
Max:Do you think there needs to be another move?
Storee:Uh, did you think you’d simply stop after tonight?
Max:I don’t know. What did you think about tonight? Did she say anything to you?
Storee:She did, but she said it to me in confidence, so I can’t repeat it.
Max:Are you being serious right now?
Storee:Very much so. She’s my friend, and I want her to be able to trust me.
Max:Wait, hold on. So you’re telling me you obtained information about Betty but won’t share it with me, even though you’re the one who came up with the plan tonight?
Storee:Correct.
Max:Uh, whose side are you on? You’re supposed to be helping me.
Storee:And I am, but I’ve also become friends with Betty, and I don’t want to break that trust we’ve built.
Max:You became friends with her because you were trying to help me. Don’t you remember the plan? Woo her, get her to fall for me, then devastate?
Storee:I’m quite clear on the origin of this entire situation. I don’t need the reminders. But I’m reminding you that I met her before all this went down and told her if she needed someone to chat with, I was her girl. Therefore, I’m playing both sides, and ifyou make me choose a side, I’m choosing her side purely out of spite.
Max:Wow, just wow. And we even had a secret handshake. You’re just going to throw that all away?
Storee:No, you are if you don’t understand the position I’m in.
Max:Jesus... I feel bad for Cole if this is what he married.
Storee:EXCUSE ME?!
Max:I mean... way to have morals. Proud of you, sis.
Storee:Don’t call me sis.
Max:Can you at least tell me if you got good vibes from her, like that she might like me? Because I got those vibes, but now I’m questioning everything.
Storee:I think she likes you, which is why we need to meet tomorrow, because if she likes you and you like her, you can’t blow this.
Max:How can I possibly blow this?
Storee:Many ways, Atlas. Many ways.
Betty
I stare into the mirror while applying my mascara, my mind going a mile a minute. To slow down, I take a calming breath and then talk through what I’m feeling.
“I have to run into town today and grab a few things from the store. Bread, peanut butter, salad fixings, and some more Pepsi because I have a problem. Then I want to pop into Baubles and Wrappings again, because last night, Storee’s words made sense. I need to start tinkering around with another business idea for Uncle Dwight.” I fit my mascara brush back in the tube andthen pick up my hairbrush and start combing out my curls and turning them into soft waves. “A fresh notebook always brings new ideas.”
I pick up my hair spray and lightly douse my hair.
“But first stop is Warm Your Spirits, because I’ve been wanting to try that coffee cake, and I believe today is the day. I also think it would benefit me to start chatting with more townspeople. If more people know me, the easier it might be to convince Uncle Dwight to take his idea in another direction.”
