Page 54 of The Write Track
“Sure.” That was only fair. “I would prefer it if we didn’t acknowledge the Rob Zombie movies.”
“They were awful, right?” she exploded. “It’s much scarier when you don’t know Michael’s motivations.”
“I agree. I like a few of Zombie’s movies, but the white trash thing can’t carry every franchise. Plus, I have no problem with swearing, but every other word in those movies started with F, and it gets old.”
“Hayley would not approve,” she teased.
“Hayley’s head would implode. I would like to take her to a Rob Zombie movie just so she could scream ‘language’ five hundred times in a two-hour period.”
Bella unexpectedly bent at the waist and burst out laughing. The sound was somehow magical, and I froze in my spot,warmth washing over me. I imagined what it would be like to hear that laugh all the time. Quick images filled my mind.
Bella and I at the farmer’s market.
Bella and I riding in one of those open-top hearses for a tour.
Bella and I poking around one of the cemeteries.
Bella and I having coffee and doughnuts on a bench and people-watching, making up background stories for everybody we saw, the more macabre the better.
Bella and I having romantic dinners.
Bella and I in bed.
I had to shake my head to dislodge the thoughts. Where had they come from? I was not a relationship guy, and all of those were relationship things. They were the things Brody and Bree did on weekends and laughed about, things I mocked them for even though they didn’t care.
My mouth was suddenly dry, and I realized I wasn’t listening. She hadn’t noticed, though, because she kept yammering on about how Rob Zombie had ruined theHalloweenfranchise.
“Right?” she asked as she wrapped up whatever she’d been saying.
I had no idea what it had been, but I nodded anyway. “Absolutely.”
“Okay.” She looked around. “Let’s play the game.” She pressed her lips together. “Can I describe things that obviously aren’t out here and make you guess?”
I understood what she was suggesting. “Absolutely. Let’s do it.”
She practically skipped to the grass and pointed. “There’s a picnic blanket here and a motorcycle just over there. A tool of a guy is proposing with cheap champagne. He wants accolades, but the chirpy woman with him just wants to stare at her ring.”
Bella tiptoed toward where she’d established the blanket, and a warmth blew threw me at her antics. She was the furthest thing from an intimidating figure, but she was giving it her all.
“Friday the 13th,” I said automatically.
“Which one?” she challenged.
“The sixth one, which happens to be my favoriteFriday the 13thmovie.”
She stood straighter. “Mine too.”
I grinned. That wasn’t surprising now that I was getting to know her. “It’s the funniest one.”
“Yes.” She bobbed her head. “And it’s the only one other than the first two that has actual counselors at the camp.”
“It’s the only one with kids.”
“Except you know the kids are never in any real danger.”
“Jason would never kill a kid,” I agreed.
“Or a dog.”
