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Cricket ran her hands along the length of a crushed velvet one. “Yup, these are our best options.”
I tossed them over my arm and we retreated back to the stage. I layered them on the floor for some nice cushioning and Eugie immediately curled up at the end and fell fast asleep. I emptied the bag on top and we went through my findings. I lit the candle to conserve the flashlight.
I held the candle under my face. “Once upon a time, there was a devastatingly handsome young man and an okay-looking girl and they were stranded...in a blizzard...in Montana,” I bellowed menacingly.
She rolled her eyes.
“The devastatingly handsome young man hid a deep, dark secret,” I said, dropping an octave. Cricket shook her head. “At,” I began and looked down at my wristwatch, “exactly nine thirty-seven in the evening every evening, he turned...into a vampire! He knew that the okay-looking girl didn’t stand a chance against him, so he did the only thing he could,” I said, setting down the candle. “He cut off his hands!” I cried, pulling the sleeves of my coat over my hands.
I held the stumps up and Cricket eyed them for a second before bursting out laughing.
When she caught her breath, she said, “How would cutting off the hands of a vampire stop him from eating her?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I didn’t think he could overpower her at that point. Have you ever tried to do anything without hands?”
“Do you know anything about vampires? They’re super strong. Hands or no, he could still pin her down.”
“Oh my God,” I exaggerated. “I’m so sorry! Excuse me!” I shouted to the empty room, causing Eugie’s head to pop up then back down. “I have the world’s foremost leading expert on vampires in my midst! Alert the papers!”
“Shut up,” she laughed.
“I still think she could throw him off,” I tested, holding up my fake stumps and examining them.
“No,” she insisted, having no idea where I was going. “He could definitely overpower her.”
“Hmm. We should definitely test that theory,” I said, tossing myself on top of her and flapping my handless cuffs at her.
“Stop,” she laughed, trying to roll me off, but I pinned her beneath me.
She fought me, giggling uncontrollably and causing me to roar with laughter.
“Stop,” she sighed but her laughter was dying.
It suddenly got very quiet and we both stopped squirming. I was very aware that I was laying on top of Cricket Hunt. We watched one another, our chests rising and falling against each other. My hands found the pile of capes beneath us and I pushed myself up, rolling to my side and sitting up.
I cleared my throat. “Sorry,” I rasped, refusing to look at her.
She sat up as well and fixed her mussed hair. “It’s, uh, okay,” she acknowledged, staring at her lap.
“M&M? I asked, pulling the bag out.
I poured a few in her hand, careful not to touch her.
“Thanks.”
I laid down on the capes and tucked one hand behind my head while tossing M&M’s in the air and trying to catch them. I only missed one and only choked on two.
“How long do you think before the storm blows over?” I asked.
“Not sure,” she answered, laying down beside me.
“Think they’ll cancel the auction?”
“Nah, they’ll clear the roads and we’ll be out and about in no time at all.”
“You’ve lived through these often then.”
“Hundreds of them.”
