Page 26 of No Bones About It

Chapter

Eleven

BJ’s eyes have gone dark, and I slowly extricate myself in the predawn hours. I stayed awake after the movie ended, soaking up the nearness of him while waiting for someone to show up at any minute and ruin everything.

I sneak into the house and fire up my desktop to start looking for real estate. Somewhere far away with a large barn or pole building. I won’t have enough time to build something here, but I will make anything work as long as I can keep us together.

I’ll have to empty my account for a down payment while I wait for this place to sell, but there’s no choice now. I only hope this isn’t too little, too late.

I don’t think I can even tell Dawn my plan, which is a bummer. I really like her and the rest of the Spooky Bitches. But no one can know where we go. Glancing at the clock, I see I have a few hours left until the inevitable line of fans will show up. Hopefully, the police won’t.

I take the time to hastily pack a bag and add my important documents. Then I head to the garage and get out all the ropes and tie downs I have. I’ll load BJ up into the bed of my pickup, Bertha, cover him up with the tarps and moving blankets from the tent, and get him the hell out of here.

My mind is running a million miles a minute, and I can’t finish one task before I’m darting off to another, leaving a tornado of papers and bags and bungee cords in my wake. I make myself stop in the kitchen and fix a cup of coffee just so I can watch it drip.

“Focus, Tori. One step at a time. You can do this. You have to do this,” I say to myself, a pep talk for what lies ahead.

The comforting sputter and hiss of the coffee grounds me once again. I walk to the fridge and grab the creamer while I continue to talk to myself.

“First, finish packing,” I say while I stir in the white liquid.

“Then, find a place to hide while you look for something permanent,” I continue while adding in the sugar.

I take the first sip and sigh out, “Tonight, we ride off into the sunset.”

As I put the spoon in the sink to deal with later, I look up through the window to see a line has already formed.

“Shit, they’re early today,” I mutter.

When a familiar group of young women in matching black shirts stroll into my driveway, I walk out to meet them, forcing calm I don’t feel into my voice and actions.

“Wow, what a crowd,” one of them exclaims.

“Yeah I guess since tomorrow is Halloween, everyone wants a final chance to get their pictures with BJ,” another says.

The lie springs easily to my mouth. How on earth am I going to pack him up and escape this crowd? I can feel our chance to escape slipping away with every passing second.

“I, uh, I think I might need to cancel today,” I say and rub the back of my neck.

Three heads snap to me, tripping over each other with their questions and exclamations.

I don’t know how to explain this to them. “Can someone call Dawn? I really need to talk to her.”

They look relieved at the idea of calling their leader to take care of the awkward situation they have found themselves in.

A few moments later I'm told she’s on her way. I head into the back yard to find BJ all set up, vampire cape blowing gently in the fall wind and the early morning light glinting off his vampire fangs.

My thighs clench at the memory of pleasuring myself on them last night. I need to get him out of here. Not just for the sex, as fabulous as that is, but because I’m in love with him. I know it's ridiculous, and I don’t care.

I love him, and I have to save him. Save us.

I give him a sad smile as I look over the setup that has grown over the past few weeks from a few pumpkins and hay bales to an elaborate staging area where people can stand on different levels. Even I have to admit, these photographs have been some of my best portrait work.

I walk back out through the tent, running my fingers over the tables set up for check in and check out. Smiling at the t-shirts and stickers and buttons proclaiming Team Bonejangles, We Heart BJs, and Less HOA More Halloween.

This has been a lot of fun. Probably the most fun I’ve ever had. The most friends, and the most strangers, in my life. But it all pales in comparison to the twelve-foot skeleton that has captured my heart.

A commotion out front pulls me from my musings, my feet running before my mind can catch up. That shrill voice can only mean one thing.