Your Dark Passenger

Happy almost Friday the 13th, dark passengers!  Yep, as you may well have already guessed, I’m more excited about the 13th than Valentine’s Day.  I mean, 13 is my lucky number so Friday the 13th is like my own personal leap year day of awesomeness!

Anyway, when last we left Gus and Scarlett over on The Stiletto Philosopher, Vampire Gus had just picked up the lovely Psychic Scarlett for their date.  Let’s see what happens next, shall we?

The Psychic, the Vampire and the Evil Bank

Friday, February 13th

7:23 pm

He had to hand it to Scarlett, getting the tickets ahead of time was a stroke of genius - especially considering the monster line wrapping around the building…twice.

Was it wrong it made him think of a buffet?

Once they were inside the building, Scarlett handed him his ticket stub with the theater number on it.  “I’ll get us some seats if you’ll grab the snacks.  Sound good?”

“Sure thing.”  She started to turn away, but he placed a hand on her elbow to stop her.  “Uh, Scarlett…”

“Yes?”

“Have I mentioned how lovely you look tonight?”

Her face flushed in the most delicious manner.  “Um…”  She glanced down at herself as though she didn’t agree.  “Thank you.  I’ll, uh…I like diet coke.”

Gus watched her hurry towards their theatre.  That woman must not have a clue how good she looked in that flowing pink skirt and tight matching shirt she was currently hiding under the frumpy black sweater she’d brought with her.  It was probably a good thing she’d decided to put on the sweater since that particular shade of pink made her look way too tasty.

Ugh…bad line of thought.  If he kept thinking about her tastiness then the guy with the “The End Is Near” sign he ate on the way over to pick her up would have died in vain.  Instead, he turned his attention to the task at hand: movie snacks.

What the hell did people eat at the movies?

Rather than try to figure it out, Gus paid attention to what the guy in front of him with the three kids ordered and got the same thing - minus three drinks.  He knew enough to know it would look odd if he brought back five drinks for the two of them.  Since he might as well be drinking mud for as good as it would taste, he made both drinks diet coke.

The lights were going dim as he entered the theater.  Scarlett waved like a maniac from her spot off against the wall, five rows from the back.  He didn’t often go to the movies - and never with another person - so he couldn’t understand why she’d chosen the only two seats by themselves situated directly behind a bar.  When he saw her feet propped up it began to make more sense.

“Here we go.”  He lowered the flimsy cardboard tray so she could take the drinks.

“Which one of these is diet coke?”

“Both.”

“Okay.”  She put one drink in the drink holders at either side of her and glanced at the tray as he sat down beside her.  “Wow.  Ginormous popcorn, milk duds, M&M’s, gummy bears and nachos?  How hungry are you?”

Starved, actually.  “I’m not.  I just didn’t know what you’d like.”

She dumped the M&M’s into the popcorn and set it on her lap.  “You’re sweet, Gus.”  She removed her sweater and draped it over her shoulders.  “It’s never this warm in here,” she murmured absently as something on the screen caught her attention.

Gus sat rigidly at her side through most of the movie.  Though he usually enjoyed an evil bank movie, he found himself distracted by the woman next to him.  She smelled like dessert.  Going to a movie had been a poor choice.  What had possessed him to think he’d be capable of sitting next to what should have been his food for two hours?

At least he could vault over the bar in front of them if temptation got too bad.  Every so often, Scarlett’s arm would brush against his and he would become very aware of her next him.  Gus couldn’t decide whether he wanted to eat her or ravage her more.

But the option of vaulting and running was still there…and he was about to need it.

Scarlett shifted her weight beside him and leaned her weight against him.  When he stayed statue-still, she took his hand and forced his arm around her shoulder.  Her lips pressed against his jaw with the lightest of pressure.  “Stop being so nervous, Gus.”  And then her attention was back on the screen and her head was on his shoulder.

This was…nice.

Familiar.

Odd.

Wait.  How did she know he was nervous?  He’d been hiding it so well.  Oh no.  Could she tell he was a virgin?

Once the movie was over, they made their way back his car, hands entwined.  He didn’t know at what point he’d started paying more attention to the movie than his nervousness, but it was nice to feel her bare skin against his fingers.  For the first time that evening, he actually didn’t want to eat her.

Scarlett checked her messages once they were in car and frowned.  “Dammit.”

“What?”  Nervous again.

“Someone called in for the morning shift so I’m going to have to cover.”  She let out a sigh.  “Would you mind taking me home now?”

“Sure thing.”

“It’s not that I’m not having a good time or anything…I just have to be there at seven in the morning and…”

“It’s okay.  I understand.”  It was just as well.  He was getting hungry.

Silence filled the space between them on the way back to her house.  He followed her up to her door to make sure she got in okay, despite the fact his thoughts had turned to where he’d find a late night snack in this nice neighborhood.

“I really did have a good time tonight, Gus.”

“I did, too.”  For the most part.  “I know it’s short notice, but…Can I see you again tomorrow night?”

Surprise registered in her eyes.  “On Valentine’s Day?”

“Sure.  Why not?”  He hesitated.  “I’d like to see you again.”

“Um…yeah.  Okay.  Do you want to pick me up at the same time tomorrow night?”

“Sure thing.”

Scarlett bit her lip and then leaned forward, brushing her lips lightly against his.  “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”  And then she was inside.

Damn.  Now he really wanted to eat her.  Tomorrow was going to be interesting…

~~Moral of the story?  There is no moral…just some vague warning about not dating men who want to eat you…

Will Gus find a snack on his way home?  Will Scarlett ever figure out there’s more to Gus than she thinks?  Will Gus finally eat Scarlett for dinner?

Find out when the saga contintues on The Stiletto Philosopher!

Jen

“Let your dark passenger come out to play…Be your own nemesis!”

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