MB Chapter 12: Date Scene Bloopers (Patreon)

Gray’s leather jacket is silky beneath your tentative hands. He reaches back and grabs your wrist, wrapping your one arm securely around his waist. Your other follows suit without further persuasion, and you officially have your arms wrapped around Grayson Black.

He throws you a lopsided grin over his shoulder. “It won’t be quite as good as Aladdin’s magic carpet ride, but I’ll do my best.”

* * *

“Although I do wish that oils dried faster,” Sally continues blithely. “Sometimes it can take up to a week or two for everything to solidify. I know that I could always paint thinner layers, but . . .”

You inch closer.

“. . . sometimes things just need to be painted using impasto, and the end effect is worth . . .”

Another step closer.

“. . . waiting for.” Sally only now realizing that your lips are only a few centimeters away from hers. She blinks, her tongue peeping out to nervously lick her lower lip. “Um. Hello.”

* * *

Glitch’s face suddenly appears between a gap in the books.

“Boo!” she cries.

Your reflexes, already on edge after last night’s mission, kick in. Glitch reels backwards, almost knocking over the bookshelf, as the book you throw barely avoids hitting her head. She picks the copy of Goodnight Moon from the floor and smirks at you.

“Interesting choice of projectile,” she says. “Personally, I would’ve gone with something YA. Has more heft, plus the added indignity of knocking someone unconscious with Twilight.”

* * *

You can’t pry your gaze from Cassandra, who is smiling at you with unnaturally flat teeth. Canine fangs shouldn’t look like that . . . they don’t look like that.

“Kent?”

Kent doesn’t look up from where he’s trying to coax the ball away from Antigone, but he gives you a grunt of acknowledgement.

“Kent!”

Finally, he turns his attention to you. “What?”

He follows your gaze to Cassandra and lets out a startled bark of laughter.

“Where did you find dentures?” he asks the dog.

Cass only smiles wider. It’s unnerving.