8. Talk Me Into It
8
Talk Me Into It
Post-meal, Tori’s first pick of movies was Mummy’s House. My blood ran cold. I couldn’t do that one again.
I scrolled through the listings. “How about The Moon Pact? It’s got supernatural romance, societal breakdowns, and shirtless men.” I wagged my brows.
She giggled and curled up on the living room couch. “That’s fine. Want me to order the tickets?”
Doing it online meant no personal contact. I snatched the gift cards. “I’ll do it. I was planning on signing up for their loyalty program, anyway.”
“Okay.” She knit her brows.
Better not rouse suspicion. I stared at the theater’s app, my pulse thundering in my ears. This didn’t have to be a big deal. We were only going to the movies. If I happened to see that spider man, so be it. Although it would be nice to confirm potential run-ins.
Tori poked my bouncing knee with her sock-clad toes. “I can call if you want. Or we don’t have to see a movie at all.”
“No, I want to, I just need to use the bathroom. One minute.” I dashed to the upstairs bathroom so my parents didn’t accidentally overhear me on their way back from the kitchen.
Snapping the lock in place, I stood facing the plain white door, bare vanity bulbs glaring at my back. My fingers shook over the blue link on-screen to call the theater. Did I really need to do this? Curiosity killed the cat. But satisfaction brought it back.
I dialed the theater, then twisted my necklace.
Someone, not my spider man, answered. “Westbrook Cineplex. How can I help you?”
“Hey, can I speak to a manager?” The edge of the vanity counter dug into my ass. “Nothing scary, I promise.”
“Okay.” They sounded dubious about that, but patched me through.
Spider-guy’s sexy voice swept through my phone. “Hello there, Miss Silver.”
I smiled, goosebumps rising across my arms. “How’d you know it was me?”
“Maybe I’m psychic.”
“Or you have caller ID.” He also could’ve saved my contact info from the profile I’d made to buy tickets online, presuming he wanted to talk more extensively.
“You’re onto me,” he said. “So, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I want to do the movie pass.” And you, I wanted to add.
His chuckle tickled my cheek. “You know you could sign up through the app.”
Was he baiting me? It certainly sounded like he was smiling.
I paced around the bathroom. “I wasn’t sure if you got commissions on that kind of thing. After all, you’re the one who convinced me.”
“What else can I talk you into?” he purred.
Fuck. Almost anything.
I dropped my necklace and glanced over my shoulder. No one was up here. The point of my cross pricked my chest. “I don’t know. What are you thinking?”
“Nothing I can repeat on a work line,” he said.
I chuckled and leaned against the wall. “Is anyone listening?”
“I don’t know. Sometimes I think I hear breathing.”
I inhaled deeply, relishing the idea of him pulling me into the shadows of the theater to ravish me in secret. A small spider web in the corner of the bathroom caught my eye. Perhaps we did have a tiny audience. “How can you be sure that isn’t me?”
“Are you spying on me?” he teased.
“No.” But if I kept trying to run into him at the theater, did that constitute stalking? “I just really like movies.”
“Me too,” he said softly.
But did he like me?
“Which movie are you seeing tonight?” he asked.
“The Moon Pact,” I said.
He snorted a laugh.
I waved at the empty bathroom. “It looks fun.”
“It does.” His voice dripped with enthusiastic sarcasm as he typed. But there weren’t infinite scary masterpieces like The Widow on the marquee. “How many tickets?” he asked.
“Two.”
The clatter of the keyboard stopped. “Ah, you found a willing victim," he said.
I tutted my tongue and fixed my lipstick in the mirror. “It kinda sounds like you’re the one eavesdropping.”
He huffed through his nose. “I was standing in proximity.”
Was he jealous? “Well, I’m going with my sister.”
He clicked something and hummed. “Already introducing the family.”
“To who?”
“Shirtless, brooding men,” he said.
I giggled and straightened my spine. Could I count him among that pack? “Are you working tonight?”
“Yes.” His gravelly voice churned vibrations all the way down to my toes. “So, you’ll come tonight?”
“I’m counting on it.” I grinned.
“What?” he asked.
“I mean, yes, the eight o’clock showing if that’s okay.” I was going to have to throw myself down the stairs after this. What was I thinking? I was going to the movies with my little sister. There was no way I’d be able to sneak off to fuck my mystery man.
“Can I have your credit card information?” he asked.
I patted down my pockets. “I have gift cards.”
“Even better. Okay, Miss Silver. I’ll give you reward points for The Widow as well," he said.
“Thanks.” I twirled my necklace around my fingers until it was tight enough to bind. “You’re spoiling me.”
“I aim to please."
A good motto. If only I could get him alone to find out exactly how pleasing that could be.