I keep one hand close to the center console in case I need to grab the wheel.
We talk a little, but it’s the most basic form of small talk, and suddenly I hate that the movie theater is on the other side of town.
My phone dings and I take a peek while Nathan is slurping the last little bit of Coke from his drink.
MARGOT:I didn’t get a pic of this one. Is he cute?
ME:Uhh kind of? We’re not clicking though. This is going to be a long night
MARGOT:That stinks. You can always fake a headache and go home early
ME:Yeah, I feel something coming on
“Who are you texting?” Nathan asks. “Your ex-boyfriend? MJ told me all about him.”
“No,” I say pointedly. “My sister. She had a baby a few days ago and they’re both still in the hospital.”
I wait for him to ask me how they are, but nothing. Yeah, I definitely feel a headache coming on.
For the first time, I look out of the window and realize we’re on some random road in the middle of nowhere. Oh my God. He’s a serial killer and he’s taking me to the woods to kill me.
“I thought we were going to the movies?” I ask.
“There’s this cool drive-in movie place right outside of town. I think you’ll really like it.”
I’ve never been to a drive-in movie. It does sound kind of cool—if I were with anyone but Nathan—but I need to let Olivia and Charlie know we won’t be at the regular theater in town. And give them directions, just in case he does dump my dead body in the middle of nowhere.
Just as I fire off a text to them, we turn off the highway onto a gravel road, under a vintage-looking sign that doesn’t look restored. In fact, it looks like it’s missing most of the bulbs.
Okay, so now I’m convinced I’m going to die.
I twist around in my seat, trying to get my bearings, when we stop at a small booth. There’s a middle-aged guy inside who sells us our tickets.
“Tune into FM 94.3 to hear the audio,” he says just before we drive away. There are a few other cars scattered around. I take a deep breath. I’m definitely just being paranoid. Right?
Once we pull into our spot, Nathan flips on the radio. Some cheesy elevator music floats through the speakers. The gigantic screen up ahead is blank. We’re parked on a gravel lot, but the surrounding area is full of overgrown weeds and bushes. It’s dark outside and a little creepy.
“So what movie is playing?” I ask.
Nathan makes a show of looking around. “I’m not sure. I think it’s a Christmas one, though.”
“Have you ever been here?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “No. MJ told me about it. Sounded cool.”
I scan the area and see a gift shop on the far side of the lot. This is so bizarre. I check my phone discreetly, but neither Olivia nor Charlie has replied yet.
I scan the other cars. “Have you noticed all of the other cars only have one person in them?”
He turns and takes in each vehicle. “Well, maybe their dates are in the gift shop? Or in the bathroom?”
I turn back toward the gift shop. The building isn’t much bigger than Nonna’s kitchen. “It must be pretty crowded in there.”
The music crackles and I see lights flicker on the screen. Here we go.
On the screen, two girls in elf hats and skimpy costumes are in a workshop surrounded by old-timey-looking toys.
“Those are some seriously cute elves,” Nathan says, his eyes glued to the screen.
