I could.And I probably will.
“Anything. Our jobs, being around each other too much, we could get tired of each other—bored.” I start rambling off the list of frightening realities that could ruin the perfect bubble surrounding Benny and I’s wannabe relationship.
“Ellie, stop,” Emma interjects, the stern tone to her voice she gets when she’s at her max with the kids. “You are self-sabotaging and you need to stop. Benny is a great guy, and you don’t think you deserve a great guy so you’re letting your brain get the best of you. Don’t let your scary thoughts win. Nothing is perfect, and things are bound to mess up somehow, especially in a relationship.” She puts her hand to her heart, a heaviness lingering that she isn’t ready to share yet. “But that doesn’t mean it's doomed. Nothing good and worth having comes easy. Give this a chance, give somethinggooda chance.”
Chapter twenty
Benny
The place looks so different than it did the other night. A week ago it was just a huge, two-story house with a long driveway, and piles of leaves covering the yard and porch. There were only two pumpkins as decorations by the front door. I’m assuming they were the work of Emma’s boys because one just had a big circle cut out of it and the other looked like it had been stabbed repeatedly with a fork.
Now I was basically pulling up to a professional haunted house.
The outside light bulbs have been switched out with orange bulbs and covered in fake cobwebs. Fake skeletons and tombstones line the driveway, with a full-body skeleton dangling from the second story window, while rubber bats and fake spiders cover the outside of the house, and a smoke machine is whirring a fake fog across the yard. The porch is enclosed in a black tarp with a small shimmer of light peeking out from the bottom edge that meets the floor. I put my truck in park at the end of the driveway. It's already jam-packed with cars, and I'm fifteen minutes early.
Taking a deep breath, I text Ellie letting her know I'm here.God, I hope my costume doesn’t freak her out. I adjust the black scarf tied to the top of my head and pull the black mask over my eyes. Giving myself a once over in the mirror to confirm that yes, I look ridiculous. Ellie comes running out of the slit in the black tarp, halfway dressed in a Thing 2 costume. No blue hair, yet. I reach over to the sack sitting on my floor board, praying I got her size right. Nothing is worse than guessing a size too big when picking out clothes for your girlfriend.
I step out of the truck, smoothing out the fluffy black top Kate told me to wear, wiggling my hips to readjust the black leather pants that are clinging a little too close for comfort. Turning to face Ellie, she stops dead in her tracks and gawks at me.
“Oh my!” she yells, throwing her hands up to cover her mouth.
Yep, the costume was too much.
“Ugh, it’s too much isn’t it?” I throw my head back, refusing to look her in the eye and face the awkwardness I’ve created. “I was trying to be cute but I wasn’t sure what you’d think.”
“I love it!” She bounces up and down, running to meet me with a hug.
“Thank God.” I hug her, relieved.
Still hugging she looks up at me. “My sweet Westley! You’re amazing!”
Pushing the hair behind her ear, I stroke her cheek with my thumb and ask, “Will you be my Princess?” holding up the sack carrying a red dress Kate instructed me to purchase.
“Shut up, really?!” She snags the sack and pulls the dress out, holding it up to her like a girl playing dress up, grinning from ear to ear. I don’t know if I’ve seen her look this happy and I want nothing more than to make her this happy all the time.
“Unless, of course, your heart is set on Thing 2?” I wink.
“Heck no! Kate will just have to deal with it!”
She takes me by the hand, interlocking her fingers with mine and leads me inside.
Once we cross the tarp threshold, it’s like we’re transported to a different planet. A deep blue hue of light is coming from the sconces and ceiling lights, multicolored spots of light sparkle across the walls and floor from a variety of rotating disco balls. Cobwebs cover every inch of the stairs and fireplace and black candles, paper bats, witch hats, and the like scattered across the place for a picture perfect Halloween set up.
Ellie hands me a bottle of water, knowing I won’t be drinking, touches my cheek, and stares at me. Everything around us stops, I only see her, an angel in the sea of partying ghouls and goblins. Knowing full well people see us—coworkers and family—she leans in, her eyes flickering from the lights. I sense a lot of desire in this moment, but some hesitation as well.
Kissing her cheek, I say, “Go get dressed, my lady.”
“As you wish!” she says, as she runs toward the stairs.
I watch as she runs into Emma, showing her the dress and pointing back at me. I do the best impression of a Westley bow that I can, they both giggle and run up the stairs.
“I hope you’re happy,” a voice grumbles behind me as I take a swig of water.
Turning around and simultaneously spitting out my water at the sight of Malcolm . . . with a blue beard . . . sporting a Thing 2 t-shirt. I try to stifle my laugh behind my fist and am unsuccessful. Laughter overtakes me as I cackle like a hyena.
“Is my humiliation funny to you?” Malcolm asks behind his glass of scotch before downing in a shot like fashion.
Unable to make words through my laughter, I give him a sympathy shoulder pat before snapping a selfie of our alter egos. Westley smiling under his drawn on mustache, Thing 2 refusing to look at the camera. I point at his t-shirt for emphasis on this monumental moment, sending the photo to our faculty group.
