“Haunted house later?” He asks me, looking for agreement.
“Sure, want to walk around to the different tables and grab your treats? Then we can put it in my office for safe keeping?”
“Yeah, it sounds like a plan.” He says dragging me along to the various partner tables and activities of the table. Finn being the social butterfly he is, laughing and carrying on conversations with every partner and volunteer. Brayden follows along, glancing around to the newly placed volunteers.
They seem out of place compared to our usual crowd. Like a strong force of nature nestling in a certain location waiting to wreak havoc, waiting to strike and take a part for power. But one pair of eyes I felt continue to move along with me.
Watching every movement I make, a hunter looking for its prey, waiting for the moment to strike. I didn’t know his name, nor did part of me want to know but the other half was curious. That’s what happens when you push your sexual needs aside and focus on keeping a human being and a hamster alive.
But the long forgotten part of me begs for attention, a moment to be free is gone. The fire squad and police unit has set up a donut challenge where children or adults attempt to eat the donut off the string with their hands behind their back. I see the spark and competitive spark in his eyes, Finn pulls me over and looks at me straight in the eyes, the thought is a bad idea.
“Challenge time.”
“Oh, you dare challenge me to this, buddy boy. Bring it!” I bend down a little to his level. Both of us standing with our arms behind us, donut a little at eye level for the both of us, readying ourselves to this challenge. The officer counts down and at go, Finn and I set to devour the donut ahead of us. The donut swings a little on my end, but I adjust myself to the donut catching it with my tongue landing it on my mouth. Brayden took out his camera for evidence. Determination sets in, but alas, Finn beat me, raising his fists in victory.
“Better luck next time Lottie.” He raises his hand in a fist bump. I return the bump, hearing the music pumping with the eerie Halloween music. The laughter on this kid, these are the moments that should be ingrained in a kid. The memories of laughter and childhood. A few of his friends and students from our program pull him into the opening to dance the night away. Brayden and I watch my little man dance his heart out, smiling the whole way through.
“I’m guessing he belongs to you.” A voice pops in behind me. Dark eyed, sunkissed skin towers over me. Brayden snickers beside me.
“Nope. I picked him up at a random school and thought ‘why not? Taking a kid sounds fun’. And here we are.” For an opening line, not my best line. Worst start to a conversation especially with a man that is as beautiful as he is. But another challenge sets in, wondering if I could get a read on this man, if I could get a handle on my nerves.
“If you’re admitting to kidnapping, I can just walk you over to the cops over there and let them handle you.”
“What, you don’t want to handle me yourself?”
“Something like that.” he returns the response. I have been avoiding eye contact, up until now.
“Oh, as long as you get to handle the cuffs first.” I smirk at him.I mean handcuffs wouldn’t be a bad idea for your horny, indecisive ass.I realize what I just said and instantly can feel myself shrink, ready to disappear. I am never clever or the very least flirtatious enough to know what to say.
Give me an angry male teacher or administrator and I know exactly what to say. But if my lack of dating history is any indication, I can’t flirt or be sexy when I see a gorgeous man and they start to talk with me. Brayden calls me the frailing fish and can’t make it back to the ocean.
“I’m sure I still have my old pair in my pocket.” He says, instantly I wish that he wasn’t kidding with me. He pats his back packet, and the clinking of the metal. My eyes widened.
“Don’t tempt me with a good time there 5-0,” I wink. What the hell was coming out of my mouth. I start to blush going back to avoid eye contact with him.
He mumbles something under his breath, I couldn’t make it out, but definitely not English or French. I laugh softly, “No, Peter Pan belongs to me. He’s my nephew.” I turn my attention back on Finn, laughing and carrying on with his friends.
“He’s visiting with you?”
“You could say a permanent visit. Excuse me.” I step away from the table before I divulge any more information. Feeling like someone is prying too much into something they have no business of knowing, of that I am protective. My family history is complicated enough without adding another party to the mix. But someone digging into our relationship too early is a sign. Call it paranoia, but I know what happens when someone digs and then uses it against you. My father was one of those people.
No one needs to know everything about Finn and I. “Hey, Peter Pan, are you ready for the haunted house?” He nods his head sprinting to the line at the haunted house. I look back and Brayden happens to be talking to “5-0”. He glances at me from the side of his eyes. Maybe Brayden is being smart and giving him a word of caution, I may bite. I may look like an angel, but I’m not afraid to turn into a demon if it means I protect Finn.
My gut tells me to stay away and for Finn and my work, I will walk away from this distraction. Finn taps me on my arm, “Who’s that?” he nods his head back behind us.
“No one kiddo.” turning him to face the haunted house, trying to pay no mind to him.
“Seems like someone.” he responds.No one that we will be involved with. He may have a pretty face, but it's not worth it.
The haunted house has been one of my favorites. Every year the school troop amps it up and changes it up based on the group. Finn and I typically want to be scared, providing a challenge. This year because of the expansion of the foundation, the troop banded together for a bigger haunted house and maze. Finn looks at me with mischievousness in those eyes. The attendant counts us off, as we pass the attendant and the guard from the biker group at the entrance. The shrieks of bats and whipping winds circle us. The banging of wood panels and the smashing of the glass. This year’s theme seems to be “Things that go bump in the night” and every possible monster or myth or legend comes to pass. The actors attempt to pop out and scare us, but Finn just laughs and I smile at the attempt. The feel of ripped material hanging from the doorway, the smoke that dances around our feet, not many things make the hair on my neck stand up, but I had to stop for a moment.
The feel of eyes behind you, watching every move. Studying every step and inch of movement. I turn back around and see nothing. Perhaps it’s my imagination or my senses on edge. It’s an instinct to check everywhere I am going. I take a few more steps and the sensation is still there. I turn the corner, realizing that I am away from the group. I don’t hear any of the voices from the group other than the sound effects from the maze. The eerie feeling of someone in the dark, watching me. I have half a mind to walk back to the entrance and if someone was there, consequences would follow. I shake the thought and head in the right direction. The actors jumping from the corner, banging on pans and other items. For once, I am jerk back in reaction. Something feels like I’m crawling out of my skin and I’m thrown off. I feel a small hand take mine, I look down to see Finn, searching for my eyes. “You okay Lottie?” He asks in his small voice.
“For once, I feel a bit spooked.”
“Thought Tinker Bell never got scared.”
“No, she was scared to lose Peter.”
