Page 56 of Landon & Shay: Part One

What.The. Hell. Is. That?!

I sat in Shay’s car as we pulled up to the location of our date. I should’ve known there would be some kind of dramatic crap when Shay asked me out on a date. I just didn’t think it would have been this.

Of Reps and Men was the clever name of the building sitting in front of us, a place of hell where messed-up humans went to mess around with creatures they had no business messing around with. Through the window, I saw a guy holding a snake around his shoulder blades.

Like a freaking psychopath.

“What the hell is this?” I barked out, my skin beginning to itch from the thought of walking inside that place.

“It’s like a petting zoo for reptiles and things. I thought it could be fun.” Her tone was so matter of fact, and I swore she could see the fear dripping down my forehead. “A little birdie told me you loved reptiles.”

“A little bir—” I stopped my words and groaned. “I’m going to kill Raine.”

“Oh, come on. She owed me after she told you about the auditions for the play. It’s only fair that I get a fact about you, too.”

“Well, good for you. You know I hate reptiles. Awesome.” I slow-clapped. “But there’s no way in hell I’m stepping foot inside of that place.”

“What’s the matter, Satan?” she cooed, pursing her lips together. “Scared?”

“No. I’m just not an idiot who finds enjoyment in playing with creatures that aren’t meant to be played with. That’s not a damn black poodle in there; it’s a boa constrictor, an animal that can physically squeeze a person to death if it pleased.”

She smiled. “Sounds exciting. Come on, let’s go.”

She opened her car door, climbed out, and I stayed exactly where I was. There was no way in hell, heaven, or any other made-up location that I was going to unbuckle my seatbelt and climb out of that car.

Shay laughed when she saw me. “Are you telling me the bad boy of small town Raine, Illinois, is really deathly afraid of a little spider?”

“Those are tarantulas! There is nothing little about a freaking tarantula, Shay!”

She giggled. “You’re sweating.”

“I’m not,” I replied, knowing it was a lie. The backs of my knees were sweating, my toes were sweating, and my balls were pretty much sitting in a puddle of my damn nerves.

“You are. I’m just a bit amazed, I guess. In an odd turn of events, it turns out I’m not the chicken in this hateful relationship, after all—you are.”

“I’m no chicken,” I barked.

She leaned in toward me and puckered her lips together before saying, “Cluck, cluck, cluck…”

The hairs on my forearms stood straight up at her clucking.

She drove me mad, but—so annoyingly—she still kind of turned me on.

Okay, Chick.

Game on.

I unbuckled the seatbelt, climbed out of the car, and slammed her door shut. “You really want to do this? Fine, but don’t come complaining to me when you need a tetanus shot in your ass because you decided you wanted to pet a damn tiger-striped spider.”

She smiled and walked in front of me toward the building. It seemed like lately, she was swaying her hips even more than normal in an attempt to hypnotize me.

It was working, too—right up until we walked inside the building and I felt an instant need to turn around and run. But I knew I couldn’t punk out in front of Shay. That was exactly what she wanted me to do.

“Laffy Taffy?” she offered, holding a piece of candy out toward me. I went to grab it, and she paused. “Just don’t chew it up and put it in my hair again.”

“I remember your hairdo from back then. Trust me, I was doing you a favor.” I snatched the candy from her hand, ripped the package open, tossed it into my mouth then chewed it quickly and swallowed it whole.

Her mouth gaped open. “What was that?!”

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