Page 10 of Meet Me In The Dark
“Whoa,” I say. “That’s intense.”
Emmy sighs into her hands. “This is a disaster.”
“Hush.” Madison waves her off. “Alright, kid, now try it.”
Levi puffs out his chest and gives Madison the fiercest glare his five-year-old face can muster.
She gasps and places a hand to her heart. “That was terrifying.”
He giggles, and I can practically see his confidence growing.
“If that doesn’t work,” Madison tells him, “Plan B is crazy eyes.”
“Not the crazy eyes,” Emmy echoes.
“Yep. If they won’t back off, you go full psycho. Make weird noises. Start singing nursery rhymes, but in a whisper. Maybe throw in some random facts like, ‘Did you know sharks have been around longer than trees?’Freak them out. Practice with me. Give me crazy eyes.”
Levi widens his eyes and whispers, “The sun is actually white, but it looks yellow because of the atmosphere.”
Madison clutches her chest. “Jesus Christ, that’s haunting!”
I burst out laughing.
Madison claps her hands. “Okay, that concludes Intro to Intimidation 101. Next up: Self-Defense Basics.”
Emmy groans. “Oh, God.”
I grin. “Oh, yes.”
Madison rubs her hands together. “Let’s get to work.”
∞∞∞
Levi is close to snoring, sprawled out on my couch after Madison’s impromptu self-defense class. I’ve never seen anything quite like it, and considering I work with corporate executives daily, that’s saying something.
Emmy lets out a weary sigh from her seat next to Madison, rubbing her temples like a woman dangerously close to her limit. “Did either of you listen to this week’s episode ofSkeptically in Love?”
I shake my head. “I’ve been slightly preoccupied. You know, surgery and all.”
Madison shrugs. “Same here, except replace surgerywith thriving at life.”
Emmy is already pulling out her phone. “You need to hear this. Hang on.” Her fingers swipe across the screen before she settles on the right spot.
Jo, the podcast host, fills the silence, her tone teasing.“If you’ve got little ears in the room, now’s the time to switch off or connect some headphones.”
All three of us glance at Levi, but he’s out for the count.
Emmy presses play again.
“Okay, brace yourselves, ladies,”Jo continues.“This listener’s letter blew my mind.”
We all lean forward.
“Jo, I had to write in because my life is officially divided into two parts: Before I went to the club and after.”
I glance at Emmy, confused. “What kind of club?”
“Shh, let’s hear her out.”
