Page 25 of For Butter or Worse
“I feel like I’m going to be sick, and I have a wedgie that I can’t do anything about because...camera phones.”
She gave him a good once-over. He did look a bit green, admittedly. She could’ve guilted him, but she was feeling generous since she was actually...enjoying herself. The realization that she was having a good time while in the same vicinity as Leo was startling.
“I’m coming for you next year,” she said as she pointed to the slide.
“Are you talking to inanimate objects now?” He perked up.
But she ignored him, because she spied a costume tent against the fence and beelined for it. She examined the masks and hats for sale. Dressing up was her third favorite part of Halloween. The first being the candy, then the decorations and then donning a disguise for the night. As much as being in front of the camera was important for her career, when she was out in the world Nina didn’t love being recognized. So when she was in a mask, she didn’t worry about being spotted by a fan or having her photo snapped by a stranger’s iPhone.
“Want to take the photos?” Leo said as he came up next to her. He picked up a pair of googly-eye glasses and put them on. One bloody eyeball bounced around on a curly wire and down toward Nina.
Taking photos was the whole point of their itinerary. Starred, underlined and printed in big, bold letters for them. Before they could leave the fake date, they needed to pose for festive photos. Then they were supposed to upload those to their respective IG accounts and leave comments on each others’ posts. Get the fans talking, Tom had explained. Once they’d accomplished that, their work would be done for the day.
So the fact that Leo wanted to take photos clearly indicated his desire for the date to be done. Which was fine; she wanted that, too. And they’d managed to make it through an afternoon without completely snapping at each other, which was more than she’d expected.
Leo cocked his head toward a pile of stacked hay bales, topped with strategically placed baby pumpkins—a clear photo op.
“Sure, let’s get this over with.” How long could they stay at a pumpkin patch, anyhow? She shrugged and started walking toward it.
He took off the googly-eye glasses and scowled.
“What?” she asked, partly annoyed, partly curious.
“Just trying to get the witch hat and pointy shoes in frame.” He moved slightly to his left, then right.
She channeled her most intense withering gaze, then said, “How are you still single?”
“I’m not, remember?” He pointed at her. “Seriously, though. You need to look like you’re having a good time.” He put down the phone, then gnawed on his lips, deep in thought. “Oh, I know! Imagine I’ve stubbed my toe in an extremely painful way.”
Nowthatreally did make her smile.
“Excellent, excellent,” he said as he reviewed the photo.
They switched places, and Leo arranged himself as she raised the phone for his photo. “Want to know why I’m smiling?” he asked.
“Absolutely not.” She started to snap pictures. No denying he was all kinds of photogenic—not a bad angle to be found.
“I’m imagining you—” he began.
“Half-eaten by wild dogs?” She cocked an eyebrow his way, channeling Bridget Jones for the sake of her sanity.
His mouth opened, then closed. Then he said, “Did you just quote Bridget Jones?”
She squinted back in confusion. “You know that movie?”
He blinked rapidly as he straightened his shirt. Then brushed invisible dust off the pumpkin in his hands. “I’ve seen it.”
The scowl crossing her face was impossible to hide. He’d seen one of her favorite films? And a rom-com, no less? And he’d liked it enough to remember lines from the movie?
He walked past her and toward the checkout line without so much as meeting her eyes. She watched him, so shocked that they actually had something in common that she nearly fell face-first into the haystacks.
@NinaLyon’s Instagram Comments
@NinaLyoncaption: Meet my gourd-geous new friend.
@LeoODonnellThis is a very gourd pun.
@NinaLyon
