“Oh my god, did you guess that the husband was the killer?”
I think for a moment.
“Yeah, because they always are in flicks like this. But I was surprised at how gruesome it was. I mean, did he really have to put the wife’s head into a box and have it delivered to the boyfriend as a token of revenge? That’s going a little too far.”
Serenity nods, still breathless.
“And the way that box seeped blood! Holy cow.”
I chuckle and help her out of her seat before we make our way to the exits.
“I take it you enjoy horror?” I ask in a wry tone.
The curvy girl’s still breathing hard. “Yeah, definitely. It gets my adrenaline going in a way that’s hard to describe. After all, I would never want to experience these events in real life, but on the silver screen, it’s okay.”
I grin. “Me, too. If this happened in real life, there would be serious repercussions for sure, not to mention some really messed-up head games. Now, how about that ice cream to get our minds off the murders?”
She grins. “Yes, that’d be great.”
We walk to a local Ben & Jerry’s and pick up a pint. It turns out, we both love mint chocolate chip, so we decide to share their aptly named Mint Chocolate Chunk.
Serenity shivers as we step back onto the sidewalk. “Goodness. I should’ve grabbed a jacket. I didn’t realize how chilly it would get tonight.”
“Summer is definitely gone,” I agree. “Why don’t we go back to my house? We can enjoy our ice cream there.”
Serenity bites her lip, suddenly unsure. “Yes, but what about Stewie? I don’t want him to come in and see us because that would be really awkward, to say the least.”
I shake my head knowingly. “Don’t worry about my son, honey. He won’t be home.”
“Oh?” she cocks her head curiously. “But where is he then? Oh my God, is he off with that friend of his, Jeffree? The one with the orange streak in his hair and the YouTube channel where he plays games for others to watch?”
I chuckle.
“No, although Stewie has been hanging out with Jeffree a lot recently. But actually, much to everyone’s surprise, Stewie won his tournament last weekend. It was completely unexpected, but I guess all that practice paid off.”
Serenity gawks at me as we walk.
“Wow, are you serious? To be honest, I never thought Stewie would amount to anything as a professional video game player. But now he’s won a tournament! Holy cow.”
I smile wryly.
“Yeah, he won, and even better, it got the attention of a small tech company that wants to bring him on board as an “influencer” of sorts. They’re paying for him to go on tour for a few months, playing in various tournaments while hawking their video game controllers. If things go well, it might turn into a long-term sponsorship.”
Serenity’s eyes widen. “Wow, I can’t believe it. I never would have guessed that this would happen.”
I nod.
“Yep, but it did, and it looks like Stewie might be breaking into the video game world, finally.”
Serenity’s silent for a moment, but then she speaks.
“That’s really great. I’m happy for him, Mr. Holt.”
I take her hand as we walk, enjoying her soft warmth and the intimacy of our conversation.
“Me too, sweetheart. It’s time my son got his start in life, and hopefully, things accelerate from here on out. But you know what? To each their own. Both you and Stewie are young, so there should be no pressure to be this or that, or to prove yourself as a big success. You have plenty of time for that in the future.”
She nods, and we amble home in comfortable silence. The sky is a deep purple now, and stars are twinkling. It’s gorgeous with a mild breeze, and I look into Serenity’s beautiful face with appreciation. “So, what do you say? Come in and enjoy the ice cream? We’ll be a lot warmer in the house, sweetheart.”
Serenity thinks for a second before nodding with a shy smile. “Yes, thanks Mr. Holt. Let’s do that.”
Once inside, I grab two spoons and we sit down on the couch cozily.
“So, about last weekend,” I begin in a low voice.
She immediately starts to speak.
“It never should’ve happened. I thought you were Stewie, Mr. Holt.”
I grin and shake my head. “No, you didn’t.”
Serenity’s eyes widen. “Of course I did!”
I shake my head again. “Sweetheart, I don’t mean to be unkind, but I think you’re pulling the wool over your own eyes. It’s cognitive dissonance of a sort. You may have thought I was Stewie at first, but you figured it out pretty quick while we were in bed. I know you did, honey.”
Serenity bites her lip, her spoon paused in mid-air, and I know I’ve got her. Last weekend, I wanted to call her out, but I didn’t because I felt the pretty girl needed the chance to settle down first. After all, it’s not every day you end up in bed with your boyfriend’s dad.