Lando looked like he was about to protest, but I was already sprinting toward the ticket counter before he could say a word. Since I hadn’t used his credit card yet today, I decided this was the perfect ti to spend thirty dollars on a bed.
It was kind of expensive for just two hours, but worth it if it ant I could hide under a blanket whenever the scary clown appeared.
However ... I really should’ve focused on the fact that we’d be lying on the sa bed instead of worrying about the blanket.
"I didn’t think this through," I muttered from one end of the bed while Lando lay stiffly on the other.
We hadn’t even shared a bed at ho yet as husband and wife, and now here we were ... sharing one in a dark theater, surrounded by strangers, and about to watch a horror movie.
"But at least the bed’s comfortable," I said quickly, trying to sound casual without turning my head. "You can stretch your legs, right?"
"Yes ..." His voice ca out a little shaky before he cleared his throat. "The bed is ... comfortable."
When I finally glanced his way, I realized he looked ... rigid, like a mannequin trying not to move. He was lying so close to the edge that I honestly worried he might fall off.
It was awkward, yes, but honestly, not that bad. We were just here to watch a movie. A scary, blood-filled movie with a chainsaw clown, so it wasn’t a big deal.
"Good thing this place has a ramp," I said, trying to break the silence while the screen still showed ads. "At least it’s easy for you to get around."
"Yes," he replied quietly, still looking stiff.
"Oh, don’t lie so close to the edge like that." I patted the empty space beside —though not too close—and said, "It’s okay, I don’t mind if you lie next to ."
After a brief hesitation, Lando finally shifted a little closer. When the lights went out completely, I gently pulled the blanket over him before wrapping mine around myself.
"Was the old movie scary?" I whispered.
"Not really," he said calmly. Then after a beat, added, "But the plot was pretty good."
Yeah. Right.
That was the mont I learned two very important lessons:
First, never listen to Penny’s advice without thinking twice.
Then second, never—ever—trust Lando when he says a movie "isn’t that scary."
The plot was ... honestly, I had no idea what the plot was because I spent almost the entire ti hiding under the blanket like a terrified hamster!
All I saw were flashes of that clown with the bloody chainsaw, blood splattering everywhere, corpses lying around like it was so kind of twisted art project.
Without realizing it, I kept inching closer and closer to Lando until I was practically pressed against his arm. At that point, I didn’t even care. I just needed soone next to before I had a heart attack.
"You said this movie isn’t scary," I whispered accusingly, still under the blanket, though I lowered it just enough so I could peek at the screen.
"It isn’t," Lando said, completely calm, as if we weren’t watching a clown butcher people on screen. He didn’t even flinch once, not during the screams, not during the blood, not even when the clown jumped straight at the cara.
How could soone be so immune to fear?!
Was it because his real life was already scarier than this movie? The thought hit out of nowhere, and for so reason, it made a little sad.
"We can leave if it’s too much for you," he said softly.
I shook my head furiously. "No, I’m fine."
Like hell I was leaving now. I’d already survived over an hour of this horror show, so there was no way I was giving up my $4,000 reward just because of one psychotic clown!
By the ti the movie reached its final act, I had already died and co back to life at least five tis from sheer terror. But at least, I managed to distract myself a little by focusing on Lando’s scent, a warm vanilla fragrance with a faint hint of citrus.
When the movie finally ended, I let out a long, shaky sigh. My palms were sweaty, my throat was dry, and my heart felt like it had just finished a marathon.
[Ding! Ding!]
[Congratulations! You’ve completed one of the checklist tasks!]
[Reward: $4,000 has been credited to your account.]
[Current Balance: $139,915]
My soul practically snapped back into my body the mont I saw the money notification.
"The movie wasn’t even that bad!" I said confidently as we walked out of the theater, pretending I hadn’t spent half the ti hiding under the blanket.
Lando chuckled softly. "You didn’t even watch half of it."
"I did!" I protested, clutching my bag to my chest defensively. "I saw at least—" I paused, thinking hard. "—ten minutes of it!"
Before Lando could respond, I quickly spoke up, changing the topic. "Are you hungry? Let’s eat lunch first before we go anywhere else."
We ended up—well, technically I chose and he just went along—to eat at a cozy little sushi restaurant. The place slled faintly of soy sauce and fresh seaweed, and the quiet background music made it feel calm and relaxing after the chaos of that horror movie.
When the al was over, I decided that I should be the one treating him this ti. After all, I’d already spent $30 on his credit card for those ridiculous bed-cinema tickets. So, I started digging through my purse for my wallet.
But before I could even find it, Lando had already handed his card to the waiter.
I blinked at him. "Wait—hey, I was going to pay!"
He replied calmly, "I thought you were just looking for your lipstick."
I frowned, crossing my arms. "I was not looking for my lipstick."
He finally turned to . "Well, either way," he said, "I’m not the kind of man who lets his wife pay for lunch."
The mont he said the words "his wife," I imdiately shut my mouth, suddenly too embarrassed to keep the conversation going.
"Where do you want to go after this?" Lando asked as we stepped out of the restaurant.
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