Page 32 of Just in Time
Chapter Eight
The movie theater looked like most small town cinemas looked. The one in Dawesbury hadn’t been updated since the early 70s, so it still had the tacky art deco interior and uncomfortable seats with no cup holders for the insanely large drinks Brody always insisted on getting when we went.
The theater in Abernathy was no exception. There was a marquee out front with misspelled words due to lost marquee letters. The sidewalk that led to the box office was cracked with weeds growing up through the cement.
And there were three movie posters outside. Two ‘now showing’ and one ‘coming soon’. It wasn’t the prettiest building, but it definitely served the purpose.
It was packed to the brim, if that was any indication.
We were standing on that cracked sidewalk looking up at the building when someone tapped Indy on the shoulder.
“Hey man,” said a voice that made Brody’s hackles rise, if his shift in demeanor was anything to judge hackles by.
We turned, looking into the oddly grinning face of the man we were waiting to see, Jesse Rickard. Unfortunately, we weren’t prepared to see him this up close and personal.
But there was no going back now.
Well, there was, but I wanted to save my strength for closing the rip. Closing the one at Indy’s had really taken it out of me the night before.
Indy’s face was stoic, unyielding as he nodded in Jesse’s direction. “Hey man,” he returned.
Brody’s gloved hand was gripping mine tightly and I tried to send as many peaceful vibes towards him as I could.
“Heard you found some new friends…” Jesse turned towards us, his eyes raking up and down my body in a way that made me feel like a piece of meat. And given how Brody and Indy had both confirmed that Jesse like the taste of human flesh, that felt like a distinct possibility the longer he looked at me. “These them?”
Indy, to his credit, was a lot cooler about everything than Brody was.
“Yeah,” he said. “They’re with me.”
Jesse’s eyes didn’t leave me. “That a fact?”
“Yep.”
“Pack-leader’s orders. You’re supposed to let him know when a new shifter’s in town…” Jesse said, glancing briefly in Brody’s direction. “Have you?”
“I was planning on it, just as soon as we see this movie,” he gestured towards the marquee. “They just got here, so we decided to come catch a flick.”
Jesse made a sound. “Which flick?”
“Dirty Dancing,” Indy said smoothly.
“Oh really? I heard that was good,” Jesse said just as smoothly, his eyes catching and holding Indy’s. “Think we’ll head on in there too, since the other one’s sold out.”
“Maybe we’ll catch up with you afterwards,” Indy said, smirking a little as Jesse nodded.
“Yeah. Fine. Just bring that shifter round to the house sometime tonight…” He eyed me steadily. “Bring your little witch friend too.”
I swallowed thickly and tried not to look as frightened as I felt. I knew for a fact that we wouldn’t be going there. We’d be leaving just as soon as we were able. But now I had to worry about what the pack would do to Indy after we left.
Jesse sauntered away and I reached for Indy’s hand, sliding mine into his grasp and squeezing. “Indy?”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” he said in a clipped tone.
Indy bought three tickets for Dirty Dancing and we made our way into the building.
Brody and Indy spotted Jesse Rickard ambling into the same theater as we were headed towards. A dark-haired woman Brody recognized as his mother was just behind us with a couple of her friends.
I watched Gabrielle Riddle—the future Mrs. Rickard—laugh and giggle with two other girls, wondering if she had any inkling of the turn her life was about to take.
