Read Online Ink by Damien Walters Grintalis - Free Book Online Page A

her.”
    “That’s not really a compliment,” Jason said. “You’d do just about anything that walks.”
    “You’re killing me. I do have standards.”
    “Like what? A pulse? Seriously, I really like Mitch, what can I say? We’re going out on a second date, not getting engaged.”
    Brian snorted. “Yeah, well, have your fun and move on. You’re single now. Enjoy it.”
    “Like you?”
    “Hey, watch it. I’m having fun, and you’ll never guess who I hooked up with last night.”
    “Is that why you smell like that? No time to shower?”
    “Screw you. You’re just jealous of my appeal to the ladies.”
    “If that’s what you want to call it, be my guest,” Jason said, refilling his coffee cup. An image flashed in his mind, a dark shadow rising up against brilliant white, then Brian started comparing the merits of redheads to brunettes, and he pushed it away.
     
    6
     
    Jason and Mitch sat in the middle of the back row at the movie theater, surrounded by the buttery smell of popcorn and the noise from dozens of teenagers. The kids sitting on Mitch’s right were holding a conversation with another group seated six rows away while those on Jason’s left engaged in a half-hearted popcorn fight.
    “I think we’re the oldest ones here,” he whispered in her ear.
    She grabbed a handful of popcorn from the tub on his lap and looked around the theater. “Nope, look down there. Second row.”
    “The guy with the dreadlocks?”
    “No, that’s a girl, I think. Look two seats over.”
    “All I see is someone with dark hair.”
    “Yes, but I saw his face before he sat down. He’s older than we are.”
    “So we’re almost the oldest ones here. Maybe that guy’s taking his kid to the movies. There are a lot of them here, in case you hadn’t noticed.”
    “Ha! These aren’t kids, they’re teenagers. A totally different species.” She popped another piece of popcorn in her mouth. “Don’t you remember being a teenager? I would’ve killed someone for calling me a kid.”
    “I’ve pushed the memories out of my head, sorry. Either that or I’m just old, and my mind is already starting to go.”
    A stray kernel of popcorn sailed through the air and landed on Jason’s lap. Mitch grinned and brushed it onto the floor, but not before she gave his thigh a quick squeeze.
    “I meant to ask at dinner, but I forgot. How’d you get the scar on your forehead?”
    “A haunted house.”
    He tossed a piece of popcorn in her direction. “Right. Come on, tell me the truth.”
    “I am,” she said. Her lips curved in a small smile, but her eyes were serious. “I got it in a haunted house. A real one, not a Halloween thing.”
    “A real haunted house?”
    She grabbed another handful of popcorn. “Yep, Scout’s honor.”
    “Okay, so what happened?”
    Another piece of popcorn flew by, and she batted it away. “A lot, but if I tell you, you’ll think I’m crazy.”
    “No, I won’t.”
    She grinned. “Trust me, you would. Do you believe in ghosts and paranormal stuff?”
    “Not really. I mean, I think people think things happen, but I think it’s all in the imagination.”
    “See, I told you. You think I’m crazy. It doesn’t matter, anyway. It was a long time ago, and I was just a kid. A kid-kid, not a teenager, and who knows? Maybe I did imagine it,” she said, but she looked down at her hands. “I think it’s the reason I love scary books and movies, though. Now you have to tell me something. Was the name a joke?”
    “What name?”
    “The griffin’s name. Geryon.”
    “No, it wasn’t a joke. It just popped into my head, like I said. I guess I heard it somewhere, and it just stuck.”
    “Hmm. I was curious, so I looked it up.”
    “And?”
    She rubbed her hands on her thighs. “According to Dante, it’s a giant who guards Hell.”
    “Nice.”
    “Hey, you picked it,” she said with a smile.
    “Okay, I changed my mind. His name is Frank.”
    “Frank?”
    “Yes, Frank.”
    She