Behind the curtain, Mitch stretched and waited while Desiree’s smoky voice boomed as she welcomed the raucous crowd to Krampusnacht. To his left stood Danilo, shifting from foot-to-foot in what could only be nervous anticipation. “Hey,” Mitch whispered, and Danilo turned his head to him. “Best of luck.” “Thanks,” Danilo whispered back with a small…
Category: Book
Chapter 22.3
An hour before the doors opened, Jodie went over the final draft of the card with the roster. Mitch and Danilo were scheduled to open the show; for as relieved as Mitch was to get this over with, it created extra pressure to set the overall tone for the night. Once the meeting broke, Jodie…
Chapter 22.2
Unfortunately, there wasn’t any time to get a new pair of tights before his match, but Mitch made due since with his current pair and prayed that they didn’t split somewhere embarrassing. When he met up with everyone on the morning of Krampusnacht, he commissioned Gianna for some gear. She said she’d be happy to…
Chapter 22.1
Krampusnacht arrived much faster than anyone felt prepared for, and roster members scrambled to come together for several long nights before the event to create a cache of holiday-themed props. There was a wide range to select from: candy cane striped kendo sticks, gift wrapped boxes filled with thumbtacks, baking sheets with fake gingerbread men…
Chapter 21.11
Between fixation on Avi’s reaction and everything else that transpired since waking up, Mitch’s thoughts were too incoherent to come up with any further suggestions for what else they could do on the Cape. It became more excruciating with each motel they passed that listed VACANCY in glaring neon letters. “We can come back when…
Chapter 21.10
They hit up a record stop that they originally passed on the way to the beach; it was more Avi’s suggestion than Mitch’s request, since Mitch worried about being a bore while he dug through crates. However, a large banner in the window advertised a Black Friday sale, and Avi insisted that Mitch do something…
Chapter 21.8
(A/N: This is such a mean update to post on the day before Mitch’s birthday lmao) “At least let me take care of breakfast. There should be some open restaurants nearby,” Mitch pleaded on the way back to the car. “Please? Pleasepleaseplease?” He whined until Avi could no longer deny him, otherwise it would be…
Chapter 21.7
“I think I came here to have a panic attack,” Mitch admitted, slowing down to readjust the blanket that draped over his shoulders like a cloak. They’d made it about a quarter of a mile down the shoreline, with Avi positioned between Mitch and the water. Up until then, neither had said a word. “On…
Chapter 21.6
The destination was Sandy Neck Beach, which had a good sampling of sand dunes and tidepools. Mitch visited a handful of times in the past, when Basil’s grandparents lived nearby and they needed a house sitter for a week or two. But the house was sold off after Basil’s grandfather passed, and Mitch hadn’t been…
Chapter 21.5
Other than the anticipated congestion at Wrentham Outlets -where deal hunters prepared for Black Friday sales- the highway kept clear the whole way and they crossed into Cape Cod over the Sagamore Bridge much earlier than estimated. Though conversation stayed light, it wasn’t a bad thing; on the contrary, Mitch appreciated the opportunity to let…