SURROGATE : Conception (+18) BOOK 1 (COMPLETE)

| 40 | The Land Where Sharing Is Caring ||

 "Penelope!" Liam called. "Trailers are starting. You coming down?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm just, uh, just finishing up."

There was a noticeable pause. "Finishing up? Finishing up what?"

"You'll see."

She could imagine his eyebrow raising. "What are you up there doing?"

She giggled a little bit, smashing the molten marshmallow between the chocolate. "Patience young padawan." She whispered, licking the edges of the confection to catch the peanut butter before it leaked out the side.

"Penelope?" He scolded.

"You need anything from up here? Is there root beer down there?"

"Yeah, I brought some down earlier. Now come on. I'm not rewinding."

"I'm coming, I'm coming. No need to threaten."

She made her way down the stairs catching the lights in the stair and the den adjacent the theater with her elbow.

"Oh my God Penelope are you serious?"

"Mhm." She took a bite of her s'more. "Oh, mmm. That'll do."

He was shaking his head while mindlessly eating popcorn. "How the hell did you make a s'more indoors?"

"Benefits of a gas stove."

He rolled his eyes at her collapsing into the chair next to the one that she always sat in but she caught his smile even in the dim lighting of the theater. "I don't even know what to say to you. Come on. I already got you a blanket."

"Awe, my favorite one too with the bunnies on it."

He smirked holding back the corner of the blanket for her.

She laughed. He was probably afraid she would get chocolate on it. A valid fear.

"Hey, is it any good?"

She glanced over at him while doing peanut butter control around the edges. He was staring at her treat with curiosity in his eyes.

She shrugged looking at the confection. "Desperate times."

"Give me a bite."

She frowned at him then raised a suspicious eyebrow. "A small one."

"Mhm," his mouth said, but the mischief in her eyes told her otherwise.

She held it out to him and he took a bite.

He let his head fall side to side as he judged it for himself. "I think I need another bite. I didn't get a conclusive result."

"Don't get cute now." She eyed him skeptically as he took another bite. She retracted her arm and watched him debate.

"It's missing the smoky wood flavor."

She shrugged and scooted back in the chair. "I said desperate times, didn't I?" She focused on the screen while the lights dimmed. "What are we watching--" She gasped. "Is that Ocerion 3? Turn it up turn it up!"

Liam complied.

After the trailer ended she glanced over at him. "Gotta see that."

"Yeah, I'll have it in a couple weeks."

"But it doesn't hit theaters for like two months."

She glanced over at him when there was a pause. "I've been trying to tell you I'm a big deal, but you've not been paying attention."