We hail a cab and Holtz tells the driver another address I don't know. The cab takes us completely out of the city and towards a pretty remote looking area.
"Are you taking me somewhere to kill me?" I ask, jokingly.
"I couldn't hurt that pretty little face, Gilbert." She winks and I shake my head. We go deeper and deeper into what looks like an almost deserted part of New York and I rack my brain, trying to think of what could be here. We finally arrive at a huge run down building and it finally clicks.
"Isn't this that insane asylum we busted a couple months ago that they're trying to make into a hotel?"
"Yep. They turn it into a haunted house around Halloween to raise money for the renovation. If you wanna go somewhere else, I totally understand. I know this isn't a typical date thing."
I smile widely at Holtz, vaguely remembering my drunken conversation about wanting to go to a haunted house. I can't believe she actually remembered though. Well, maybe I can believe it, because I'm pretty sure Holtz remembers just about everything. The fact that we're going to a haunted house on our first date is what I can't believe. I love that she actually made an effort to do something she knew I wanted to do. Every other date I've ever been on have been pretty typical and boring: dinner, movie, walks in Central Park, etc.
"Are you kidding? This is probably the best date anyone has ever taken me to. And, to be honest, I would be disappointed if our first date was typical. I expect no less than unique from Dr. Jillian Holtzmann."
Holtz grins, biting her bottom lip and takes my hand. "Shall we make our way to our demise?" She says in a voice resembling Vincent Price.
"We shall."
Holtz buys our tickets at the booth in front of the entrance and we make our way to the building. She takes my hand in hers gingerly, eventually intertwining our fingers the closer we get to the line. My face is flushed from the contact, but when her skin touches mine it makes me feel like I'm flying. Her fingers fit so perfectly between my own and her skin is so warm in the chilly, fall air.
The queue doesn't look horribly long; maybe 45 minutes tops. It's lined with stainless steel railing, similar to the ones they use at theme parks for waiting lines. We get behind a young looking couple; a blonde girl who's sitting on top of the rail and a boy standing between her legs with his arms around her waist. He's wearing a letter man's jacket, so I assume they're about high school age.
Holtz releases my hand to bend down and tie her shoe and I suddenly have no idea what to do with my hands, so I fold them across my chest and look at the building. It looks completely different now than it did when we were here for a bust. Red and orange spotlights flash across the front. The theme is obviously an insane asylum: evil looking doctors and nurses pace by the front door; torturous looking medical devices are scattered about; blood is strewn about the porch area. Heavy metal is playing from a loudspeaker nearby, adding to the suspense. You can hear screaming, both by scared customers and by actors, the closer you get to the front of the line.
All of a sudden, a man dressed as a doctor covered with blood and carrying a scalpel, screams in my ear, "Leave!" and I just about jump out of my skin, squeaking like a frightened child. I can hear Holtz bellowing with laughter and I scowl at her.
"You knew that was going to happen, didn't you?" I accuse.
"I'm sorry, but I did." Holtz stands up and gently pushes me against the railing, an arm on each side of me, gripping the cold steel. "Holtzy sorry. Can you forgive me?" She equips her best pouting face and puckers her lips adorably.
Her proximity is intoxicating. I can smell her sweet scented cologne, her apple shampoo, and that indistinguishable smell that can only be described as Holtzmann. Her breath is warm against skin, sending goosebumps up my arms. My eyes venture to her lips, which have now curled into a teasing smirk. To keep myself from ripping her clothes off right now, I bite hard on my bottom lip. I look at her deep, blue eyes that are accentuated by the eyebrow she has raised.
