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She knew she was in trouble the moment the idea popped into her head. She knew how much he loved that guitar but she couldn’t quite help herself. She saw an eerily similar looking one hanging in the pawn shop and the idea festered. She knew that if done incorrectly her years-long relationship with Corroded Coffin’s frontman would be over but the idea wouldn’t release itself from her thoughts. Before she knew it, she was in the pawn buying the similar version of his warlock guitar. Now she would never maim the real thing; she loved her man too much to cause him true pain, mild discomfort on the other hand is a different story.
“Revenge will be mine at last.” She cackles to herself as she leaves the store earning a few stares on her way out.
It has been 5 months since Eddie’s cruel prank of “maiming” her copy of Lord of the Rings. She has yet to forget. As she walks home she can’t help the shit eating grin on her face. Eddie won’t be back for a few days which is enough time to get everything in place.
As soon as she gets home she gets to work. She pulls the Warlock from her resting place and starts matching the marking on the new guitar before adding a few design choices of her own. She naturally uses markers safe for the beautiful instrument. She’s not a savage after all. After she finishes she places the old guitar safely into the case replacing it with the new one in its new home. Then she calls Steve. She spaces out waiting for him to pick up.
“Hello?”
“Hey Steve. I got a favor to ask.”
He sighs loudly. “What is the favor?”
“Can you hold Eddie’s guitar for a few days?” He doesn’t respond.
“Hello? Steve?”
“I’m here. You suicidal?”
She grins “Only in the morning.”
He sighs even louder. “Will I get drawn into anything terrible?”
“Only if something actually happens to the guitar. Other than that I only see you holding onto the guitar while my niece is in town. Wouldn’t want her to doodle on it now would we?”
“You don’t have a niece. Or a nephew. And the only thing resembling a sibling is Henderson and he worships the ground Munson’s walks on.”
“And?”
He pauses. “If this is about that dumb book…”
“First of all it’s not a dumb book. It is the first edition of the special red collectors binding. And second, so what if it is. I spent 2 days thinking it was ruined. It’s time he got a taste of his own medicine.”
“I can tell that you’re pouting at this point.”
“So?”
“Fine. I’ll hold the guitar. If he asks; I know nothing and will throw you under the bus.”
“I expect nothing less, Harrington.”
He sighs again. “Just drop it off so we can be done.” She can see him pinching the bridge of his nose and leaning against the wall. The stereotypical Mother Steve mode. She holds in her laugh at the mental picture as he continues. “Look. I’ll be home for the next few hours, I have to close tonight so don’t make me wait.”
“I’ll be there shortly.”
“Fine.” He hangs up the phone.
Within the hour she is knocking on his door with the guitar in tow. He opens the door with a look of disapproval. “You’re going to be in so much trouble.”
She steps inside grinning. “Thank god I’m adorable.” She sets the guitar gently down in the living room closet. “So you’ll probably hear me running for my life tomorrow.”
“When does he get home?
“Noonish.”
“Sooo some time after 3?”
“Probably. You know how he is. He likes to drop the guys off before heading home. But don’t tell Henderson.”
“Yeah no. That kid does not do secrets well.”
She walks out the door waving. “See ya this weekend Steve.”
“At least try not to get killed okay?”
“No promises.” She walks down the street towards her place as he closes the door.
The following day she wakes up early and cleans up the house before sitting on the couch waiting for Eddie to get home, rock music playing quietly in the background. The all too familiar roar of the van can be heard from down the streets signaling the arrival of the man of the hour.
“Let the games begin.” She tries hard to school her face as the screeching of the brakes can be heard in front of the house.
He almost breaks the door off the hinges as he enters “Honey!! I’m home!”
“In the living room.”
He walks over after taking off his shoes then collapses on the carpet. “Dear god I’ve missed this rug”
She snorts “I bet babe. You’ve been on the road for about 4 months now. Living out of a bus and cheap motels.”
“But now we’re home indefinitely.”
“Yes. Go clean up. Lunch is in the fridge waiting.”
He slowly gets up and bows dramatically. “As you wish.” He walks to the bedroom making noise as he goes. He suddenly goes quiet causing her to start getting ready quietly.
“Babe?”
“Yeah?”
“Did you touch my guitar?”
“Why would I do that?”
The unmistakable opening riff of Black Betty starts playing as he walks down the hall slowly holding his guitar. He turns it around to show off her artwork; her name with Munson underneath in large letters surrounded by hearts reminiscent of a love-struck middle schooler’s notebook. He gently rests the guitar down stalking towards her.
“Oh.”
“Ooh.”
“I should run huh?”
“Yeah.”
She bolts for the door, managing to close the screen door behind her hoping to slow him down. She makes it to the street before he’s out the door hoping that she’ll be able to make it to the woods before he can catch her, getting tackled onto concrete does not sound fun. She hates that he has 5 inches on her but hopes she can make up for her lack of leg length with the ability to switch directions quickly without a problem or tripping. He follows behind quickly managing to shorten the distance between them but notices her quick turn down the street. He follows, cursing his smoking habit in his teen years. She cuts across someone’s lawn and bolts for the woods behind the house and disappears.
Eddie quickly follows and chases her down, almost catching her a few times before she suddenly switches directions on him, causing him to almost fall a few times. He’s starting to get annoyed at her cackling. Finally in the clearing ahead of her she trips over a hidden log and falls to ground ending the chase just as it was getting good.
He kneels beside her pinning her down.“Finally caught you.”
“Didn’t catch me. I just tripped.”
“Uh-huh. Yeah. And if you didn’t you could have held out for another 10 minutes at the most.”
She gives him a slight pout.
He sighs “Just tell me why?”
She just turns her head and pouts. He sighs and hauls her up carrying back to the house.
As they come out of the clearing they see Steve on his patio with a mug of coffee and a guitar case.
“Thinking of trying out for my band Harrington?”
“Just returning your stuff before I head to work.”
“My stuff?”
Eddie looks down at her as a grin splits across her face. Then it finally hits him. “That wasn’t MY guitar in the house was it?”
She grins even wider. “Nope.” The “p” popping unnecessarily.
He sighs loudly. “And this was all probably payback for the prank I pulled with your book wasn’t it?”
She gently taps his cheek before walking up to Steve. “Remember my love, revenge is all that it’s cracked up to be.” She grabs the case from Steve and walks back. “Ready to go home and shower?”
Eddie looks at Steve who holds his hand and mug up in defense. “Look, I was just keeping it safe. And I told her it was a bad idea.”
Eddie looks back at his spitfire of a woman as she grins like the cat who caught the canary. “All is fair in love and war right Eddie? And if you can’t take it you shouldn’t dish it.” She winks.
He sighs. “Fair enough. Now can I go shower? I smell even worse than when I got home an hour ago.”
“Sure. Bye Steve. Thanks again.”
“Yeah. Yeah. Next time don’t involve me on your suicide mission.”
Eddie walks up to her placing his arm around her shoulder. “No promises Harrington.”
She dramatically pushes him off feigning disgust then starts heading towards their place. “You’re killing me with your stench hun.”
Eddie follows. “What? You don’t like my manly scent? I only smell like this cause I had to chase you all through this damn neighborhood.”
Their bickering gets quieter as they walk closer and closer to their place. Steve shakes his head. “I don’t know what I am going to do with those two.”