Free tmp0 by Veronica Jones Page B

a shake of his head. “I
seriously think you need a hypnotist to get over this.”

    Abigail
shrugged as her imagination got the best of her. “I’m
sorry, but you know how I hate spiders. They’re nasty
disgusting little creatures.”

    “ Abby,
you always talk about going to places with warm climates.” He
arched a dark brow. “You know they do have tarantulas in some
places. Some of them are as big as my fist.” He teased. “You
know I used to have a pet tarantula as a boy.”

    Abigail
covered her ears. “Yeah, I know that. You’re so damned
gross.”

    “ Abby,
you know if you were to hold one, you’d conquer your fears.”

    “ Alright,
not helping here!” She swatted at him and flopped on the sofa.
“I’m staying my ass right here in good ole Maryland, so
there’s no chance in that.” She quipped. “She
stared at the mocha colored man as he adjusted his black wireframe
glasses and stroked his goatee. “Wait, weren’t you
supposed to be at Caroline’s tonight?”

    “ Ah,
we had an argument. The woman’s driving me bat assed crazy.”

    “ How?”

    “ We’ve
been dating for several months now. She gets all hot and heavy, then
she puts me out.”

    “ That’s
why you guys argue? Well damn..Maybe she’s not ready. Give her
some time Harrison!”

    Harrison
snickered. “Something’s up with that chick, but I just
don’t know what. And you’re so damned hell bent on
committing suicide with a can of Bug-Be-Gone and taking me out along
with you.” He shook his head. “You women will be the
death of me. Don’t change the subject. Seriously, with global
warming and all, I wouldn’t be surprised if tarantulas would
adapt to surviving in Maryland.”

    She
punched him on the arm. “Shut up Harrison! That’s not
funny. You know how I hate hairy spiders!”

    “ Just
sayin…It’s a theory, that’s all.” Harrison
grabbed a banana off the bowl in the middle of the dining room table.
“You’ll need to adapt.” He laughed while peeling
the banana. “You even think tarantulas are shipped in the fruit
we get!”

    “ You
know, on the news there was a lady who found a tarantula in a bunch
of bananas.”

    “ It
was dead!” Harrison scowled. “Seriously, please do
something about this phobia of yours. Hell, spiders are so damned
small and here you’re breaking your neck to get away from them.

    “ Well,
do something,” she chirped. “I would love to be able to
open the windows on a hot summer night. The exterminator didn’t
seem to help things any. They seemed to multiply a few days later.”

    “ I’d
love to open the windows up too on cool breezy nights.”
Harrison bit into the banana, and picked up the remote. “I
don’t get that luxury around you. Look, they’re going to
get in no matter what. Bugs are a part of the habitat, so therefore
we must coexist with them.”

    “ Like
hell I do!” Abigail sat Indian style on the sofa and looked
around the living room.

    “ See.”
He pointed at her and laughed. “Now you’re all paranoid
and shit. Just thinking they’re going to gang up on you and
hold you hostage or something. Good Lord girl, please get a grip.
It’s damned near impossible to live with you.”

    She
jabbed him in the ribs. “How do you propose I get over this
fear?”

    “ Read
up on them, print out large colorful pictures of them and you
know….study them. Spiders fascinate some people like myself,
you know. They are beautiful in their own right.”

    “ Uh
huh.” Abigail couldn’t even bring herself to look at a
picture of a spider up close. It gave her the heebie-jeebies. “No.
They’re just nasty and disgusting and I hate them. I hate them
all.”

    “ Tell
me how you really feel. You’re so dang dramatic.”
Harrison laughed. “Death to all spiders! Boo! Down with
spiders….down with spiders!” He chanted repeatedly.

    “ Go
on, make fun all you like. Go away Harrison!” He was really
pissing her off now, making light of her