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“What happened with you and Tommy?” said Felix.
“Nothing,” she said, shaking her head. “Nothing at all. Let’s not talk about this. You, um, someone told me to ask you about the Titanic.”
From behind the bar, Jeff smirked.
Felix shook his head. “No, no, no. I’m not going down this road again. Every time I talk about this, it goes bad. I am not in the mood tonight.”
“Okay,” she said. “Sorry.”
“I’ll tell you about Felix’s Titanic conspiracy theory,” said Jeff.
“It’s not a conspiracy theory,” said Felix.
“Titanic conspiracy?” Dahlia couldn’t help but grin. “Does it involve the Knights Templar?”
Felix snorted. “Okay, itisa conspiracy theory. But I don’t necessarily believe it.”
“Now, you have to tell me,” said Dahlia.
“Yeah,” said Felix. “Yeah, okay.” He nodded at Jeff. “If I’m doing this, I need a shot, too.”
“Fireball?” said Jeff, still snickering.
“Hit me,” said Felix.
iv.
NILES BANGED ONthe door of his friend Valdemar’s apartment. It was late, but it was Friday night, and so Valdemar was probably awake still. He worked as a professor at the college in town, but it was the weekend. He’d probably be up.
Niles had closed the sandwich shop early. It was 11:00 p.m., and Will would be pissed if he found out, but Niles was probably going to fucking jail or something.
Well, that hadn’t been illegal, what he’d just done? Had it?
Whatever, he was going to lose his job.
That job was over for sure. And he was going to have to move out of town, because he was a fucking predator dickwad piece of shit and—
“Valdi!” he yelled at the top of his lungs.
The door opened.
Valdemar was an orc. He was green and huge and tusked and not wearing anything except a pair of sweatpants. “Go. Away. Niles.” He shut the door on the naga.
Well, he tried, but Niles shoved his snake tail into the door and stopped him. “Please, please, please, I need you right now, Valdi.”
“Busy,” said Valdemar.
“Is it Niles?” came a voice from within the apartment.
Niles winced. “Hey, Astrid, how are you?” He removed his tail from the door. “Okay. Sorry. Going.” He slithered backward, groaning inwardly.
“Night,” said Valdemar, and shut the door again.
Niles moved over to the top of the steps. There was another apartment in this building and the steps led up to them both. That door was shut closed. He sagged into the wall and rested his forehead against it. He slowly and deliberately hit his forehead against the wall.
He was going to have to move out of Shepherdstown.
He was going to have to get a new name and disable all his social media. He was going to have to—
