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“So take a deep breath. You belong here. All the parts of you that those voices say make you too much — your boldness, your curves, your queerness - those are your superpowers. The world needs someone like you to shake things up and speak the truth. So get out there and show them what you’ve shown me a thousand times before. Remind them why you’re the next big thing and they’re lucky as fuck to have you.”
Kiki beamed and pulled Lola into a quick, fierce hug. “Thank you for not dumping me,” she whispered.
Thrown off balance by the unexpected show of affection, Lola hesitated before hugging her back. Giving her a squeeze, she closed her eyes and transferred all of her fake-it-till-you-make-it energy by osmosis. “You got this.”
“I’ve got this,” she repeated with a determined nod before striding out of the room, head held high.
Lola lingered in the green room, something strange fluttering in her stomach and up her chest. A sensation she didn’t have time to pick apart.
Finding a spot in the bustling control room as the producers prepared to go live, Lola held her breath. She rubbed her palms on her pants, willing Kiki to remember her pep talk.
The host introduced Kiki with noticeable hesitation. But the moment she walked on set, Kiki lit up the camera with her dazzling smile. Whether she believed it or not, Kiki moved like she owned every inch of the space she occupied.
“Good morning LA!” She exuded easy confidence as she breezed through chatter about reality show drama and celebrity gossip. Kiki was animated, witty, herself.
The producers exchanged stunned looks, but Lola beamed with pride. She’d known the real Kiki was a star — the producers were just catching up.
Kiki discussed fashion and culture with boldness and insight. By the end of the segment, the control room was buzzing with impressed reactions. Kiki had left them wanting more.
The producer at her side pulled back one of her headphones and gave Lola a smirk. “If she continues the rest of the week like this, I’ll be reaching out to discuss making her a permanent feature of the show.”
Lola floated out of the studio on a high like she hadn’t felt in years. Kiki’s stellar segment was a career-making victory, and Lola had made it happen. Her gut had been right, and Natalia had been wrong. A dizzying prospect.
When her phone buzzed in her sweaty hand, Lola slowed her walk across the studio’s reception area. At the sight of the text message, Lola’s pulse found a second-wind and took off in a gallop.
Carmen:The only hotel in Redpine. It’s fifty miles from the Institute of the Open Mind.
An image followed of a two-story red brick building with a white wrought-iron balcony across the second floor and white shutters. Attached to the general store next to it, the hotel looked like it had been teleported out of the Wild West.
Carmen:Or this Airbnb.
Another image came after the text. A terrifying, and definitely haunted, old-fashioned log cabin surrounded by a forest and no paved road.
Carmen:I went with the hotel, but feel free to hunt for the Blair Witch.
Lola bit her lip, but it was too late. A smile had gotten away from her, and then a chuckle.
Lola:This time of year? I’m surprised your Salem ancestors had an opening for their vacation rental.
Carmen:Well, we certainly can’t count on your family’s crypt being available. Not with All Hallows Eve just two months away.
Lola laughed. A thrill dancing over her spine. Warming her skin as if Carmen’s lips were pressed to it. Like she was sighing her name and pulling her close and asking for more.
Outside, the warm LA sun was on Lola’s face, making her feel alive. Making everything different and possible and new. And the thought of seeing Carmen again… Lola’s chest tightened. As much as she wanted to deny it, the prickly, maddening woman had gotten under her skin. Had awakened a hunger Lola couldn’t suppress.
No one challenged her and called her out like Carmen did. No one gave her body purpose the way Carmen did. Fuck.
Lola wanted nothing more than to capture that feeling again. To drown in Carmen and the heady freedom of not thinking, just feeling. Of living in her body, instead of her head for once.
She opened her phone again, but she didn’t go to her text messages. First, she opened her ride-share app and called for a car. Then she opened her travel app. She had a new destination in mind now. The airport and the next flight to Redpine.
CHAPTER34
The late afternoonwas surprisingly cool as the sun bathed the quaint main street of Redpine in a warm glow. Carmen took a deep breath while strolling along the sidewalk, shocked that a sunny day could be so pleasant.
After checking into the rustic, Old-West-themed hotel, she’d decided to get the lay of the land before Lola arrived. There wasn’t enough time to check out Fortune’s compound before nightfall, but she hoped people in town might know something about the Institute of the Open Mind.
Carmen slipped into a small cafe in a building with so much history, she could practically feel gunslingers, bandits, and outlaws throwing their weight around. The inside had been decorated floor to ceiling with yellowing wanted posters denouncing criminals and promising huge rewards.
