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“If you’re not gambling, you don’t have a lot of options.” Gage wasn’t bad to look at either. “It’s that or the old Air Force base.”
I didn’t know a lot of couples who were fine with going to a strip club together, and even fewer who would admit it to a stranger. Did I need to change the direction of this conversation? Was she going to care if I hit on her? Was Gage more receptive?
Too early to tell, and I liked the puzzle in that. “You two have me intrigued.”
“We’re actually very boring, I promise,” Evie said.
I shook my head. “Not true. You obviously knew what you were getting into by coming here, and yet you’re here anyway. That’s fascinating. I’d like to know what these exotic dancers have that’s so compelling.”
“It’s best not to go in with expectations.” Gage sipped his coffee.
Those were wise words in any situation. Never assume an outcome. The contract wasn’t signed until the ink was dry and the check had cleared. “No expectations. Just curiosity. About both, actually. Old Air Force base?” Strip clubs were great for business trips. For getting potential contacts to let down inhibitions. A lot of people formed a strange sort of bond with another individual if the two watched strangers take off their clothes together.
A solid instinct for people told me that wasn’t going to be the case for Evie. Or Gage. I didn’t need to get close to him, unless it meant winning her over.
“It’s haunted.” Evie’s expression and tone were serious. “The Air Force base, not the strip club.” She furrowed her brow. “Maybe the strip club.”
Gage shook his head. “Not in the same way. But the base—ghosts of those who came before. Lots of deep vibes there.”
I looked between them. “Sounds… spooky?”
“Don’t know. We typically stick to the museum,” Evie said.
The longer I listened to her, the harder she was getting to read. I needed to stop making assumptions and observe for a while. She’d gone from shy to flippant and now she was stoic. “You ever get curious about if the rumors are true? About the ghosts?” In my experience, real life ghosts—our own pasts—were far more threatening than those who had passed on. Still… “What are the odds you’d give me a tour?”
“Yeah, okay,” Evie said at the same time Gage said, “They have people on site for that.”
They exchanged a look that spoke volumes without either of them saying a word. I could imagine the mental dialogue that went with the frowns, the abrupt nods in my direction and the widened eyes, but I’d just promised myself no more assumptions.
Gage clenched his jaw.
Evie raised her brows.
Gage rolled his eyes and sighed.
Evie turned back to me. “We were going anyway. You could come with us. See for yourself.”
“That sounds great. Thanks.” Though I wasn’t looking for ghosts. As long as I came out of the afternoon with the best way to keep her on my side through Monday, this would be a far more valuable trip than Hudson meant it to be when he told me about this place.
As we finished eating, the conversation shifted toward stilted. Every question I asked, Gage was there with a brief reply, regardless of which of them I asked. By the time we all stood, Evie looked more frustrated than me.
We headed out to the parking lot. “You can follow us there,” Gage said.
“Sounds good.” I paused at my car.
Evie let out a soft gasp. “Is that yours?”
“It is. ‘73. Last year they made it.” I was proud of my Datsun 240z. Bought it for next to nothing used when I was in high school. In my twenties and thirties it sat in the garage while I drove newer, faster, more expensive cars.
Evie hovered her hand over the body, never making contact. “You’re restoring it.”
“I am.” And I wouldn’t normally drive her cross country, but I was having some work done while I was here that I hadn’t been able to find anywhere else. “Do you want a ride?”
Evie’s grin was worth weeks of negotiation. “Fuck yes. I’ll navigate.”
“There’s nothing to navigate,” Gabe said with exasperation. “There’s a main road and then a side road.”
“And our new friend has never been down the side road.” The way Evie walked around my car, her tone, it was all pure reverence. “This is going to be fun.”
