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It is a cold November day that takes me to the haunted mansion, but I am not ready for the gunman waiting. Nor for the mysterious package that comes from Florida. I wait with my love, Nick, for word, but none comes. So I let myself wander.
Anna blinked. Either she was more tired than she had realized, or this book was a mess. How could the editorial department even think of releasing this? Well, maybe it was one of the ones they’d passed on, but Anna was sure she’d read something else by Smalls. Or had she? The name seemed familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. She flicked forward a few pages.
Everything is wrong—danger everywhere. I shout but no one can hear me, they are all too deep in his pockets. The cat warns me of trouble, but I have to find Nick—or maybe all I will find will be his ghost, and I will be one, too, for he is forever gone to the green and red.
“Okay, maybe this is some trendy new style I’m not up on,” Anna muttered. She closed the file and wondered if she should try another manuscript or find a movie. Her phone rang, saving her from having to make a choice.
She hoped it wasn’t her mother again. Eloise had probably seen her on the news and would no doubt tell her that the camera had added ten pounds and her hair had been a disaster.
When she looked at the phone, though, she smiled. It was Gage. Feeling like a teenager, she answered. “Hey, Gage. Didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.” She hadn’t. Her dating record wasn’t exactly the best—so it was especially nice that he’d called, not bothering with any of that nonsense about waiting three days first.
“Thought I’d call to see how you were doing.”
Smiling, Anna sat down again and tucked her feet underneath her. “No ill effects other than incredibly sore legs. Luckily, they let me use the elevator when I went back in to get my things today. Oh, that reminds me, we’re going to have to do another shoot with you. I have the film that was in my camera, but everything else ended up smoke or water damaged.”
There was a short pause, and then he said, “Another shoot?”
He didn’t sound happy, and she asked, “What, don’t tell me you’re already resigning as a model? That’d be a loss to the romance world. Besides, I’m getting ideas for using you as a mystery man on the cover of what seems to be a Gothic…well…a Gothic something.” She nudged her tablet with a finger. She’d have to try reading that book another time—when she wasn’t exhausted. She snuggled lower in her seat.
“On a different note,” Gage said, “I had a great time with you the other night. Is it too soon to call to see if you’d like to go out again?”
She twirled a strand of hair around her fingers. “I’d love to see you again.”
“Great, so we’re on for dinner tonight.”
She gave a laugh. “You really don’t waste time. It’s sweet of you, but I’m planning a microwave dinner and an early night.”
“How about pizza and beer? I know a place over on P Street—does Neapolitan-style pie. Pizzeria Paradiso. Gobs of cheese, tomatoes, and garlic—and if you’re up for it, a salty fish roe that’ll make your day. And night. They do takeout.”
She grinned and wondered if she should say yes. From the corner of her eye, she saw Romeo jump up on the windowsill. He sat still, only the tip of his tail moving, a low growl coming from his throat.
Gage kept trying to talk her into dinner.
Anna moved to the window and pulled back the curtain. Evening was falling, leaving the sky a smeared, dusky purple with faint, flickering stars. The streetlights had not yet come on, so gloom surrounded the buildings. This was a residential street—apartments and condos. She thought she saw someone standing across the street, half hidden by shadows. The dark form moved and vanished. Anna shivered. She let the curtain fall, but Romeo stayed alert.
“I’m sorry, but I really think I want a quiet evening.” She walked around her apartment, turning on lights. That shadow outside had spooked her—and, okay, the weird writing, with its talk about ghosts, wasn’t helping. MaybeLavender Lillewas an odd story, but it was effective at making the reader feel uneasy. “How about a rain check until tomorrow?”
His voice thickened with disappointment. “Well, if you’re sure—I’ll just have to force myself to eat alone.”
She grinned. “What a horrible fate. However will you manage it?”
“I’ll just have to stay strong and focus on the chance to see your pretty face tomorrow.”
Anna flushed and was glad Gage wasn’t there to see it. “Well…until tomorrow, then. Thanks for calling.” She hung up and headed into the kitchen to see what she had. Romeo followed and wound around her ankles, complaining that he was starving.
She opened another can of cat food for him, considered canned soup for herself, and almost called Gage back. Pizza was sounding better and better. Her phone rang, and she answered without checking the number—maybe Gage had sensed that she might change her mind if he asked again.
“Hello?”
No one answered. She said hello twice more, checking that her phone had a connection. It did. And she could hear someone breathing—but nothing more. Uneasy, she hung up and hugged herself. Okay, that was weird. First a shadow outside her place, then a call. She shook her head. She was tired, that was all. And hungry.
Suddenly, she wanted company—she wanted people around her and bright lights and noise. She thought again about calling Gage back, but she didn’t know him all that well, and she didn’t want to seem needy or indecisive.
Grabbing her coat and her keys, she headed for the door, calling out to Romeo, “Keep the lights on for me.”
She headed downstairs to the parking garage, which was locked and secured. She waved at the guard as she exited and turned onto the street in front of her apartment. It seemed like a good night to visit her favorite haunt, the Queen Vic, only five blocks away.
She lived not far from the H Street Corridor—an area in transition, with some hip clubs, some old buildings, and some spots that needed renovation. But the Queen Vic would have noise, people, and best of all, comfort food. She lived close enough that she could have walked, but she’d walked enough yesterday for a week. And after seeing that eerie shadow on the corner, she felt safer in her car, with the doors locked.
