by Gina LaManna
Dotty’s curly handwriting brought yet another smile to my face. As always, she knew just what to say. Don’t worry so much, Lola. In a world where you can be anything, just be yourself.
I laughed. It was a little cheesy even for her, but for tonight, it was perfect. I took one more look in the mirror, finished up the mascara, and then touched up my lipstick. By the time I finished that, a knock sounded on the door.
Semi stood. “I’ll answer it.”
“Get out of the way, please. I know Luke’s cute, but he’s my date.” I elbowed past Semi and flung the door open. “Annalise?”
Annalise stood on my front steps, her hair knotted into a cute bun on top of her head. She handed me a rose. “Surprise!”
“Oh, why thank you.” I took the rose, kissed her on the cheek, and pulled her inside. “You know I love you girlfriend, but I’m romantically interested in men.”
“Me too.” She nodded. “I just wanted to support you tonight.”
“Really?” I glanced at her tight black pants, a stretchy tank that showed off her lean muscles. She’d even worn jewelry for the occasion—a luxury she usually avoided since it hindered her somersaults. “You look like you’re hankering for some action, and honey, you’re not gonna find it from me.”
Annalise murmured some sort of response, but her eyes were focused over my shoulder, her gaze a little starry.
“Oh,” I whispered. “I get it.”
“Semi,” she said, taking a few nonchalant steps into the room. “Fancy seeing you here!”
I rolled my eyes before shutting the door. I’d obviously informed Babs and Annalise about every aspect of my date, including the escort. Babs had a date of her own tonight, and now apparently so did Annalise.
“So is this a double date?” I clapped my hands at the two children staring at each other all googly-eyed. “Semi? Annalise? Earth to both of you.”
Semi snapped to attention first, clearing his throat as he tore his eyes away from Annalise. “Sorry, ma’am.”
“Ma’am?” I said. “I’m not a ma’am. Wake up, Semi. Smell the coffee. I’m a Lola. Or Miss Pink. Pick any variation of the two. You don’t have to spy on me at dinner—you can go grab coffee with Annalise.”
“I have orders from Mr. Clark,” Semi said, his voice heavy with regret. “I’m sorry, Annalise. I’d love to ask you to dinner, but it’ll have to wait for another day.”
“I understand.” She spoke with an upbeat attitude, but her shoulders shrank a few inches. “I shouldn’t have showed up here unannounced. I just wanted to... wanted to bring Lola that stupid flower and wish her luck on her stupid date.”
“Cool it with the stupids, sister,” I said. “Come with us! I’m going to be driving with Luke, and Semi needs company in that big SUV of his. It’d be healthy if you went along and chatted to him, otherwise he might fall asleep at the wheel.”
“Really?” Annalise turned to Semi. “What do you think?”
Semi had already switched to business mode, and a flash of uncertainty crossed his face. “That’s probably not the best idea. I should be at full attention.”
“I won’t even talk,” Annalise said. “I’ll sit silent in the backseat.”
“You’d do that?” I said to Annalise. “Wow, she likes you. A lot.”
“Not a word,” Semi said. “Do you promise?”
Annalise nodded, her bright eyes and eager expression like a puppy dog with a treat.
“I’m not going to stay out late,” I said. “Just a quick bite to eat and back to the castle, then you two can do your thing. Annalise, Semi—you’ll be hanging out in ninety minutes or less, I promise.”
Another knock sounded on the door, and I slipped past Annalise to answer it. “Oh, you’re a man,” I said to Luke. “That’s great news.”
He cocked his head to the side. “Should I even ask?”
“Better not,” I said. “Anyway, we’ve got the tag team coming along in the big, black SUV behind us—part of the job.”
“Double date?” Luke asked, eyeing the rose clutched in my hands. “Should I be jealous?”
“Oh, this is from Annalise,” I said. “And yes, you should probably be jealous. She’s got great legs.”
Luke laughed, the sound nice and easy, breaking the tension. He extended his arm. “Shall we?”
“Let’s go,” I said. “You two lock up, Semi. And feel free to get coffee or something. It’s weird to have you staring over our shoulders.”
“No talking,” Semi said to Annalise, and she nodded.
“This is weird,” Luke whispered to me as we strode toward his car. “They’re not sitting with us, are they?”
“We won’t even know they’re there,” I said. “Give them five minutes after parking, and I guarantee they’ll be distracted.”
“I thought Semi just told her not to speak.”
“You can get into a lot of trouble without talking,” I said, suggestively waggling my eyebrows. “Not me, though. I talk too much.”
“Too much? Never,” he said. “You speak exactly the right amount.”
“Right. Let me hear that again after dinner. This time, no interruptions.”
“No interruptions,” he said, giving me a quick peck on the cheek. “I like the sound of that.”
“Your food selection is incredible,” I said, forking another bite of manicotti into my mouth. “Mama Maria’s has great reviews, and now I understand why.”
“Try a bite of the fettuccine.” Luke slid a forkful of noodles coated in creamy white sauce onto my plate. “You’ll melt right into your chair.”
I took a bite, closed my eyes, and melted just like he said I would. I might have even whimpered, which got a laugh out of Luke and a few wayward stares from the other patrons in the restaurant, most of them well into their retirement years.
“So, tell me about your family,” I said when I regained some composure. “Something I don’t know.”
“There’s not much to tell,” he said, waving a fork. “My mother and father loved each other, got married, and then had a baby. That was me. No brothers, no sisters. Parents divorced when I was young. I don’t have much of an extended family. So, when I was approaching thirty, I just decided it was time for a change. I was starting to feel old, and I don’t like feeling old.”
“I understand,” I said. “I feel old too.”
“You? You’re the picture of youth.”
“You’re just trying to get me to do that with you.” I nodded through the front windows of the restaurant to Semi’s SUV. It’d taken five minutes for Annalise to move to the front seat, another five minutes for the handholding to start, and the past twenty minutes had been spent playing tonsil hockey.
“Tempting. But I’m not sure how they’re breathing.”
“It really is a mystery.” We watched the display for a moment. Then I turned back to the food. “Honestly, I get the same rush from this manicotti as from making out.”
“Excited and hot?”
“And a little bit breathless. But that might just be food coma. I’m really full.”
“We should get going,” Luke said. “We can slip out the side entrance and leave the lovebirds to kiss. Quick midnight stroll on the beach? I hear it helps with digestion.”
“Sure. Let me text Annalise quickly, just in case they come up for air.”
Luke waited while I sent Annalise and Babs a thumbs up, explaining our plan for a moonlight stroll and toe-dip in the ocean.
“Ready?” Luke paid the check, then offered me a hand as we stood up.
Part of me wanted to go rap on the window and let the pair know where we were headed, but I couldn’t bring myself to break up the party. I’d never seen Annalise so... uninhibited. So spontaneous and rule breaking and passionate. It wouldn’t kill me to distract Luke for five minutes and give them some privacy.
“Come on,” Luke said, grabbing my hand in his. “Stop staring, or they’ll arrest you for Peeping Tom-ing their SUV.”
; “Not before Annalise is arrested for indecent exposure,” I said. “The police will have their pick of crimes on the Sunshine Shore tonight.”
Together we ducked down a hall, giggling our way to the beach entrance and onto the sand. The restaurant sat right on the edge of the ocean path, the black water spanning miles and miles before us, the dark waves topped with a splash of foamy white.
“I have a better idea,” Luke said, nodding toward the boardwalk. “What’s more romantic than a Ferris wheel ride at closing time?”
I batted my eyelashes, surprised by how nice of a time I’d had on the date. Luke had been conscientious, an interesting conversationalist, and a great orderer of delicious food. He’d asked me questions, listened, and smelled great. “That sounds lovely.”
We looped our arms through one another’s and strolled through the sand. I kicked off my high heels two steps into the journey and carried them in my free hand.
“Pipes are tricky at the castle?” The question sort of just popped out. We spent all of this time eating, and I realized we’d never touched on our brief meeting in Castlewood this afternoon. “I had no clue you worked for Mr. Clark.”
“I don’t work for him, just a one-off job.”
“Oh, I see. Pipes are breaking around here left and right, I guess. Mine, the castle’s...hopefully it sticks this time.”
“This time?”
My head jerked up as I turned to stare at him. “This was your third time to the castle. For the same bathroom.”
“Who told you that?”
“Mrs. Dulcet,” I said, confused. “She said you first came three weeks ago, then a week and a half later, and finally today. Is that... is that not true?”
“Nope,” Luke said. “Just today.”
“That makes no sense. Why would she lie?”
“I’m sure she didn’t mean to lie.” Luke shrugged. “Do you know the amount of staff they have walking around that house? I had to turn ten different waitstaff away from the toilet while I was working on it for all of sixty minutes.”
“Huh.”
“It looked like the pipe had been fixed recently, but I forgot to ask about it. She probably just assumed it was me every time.” He laughed. “You know us handymen, we’re interchangeable.”
His explanation would’ve made sense except for one thing—I knew Mrs. Dulcet well enough to know that she didn’t overlook details. Not faces, not names, none of that. If Mrs. Dulcet had claimed Luke had been there before, she’d deliberately lied. But why? What was she covering up?
“Strange,” I muttered, trying to puzzle through it all.
“Are you upset?” Luke turned to me, slowing his pace. “I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to not tell you about my appointment today. It was last minute. Early this morning. I mean it; I wasn’t hiding it from you.”
“Oh, I know—”
His face crinkled with disappointment. “Look, I’m sorry. I should have texted you and said something because I knew he was your employer.”
“Really, it’s okay. Why didn’t you mention it earlier tonight?”
He ran a hand through his hair, staring out into the twisting, turning waves of the ocean. “Look, I’m a man—I recognize the way he looks at you. I’m just a handyman, and he’s…well, he’s on the cover of every tech magazine in the country.”
“What are you talking about?” My face burned red, even as I evaded his claims. “He’s my boss, and you’re a great guy. I don’t care what either of your professions are.”
“Ferris wheel?” he asked, changing the subject. “You’re here with me tonight, so I don’t want to spend the time moaning about money. I like my work, and I’m proud of my business.”
“You should be.”
“And if you wanted to be with him tonight, you would…right?”
I thought briefly of the movie theater setup, of the way Dane had asked me to cancel the date, and I pushed the thought away. “Right,” I murmured. “I think the Ferris wheel is a great idea—let’s get on it before Semi and Annalise run out of oxygen.”
We were the only ones in line for the ride. The night was chilly; the breeze was salty and cool on our faces. Luke huddled close to me, his arm around my shoulder as we boarded.
“Thanks, Sammy,” I said to the pimple-faced twenty year old the other employees called Sammy Stoner. “We can take it from here.”
“Whatever,” Sammy said, and left us alone to get situated.
A minute later, and we were off. I settled onto the seat next to Luke as he scooted an inch closer to me.
Scanning the stars, I smiled, the twinkling lights shimmering in the sky behind us. “This is nice, isn’t it?”
“It’s beautiful. Looking out over the ocean gets me thinking just how big this world really is.” Glancing over at me, he smiled. “So, tell me more about your job. It’s going well—er, this time around?”
“It is. I don’t know if it’s a long-term plan or not, but... I’ll figure the money thing out.”
“Which warehouse are you working on?”
“I’m not really on one project. I’m Mr. Clark’s personal assistant. I help with whatever he or his staff need at any given time.”
“Sounds long term to me.”
“I suppose.” I hesitated a moment, and then turned to look at him. “How’d you know about the warehouses?”
“Common knowledge.”
“That’s sworn to secrecy in his contract,” I said, my voice softer. “I read through all the magazine articles on the company before I started, all the blogs on the internet. None of them mention warehouses.”
“I know a guy who works there, and he mentioned them. I took a peek out of the windows today—some big buildings back there.”
“Mrs. Dulcet said she walked you straight in and straight out.”
“Well, we already know her memory isn’t the greatest.” Luke laughed. “She thought I’d been there three times. Maybe it was the caterer?”
I shook my head, a chill running down my spine. The numbers were just not adding up, and I suspected that I knew why. I inhaled a breath, inched away, and raised my gaze to his.
As soon as our eyes met, I knew that he knew.
“Oh, Lola,” he said, his voice turning into an icicle, freezing my blood with each word. ‘I wish you hadn’t been so curious, darling. Now, we have a problem.”
Time slowed to a complete stop.
There was one moment, a brief second of calm, and then all hell broke loose. We both moved at once, quick and ferocious. I lunged for my new phone, sliding it out of my pocket and struggling to unlock the screen. Babs and Annalise’s numbers were seared in my brain, and I’d added them on speed dial. If I could just…hit…call…
“Give it to me,” Luke said, standing as our cart ascended to the top of the Ferris wheel “Now.”
My fingers trembled as I punched the numbers on the lock screen. “Luke, stop!”
He swiped at my hands, the cart swinging wildly back and forth. I clenched my phone tight, heart racing, fingertips clinging to the edge of the railing and praying the cart wouldn’t tip.
“Give it to me,” he said again, his arms wrapping around my body and reaching for the device even as I held it further, further over the water.
I punched at the screen now, as close to my combination as I could manage. But Luke was too big, too strong. As the swinging of the cart slowed, he managed to reach past the tips of my fingers and connect with the phone, sending it tumbling from my hand.
“No!” I screamed as it plummeted toward the ocean. “Help!”
Luke’s hand came down hard on my mouth as the black waters swallowed the glow of my screen, the last cry for help. “I wouldn’t struggle if I were you.”
“Who are you?” I fought away from his arms, my back pressed against the opposite side of the cart as the Ferris wheel rounded us back to the ground.
“What you’re going to do now,” Luke said slow, steady, “is sit calmly next to me. Wave nicely to th
e stoned teenager operating this thing, and then give me a kiss on the cheek.”
“Not a chance.”
“Really?” Luke pulled something from his pocket and flicked it open. The glint of the moonlight showed a sharp, thin switchblade. “That’s unfortunate because a good handyman always carries his tools with him.”
I froze on the bench across from him, my limbs incapable of movement.
“Over here, Lola,” he said calmly. “Follow my instructions and things will be alright.”
I did as he said, moving next to him and perching against the very edge.
“Closer, darling,” he whispered, putting his free arm around my shoulder. The knife sat on his lap, his other hand gripping it firmly. “And don’t forget about the kiss.”
I moved closer, but kept my face averted.
“Wave,” he said. “Say hi to our friend Sammy.”
I didn’t move my arm, so Luke did it for me. He flashed a wave to Sammy who grinned through his haze and waved back.
“Kiss,” he said again. “Show Sammy that you’re having a great time.”
Still, I couldn’t move.
Luke nudged the knife closer, the blade against my thigh. “I said kiss me.”
My lips clenched tight together, but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t lean an inch closer to him.
He tipped the knife downward, pressing the tip through the fabric of my dress and into my skin. I yelped as he drew blood; it was a surface wound, but a painful one.
Luke took advantage of my moment of distraction and clasped his hand to the opposite side of my head. In one motion, he guided my lips to brush against his cheek. I was in too much pain, too racked with fear to fight back.
“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” he whispered before letting me go. “Just so Sammy doesn’t worry.”
A hot trickle of blood dripped from the wound down my knee. It wasn’t a lot, but the sight made me woozy. It was then, at the sight of the crimson stain against my dress, that I realized Luke did not intend to let me stay on this Ferris wheel for another rotation. He rested his hand, which was holding the knife, back on his lap.
