Page 22 of Last Resort

“I’ll never tell.” Jaxon struck a campy pose.

Erik sobered. “Here it is. Fun Factory.” He traced the name with his finger. “It only lasted a few years.”

“We have a photo of one tower, which is the only thing left from the old days,” Jaxon replied. “There’s a military base on the land now. It wasn’t really like Palisades Park or Luna Park. Never had rides, and it wasn’t at the end of a railway line.”

Jaxon grew more animated as he warmed to the subject. “It was more like the early version of the sort of entertainment nexus you’d find in a Vegas hotel today. It had a restaurant, arcade games like Skee Ball and the sort you’d find on a carnival midway, plus a bowling alley. Since it was on a pier, in the summer there was the beach and boating.”

“I found an old article that mentioned a theater and a casino,” Erik added.

Jaxon nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. The theater had vaudeville performances, plays, and early motion pictures. The casino even had a few slot machines, although it was mostly card and dice games. It really was a one-stop date night kind of place. Very exciting for the time—and a bit more in keeping with the Cape May atmosphere than Wildwood.”

“Any good salacious stories?” Erik prompted. “Famous murders? Mafia hits? Celebrity scandals?”

Jaxon gave him a look. “Are you expecting trouble?”

“It seems to find me whether I’m expecting it or not,” Erik replied. “The impression I got from the poker chips is that their owner met a bad end. Murdered, probably shot.” Jaxon knew about Erik’s touch magic, and had helped them piece together evidence before.

“Fun Factory wasn’t as showy as Luna Park and some of the others. They were dripping with electric lights and had all the latest and greatest attractions. Still, if there’s gambling, someone usually has their fingers in the pie, and the Jersey Shore was a hotbed in those years. There was even a television show about the Atlantic City Mob back in the day that revived interest in the history.”

“Interesting,” Erik said. “And by the way, before you ask, I’m not picking up bad vibes from anything in the room. If there are ghosts, they’re not showing themselves, and I don’t think they’re strong enough to cause trouble.”

“Thank you.” Jaxon put a hand over his chest in relief. “I don’t want to explain to the insurance company that someone had a heart attack because a ghost jumped out of our exhibit.”

“I don’t think you need to worry about that.” Erik chuckled. “I can’t wait to see how this all comes together. If you find out anything else about the Fun Factory, let me know. I have a gut feeling it’s going to turn out to be important.”

“You and Ben need to come for dinner again soon,” Jaxon said as he walked out of the display room with Erik. They went to his office, and Jaxon made Nespresso lattes for both of them before settling onto the sofa facing Erik.

“Did Ben finish moving in? How’s the love nest?” Jaxon joked.

“Yes, he moved in, and we’ve got things pretty well pulled together, at least for now,” Erik said. “I didn’t realize how much I’d started to be a set-in-my-ways confirmed bachelor until it came to rearranging furniture and swapping artwork.”

Jaxon smiled as he sipped his drink. “You should have seen Arjun and me in our first apartment. All of his video game art and my theater posters.”

Arjun Chandramohan made a fortune from the software company he founded before cashing in and retiring in his forties. Erik suspected that their “first apartment” was more of a penthouse.

“It’s a strange feeling, making room in your space for someone else,” Erik mused. “I’m thrilled that Ben agreed to move in. I’m head over heels for the guy.”

“Obviously.”

“But it’s still an adjustment having to account for another person in everything. When I lived with someone before, I traveled so much of the time, I don’t think we spent enough time in the same space to ever have to compromise,” Erik said, realizing that for the first time.

“Sounds like when Arjun and I got together. We were both instantly smitten—truly love at first sight—but we’d both been on our own for a long time. He was just getting ready to leave the company behind, and building it had been all-consuming. And I was still on Broadway, which is not a nine-to-five job,” Jaxon replied. “We had to decide that the relationship was the priority before we could even begin to worry about picking out curtains or throw pillows,” he added with a laugh.

“Did it go smoothly?” Erik and Ben hadn’t had any serious disagreements, but his old boyfriend had a tendency to act out, something Erik understood more in hindsight.

“Oh my,” Jaxon said. “You’ve met us, right? I’m dramatic, and Arjun is intense. Combustible sex doesn’t make up for leaving socks and damp towels on the floor!”

“TMI!” Erik laughed.

“Yes, darling. We had to work at it. There were snits and silences and theatrical exits and slamming doors, and then we grew up.” Jaxon let out a long breath. “And we realized that if we wanted to keep what we had, I had to put in the energy that I gave to my roles, and he had to commit like he did developing a program. I think that led both of us to step away from what we’d been doing a few years before we would have otherwise.”

Erik nodded, hiding behind his latte for a few moments while he let that sink in. “I know I don’t want a relationship like my parents have. They’re consumed with the social scene and impressing the neighbors. Ben definitely doesn’t want to repeat how he grew up. But none of the couples in the sitcoms I watched as a kid looked like us.”

Jaxon set his empty cup aside. “That’s where I had an advantage in the theater. There were plenty of gay men and lots of couples. It was easy to watch and learn about what you could have, what you wanted and didn’t want. And while there were always people who changed partners like underwear, it was the ones who didn’t that stuck with me. Those older couples—I knew I wanted that.” He sighed. “And I’m lucky enough to have gotten my wish.”

“Thank you,” Erik said. “You’ve been exactly what I needed today.”

A reminder chimed on Jaxon’s phone. “I’m afraid duty calls. I’m glad you came by. Tell Ben ‘hi’ for me, and I meant what I said about dinner once this exhibit gets pulled together.”

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