Page 56 of Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places
Maverick asked, “Your uncle wouldn’t happen to be interested in being an investor for a promising new production company, would he?”
Georgia laughed as she led them up the walkway to the guesthouse. They passed a hand-painted sign that readHorizon Cottage. “I already asked. Media isn’t his thing. Butyoucan try my aunt. Fair warning, though, she’ll try to hit on you.”
“Ah.”
“Oh, don’t worry. My uncle will be cool with it. They’re s-w-i-n-g-e-r-s.”
“What’s swingers?” Rebel asked.
“Youknowshe can spell and read. Come on.” Maverick stared Georgia down, who only smiled.
“Calm down, Super Dad. Little miss, that’s only for consenting adults so forget I said that, okay?”
“Okay.” Rebel shrugged.
A vein in Maverick’s forehead began pulsating. There was no way Rebel wouldn’t ask him about that later. Knowing him, he’d find an age-appropriate way to answer her curiosity.
Georgia continued to be unbothered. “I’m thinking Maverick and Rebel in the primary bedroom—the bed in there is huge, excellent for jumping. And me and Lucky together?”
The four of them were on their own. Chase would’ve joined but had already been put on the schedule to assist with filming a scripted production. Stephen and Xander gave their blessing and their money, respectively, but didn’t feel they needed tobe on set. NQP had multiple arms and projects running at any given time and they’d already devoted so much to Hennessee House.
Lucky nodded.
“This way, roomie.”
Their room was big enough to comfortably fit two full-size beds. That shouldn’t have been shocking and yet, Lucky had to force herself to not comment on it.
Georgia lugged her suitcase onto the foldable rack and unzipped it. “How do you feel about bars? There’s a couple in town. I was thinking we could head over, check out the scene, get dinner and some drinks? Maverick’s not a bar kind of guy and has Rebel, which leaves you and me. Together again.”
“Oh, I’m honestly not really a bar person either. I don’t do well in large crowds and people asking why I’m wearing sunglasses indoors gets really old, really fast…”
Disappointment filled Georgia’s eyes as Lucky spoke.
“But you know what? To hell with it. Let’s go.” She had an entire weekend ahead of her to spend time with Maverick and Rebel—the actual reason why she wanted to stay behind.
“I knew I liked you. Are you going to wear that?” Georgia didn’t wait for an answer, pulling clothes out of her suitcase. “Do you want to borrow something of mine?”
“I think I want to shower first. Get the feel of airport off me and then I’ll decide.”
Decidemeaning letting Georgia have her way and squeezing into matching little black dresses.
“This is the only reliable way to stand out among the aggressive self-tanner, cowboy hats, and boots,” Georgia explained asshe drove them downtown. “Minus tourists, almost everyone there will have practically grown up together. They expect outsiders to dress like this and make fun of them when it happens.”
“But you’re not an outsider.”
“True, but I left, which is an entirely different beast. You’re my way back in. They’ll be forced to talk to me because they’ll want to talk to you. A new hot girl in town will always be the great equalizer.”
Lucky snorted. “And here I thought you wanted to hang out because of my sparkling personality.”
“That too. We all have ulterior motives. Some people are simply more up-front about it than others. Like us.”
Lucky’s phone buzzed in her purse. She side-eyed Georgia before silencing it—unknown call. She never answered those on principle. “What do you think my motives are?”
“For tonight? I think you agreed to have dinner with me because you want to be friends.” Georgia grinned. “You’re weirder than I’d usually like, but I’m strangely into it.”
“Wow. Thanks.” The wordweirdfelt like a weapon formed to be used specifically against Lucky. It followed her everywhere, beating and berating her until she internalized it. Okay, fine, so she was weird—why did that have to be seen as a bad thing?
“No, for real. I used to know this one girl, who was also weird, but in a bad way because she did it for attention. It wasn’t a part of her, you know what I mean? I thought she didn’t know how to fit in or something, so I tried to be nice to her,” she said. “Plot twist: she was just a huge bitch.”
