"That's smart. See, now you're thinking like a business owner. I told you it wouldn't take long."
His praise feels good but even better is the way he's looking at me. Like he's proud of the progress I've made so far. I stuff that feeling down deep. I shouldn't have this giggly, euphoric feeling just because Gabe thinks I'm smart. Even though no one else has ever made me feel smart before.
"You're going to show it to me, right?" Gabe starts walking across the parking lot. I have to scramble to keep up. The heels I'm wearing are perfect for a business meeting but not for running.
"Wait, Gabe. What are you doing?"
He nods across the street. "I want to see where your club is going to be. After looking over the budget and listening to you talk about what it means to you, I'm invested in the outcome now. Plus, it's in a haunted old building."
His enthusiasm is catching. After looking both ways, we cross the street together. Gabe takes my hand once we reach the other side. "Where to?"
I point straight ahead and have to resist the urge to yank my hand back. What is it with this guy and the mixed signals? He's the one who said that we can't be more than friends but then he's holding my hand, telling me I'm smart and just making me like him.
I'm so deep in my thoughts that we actually pass the doorway. "Wait, it's right here."
My keys are of course at the bottom of my bag. Gabe is staring at something behind me. I turn and look over my shoulder. There's someone getting out of a car on the other side of the street and a woman holding a dress bag entering the store next door.
"Sasha, I don't mean to alarm you but we need to get inside. Right now."
My hands finally close around my keys. "Okay, here's the key right here."
He plucks the key ring from my hand and unlocks the door. It swings open and he pulls me inside with him. Then he shuts the door and flips the deadbolt.
"Gabe, what are you doing?"
He grabs me by the hand and pulls me further into the building. "I'm hiding."
Exasperated, I yank my hand back after he pulls me behind one of the bookshelves still sitting in the middle of the floor. "Yes, I can see that. But who are we supposed to be hiding from?"
Gabe leans down to peer between the shelves so I do, too. Where we're standing we have a clear view of the front window. "Him. We're hiding from him."
Just then a guy with dark hair strolls casually past. I hate stereotyping people but everything about this guy makes me want to take a step back. His dark hair is gelled down and he's wearing a worn black leather jacket. But it's not the clothes. It's his expression. Cold. Like anyone in his way had better move because he'll have no problem taking them out. He looks completely out of place in this neighborhood.
Just before he's out of sight, he turns his head to look directly through the front window. A shiver runs through me. At that angle, the dead look in his eyes is clear but worse is the thin scar that cuts across his cheek bisecting his face.
Gabe looks like trouble. This guy looks like he should be carrying around a body bag in the trunk of his car. He also looks vaguely familiar.
"Friend of yours?" I whisper.
"Not exactly."
"Okay. So why are you hiding from Scarface?"
Gabe looks grim. "Because this isn't the first time I've seen him. Would you excuse me for a moment?"
He moves away slightly and pulls out his cell phone. I take the opportunity to look around the space. I pull out my file folder and dig until I find the sketch provided by the general contractor who'd given me an estimate on constructing the stage. He'd decided that we could use the back right corner without impeding the flow of movement in the rest of the space.
It's so hard to imagine how different it's all going to look in just six weeks.
"Sasha?"
I look up to see that Gabe has ended his call. But he looks agitated. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah. I just need to go check on something. Are you going to be okay by yourself?"
"Of course. I'm going to be here alone a lot over the coming weeks. There's so much to do. The first shipment of furniture should be here this afternoon. Then I can get started putting things in place."
I drop my tote bag next to the back door and open the blinds to let in the light. "There's so much I want to do here. I just hope I can do it justice."