Page 10 of Necessary Evil
“It’s up to you. If you want me, I’m yours.”
That was the problem. She did and she didn’t. It could never be casual with her. Lucy smiled and let the regret show in her words. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
Evan shrugged. “So you’ve said.” He looked around. “Still want to bend your ear, though. But there’s too many people around here. Come and walk with me. I want to show you something.”
“I’ve heard that before, Evil,” Lucy said, stressing his nickname.
That wicked grin flashed over his face again. “You’ve seen it all already.”
Touché.
Face hot with embarrassment, Lucy nonetheless had to see where this was headed, so she followed him out of the multipurpose room into the gymnasium.
“This way.” He reached for her hand and tugged her along.
At the far end were stairs leading down to the basement.
“Where are you taking me?” If it had been anyone but Evan, she’d have put the brakes on this nonsense. But Evan had a way of making all her common sense go on a coffee break.
“Somewhere we can be alone.”
That sounded like trouble to her. But it also sounded intriguing. The basement was cool and had a slight odor of dirt, but other than that, it wasn’t as creepy as she’d imagined it to be. Evan flicked on the light and a bare bulb illuminated a small portion of the room. She looked for spiders in the corner but didn’t even see a web. She let out a long sigh of relief. That was all she needed—to freak out over the sight of a daddy longlegs, like she was being tortured.
Spiders, ugh.Lucy rubbed her arms, feeling phantom legs crawl over her.
“There’s a secret room down here.”
“Get out,” she said.
He pulled a flashlight out and showed her the divot in the wall. Digging his fingers inside, Evan pulled it open with a mighty tug.
“I am not going in there,” Lucy said. I bet there are mice and spiders in there.
“Don’t be a chicken.”
Oh no, he didn’t.“Fine, but this better be good.” And if there were spiders, she was going to scream like he was murdering her.
“I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.”
They were in some sort of maintenance tunnel or shaft. She could hear pieces of the party going on above them.
“…can’t believe he missed that fucking catch…”
“…Julie can blow me if she thinks…”
She stopped to listen to the flow of conversation.
“…who the fuck brought the Brie and apricot jam? This isn’t the fucking Met gala…”
Lucy almost snorted with laughter. That last one had been the chief of police. “I could spend a lot of time down here,” she said.
“Fucking Simmons got those gangbangers off on a fucking technicality. I hope they break into her fucking house and—”
Evan pulled her along. “You know what they say about eavesdropping.”
Still, the lump in her throat was hard to swallow and her determination to have a good time today was starting to ebb. Lucy just wanted to go home and forget she’d heard that little snippet of nastiness. But first she had to see what bug was up Evan’s ass that he needed to drag her down here.
The narrow hallway wasn’t as dirty or dusty as she had been afraid of. At least that meant people had been here recently. The hallway opened up to a large room. It was almost chilly down here. She folded her arms and looked around. There was a beat-up couch, a table and chairs, and a mini-fridge that had seen better days.