Page 34 of Saved By the Wolf

“Does this have to do with Rich? We haven’t really talked about it—”

“It does, and . . . I’m just not sure. This alley is bringing up too many bad memories.”

All of a sudden, Luc grabbed me and pulled me toward him. A moment later, I heard the sound of someone falling and skidding across the sidewalk. We both turned our heads to look back and saw three teenage kids with their skateboards running away.

“You okay?” he whispered into my hair. He was holding me so tight I almost couldn’t breathe. “I heard them coming and one of them lost control. They almost knocked into you.”

“I’m fine. Thank you.”

He didn’t let me go but loosened his hold enough so I could look up into his face. His fingers found the loose strands in front of my ear and tucked them behind the shell ever so gently that I only felt the slight tips of his fingers grazing my skin. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, Jill. I promise. I’m going to keep telling you that until you believe me. We don’t have to use this alley. They have another entrance, but I would love it if you’d come with me tonight to see this surprise. I think you’ll really like it, and I’m hoping to make up for missing the ball the other day.”

“Hence the masks,” I whispered. I was so enthralled by how close we were that I could hardly breathe. I already knew it was going to be a long night of second-guessing myself if I didn’t say yes.

“I swear on Becca and Brandon that you are safe with me,” Luc now added firmly.

Becca was definitely someone I could trust, and Brandon, too, as far as Becca was concerned. “Okay, show me.”

A wide grin spread across his face, and he looked even more handsome than before. It was contagious, and I found myself smiling back at him as he led me around the building to the main entrance.

It was the local theatre, and the man in the ticket booth was wearing suspenders and a straw hat, smiling at us like we were coming to buy tickets to a movie. Why couldn’t we have just come to the entrance to begin with?

“Hi, Luc.”

I sent Luc a smirk. “Do you know everyone in this town?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.” I didn’t know what else to say. There wasn’t a chance I knew all the people in my schools while growing up, much less the whole town or city.

Luc had shown the guy a couple of tickets, and we were met by someone dressed in a brown suit, who looked over our attire and ushered us in.

“Put on your mask,” Luc whispered to me.

He helped tie the ribbon on the back, then took my hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm before leading me into the entrance. He guided me to the right, where a set of plush, carpeted stairs led into a well-lit hallway. We passed by the token bathrooms, ones where there would have been a line up the stairs to the entrance if there was a live show going on.

At the other end of the hallway was another set of doors. A man dressed from the twenties opened the door, and what greeted us in the open-air room was not what I expected. People in period clothes were walking around, dressed in both simple and extravagant dresses with matching masks. They were carrying cocktails and talking in whispers.

Luc leaned down to my ear and said, “Welcome to our Speakeasy.”

“An actual Speakeasy?” I gasped, not realizing these things existed anymore. I’d only ever read about these in books; a hidden place that served illegal alcohol during prohibition.

“Yes, but more for fun nowadays. Come on, I’ll get you a drink.”

“Oh, I don’t drink,” I said, only half paying attention. There was so much to see. I hadn’t even finished looking at the beautiful setting around me, much less begun people-watching.

“You do drink water, though, right?”

I looked at Luc and saw him smiling at his own joke. “Yes,” I said, smiling along with him. “Bubbly, please.”

I followed Luc through what looked like a gambling room to a den where people were sitting, talking, and playing darts. A small bar sat in the corner. He guided me through a set of double doors next, which led to a much longer bar. The people behind the counter were dressed in period clothing too. I loved it!

Luc got our drinks, and he led me back to the main area where I noticed the stage curtains had opened and someone was performing. At this point, an usher came up and escorted us to some seats at the very front.

I had never experienced anything like this before. For all intents and purposes, it felt as though we’d been whisked back to the 1920s. I had my mask on so no one would know it was me, but this time Luc was by my side. I could feel him looking at me from time to time, and I loved the warmth his attention created. After the performance, which had been an entertaining mix of singing and joking, we got up to explore the building further after overhearing there were more rooms to discover.

One room was a changing room, and we were able to see the actors and actresses putting on makeup, discussing their scripts, and going about their business. Then there was a room filled with sofas and comfy chairs. Two men were in there doing impromptu dances and singing a few songs with a couple of the guests. It was entertaining, and I was having the time of my life!

Many of the rooms were dimmed, and soft music played everywhere we went. It provided a calming backdrop behind the quiet murmur of conversations filling the air that I found myself relaxing.