Page 22

22

Cary

I ’d never heard Drew perform before, and had only run into him a few times over the years, but his band was amazing. They were true professionals, and it was easy to see why they were in such demand on the coastal circuit. We hung back when the crowd began to disperse, since I’d told Evan that Drew wanted to meet him afterward.

We stood and followed the last of the crowd into the lobby, where Drew had mentioned he and the band would be meeting fans. Drew smiled when he saw us and immediately reached out to shake Evan’s hand.

Drew and his husband, Lance, were handsome men, at least a decade older than me, but you’d have to be blind not to see their daddy sex appeal.

That’d never done anything for me personally, but I could tell Evan was taken with them. I had to force down a surge of jealousy that seemed to come at me from nowhere. “The concert was amazing. I remember hearing your songs when you sang with Opia,” Evan gushed to the band.

“Wow,” a woman behind Drew commented. “That’s like ancient history. You can’t be old enough to remember that.”

Evan turned to her, smiling. “I was a huge Opia fan when I was in high school. Therefore, I was a big fan of yours too. Anyone who opened for Opia must be remarkable, right?”

The rest of the band laughed. “She’s pretty awesome. Thanks,” Drew said.

Evan was about to follow the rest of the attendees out of the building when Drew asked him if he’d be willing to join them all for dessert. “The catering company here always saves us cheesecake for after the show. Wanna join us?”

Evan looked surprised, but nodded. “Um, sure. Is that okay with you?” he asked me.

I smiled. “Always have room for cheesecake.”

Evan laughed. “You already had a slice at dinner.”

“Hey, don’t judge. I recall you having dessert there, too, but I would never mention that because I’m a gentleman.”

He bumped me playfully with his elbow, and I just chuckled. Truth was, I liked cheesecake and sweets in general. That was why I ran and worked out all the time, otherwise, I’d be the size of a truck.

Drew and his band led us back through the theater and into a small room full of stuff. “This must’ve been the green room at one time,” I said mostly to myself as I scanned the room curiously.

“Now, it’s mostly storage, but yeah, the place was built as an opera house. It was well known during its time,” Drew said, passing Evan and me slices of cheesecake as we sat.

“So, Cary tells me you might have a spirit infestation. Can you tell me about it?” Drew asked, and Evan’s hand froze halfway to his mouth. He put his forkful of cheesecake back on his plate and nodded.

“Yeah, I was attacked twice. It even attacked Cary.”

Drew looked at me, and asked, “Are you still in pain?”

Luckily, the rest of the band were talking about other things and mostly ignored us. Lance came in, picked up one of the last slices of cheesecake, and sat down by his husband. “No,” I said. “We got a poultice on it, and this morning all that’s left are some scabbed-over scratches.”

Drew sighed. “You both need to be careful. Evan, you aren’t alone. I can feel a presence around you, not strong. Feminine, almost motherly.”

“My grandmother?” Evan asked, and Drew closed his eyes in concentration.

“No, she’s older than that. She doesn’t appear older, but she’s from an earlier time. I’d guess she’s a more distant ancestor than your grandmother.”

“My great-grandmother,” he said.

Drew nodded. “That feels right. She’s bound to the manor too. And she’s protective of you, and the others… definitely an ally. If I’m reading this right, several entities are trapped in the manor. None of them are dangerous except the one who attacked you. The others are just waiting. Like, waiting for justice… that’s what I’m feeling.”

Lance put his arm around Drew’s shoulders, and when I looked closely, I noticed Drew was sweating. “That’s enough, honey. You’re tired already, don’t exert yourself any further,” Lance said. Drew gave him a pointed look, and I could almost hear the don’t tell me when enough is enough conversation coming, but he must’ve decided to change the subject instead.

Drew turned back and smiled at us. “I’m an air energy, as is Lance. I can feel and detect spirits. In fact, Lance’s grandmother and I were close before and after her death.” He paused and looked at Lance, who nodded. “She helped us quell the curse, and you should lean heavily on your ancestor’s support too. It helps to have a benevolent spirit who can help guide you through the tough parts. They have more access to that side of the veil.”

Evan smiled even though the crease between his eyes remained, showing he was definitely not very comfortable with this conversation. I decided to step in to take some of the heat off him.

“So, Al and the coven went over to the manor and purified it this afternoon, did some boundary work, and set some charms and spells around the place. Do you think it’s safe for Evan to return?” I asked.

Drew nodded. “Yes, with the protection you have from your ancestor and the others,” he said, looking at Evan again, “…as well as the work the coven has done, I imagine that spirit is fairly well-contained for now. But I wouldn’t go back into that basement. Not until it’s clear how you can counteract the negativity.”

“Don’t worry,” Evan said. “I have no interest in ever going back in that basement again. Once was enough for a lifetime.”

Drew chuckled. “I’m sure. And if you need us, we will gladly come help.” Lance kissed Drew on top of his head, causing him to smile up at his husband. “Well, with that, I think we all need to hit the road. Lance, you’re the designated driver,” he said before standing up.

We shook everyone’s hand again, helped them discard all the trash from the cheesecake, and followed them out.

Once we’d said our goodbyes, I drove Evan back to The Pink Palace. “You have my number, so text me when you get up tomorrow and I’ll come and get you.”

Evan nodded. “I-I’m not quite ready to move back to the manor, but I would like to explore it a bit more, so yeah, thanks.”

“No problem, and you know you’re welcome to use my place as a sort of headquarters while you work things out. It’s safe there and not one spirit in sight.”

“Just a little possession.”

I cringed. “Sorry, yeah, but he won’t be able to do that again, I promise. Besides, none of us are going back into the basement anytime soon, so that should keep him well-secured. You should be fine either way.”

Evan smiled at me. “I hope so because I’m thinking about turning the manor back into a hotel, or at least reopening the restaurant. If I can get the funds together, that is.”

I winked at him. “I have no doubt you can.”

We arrived at The Pink Palace, and before he got out, he said, “Thanks, Cary, for this good day. I needed it.”

I reached over and put my hand on his. “It was a good day for me too.”

Evan hesitated, then almost as if he said fuck it in his own mind, he leaned over and kissed me. Chaste, but still a kiss. “Night,” he whispered, then jumped out of the car.

I watched him sprint up the stairs to his hotel room, and just before he disappeared inside, he glanced back toward me and smiled. Yeah, it really was a good day.