Note: This excerpt is currently in beta review and subject to change. Final published text may differ.

♣️♣️ William ♣️♣️

My hands rested on the steering wheel as the heater blasted warm air into my face. I looked at the door again, wondering how much longer I had to — or even if I could — continue walking through it. Pat was a beacon in the rough seas of that bar. I had made exactly zero friends other than him. But I wasn’t here for friends anyway.

I left my tablet in the car. I wouldn’t be needing it tonight. The engine quieted as I turned the key and placed it in my pocket. A gentle tug on the handle and the cycle began again.

I approached the door in the sharp wind, and as my fingers touched the door handle, an arm shot out from the shadows and pulled me into the dark.

♠️♠️ Sarah ♠️♠️

“Ugh! How long is he going to sit in that truck?” I looked at the glaring headlights and watch the exhausts cloud the air around the truck. He must have been here fifteen minutes or more already.

The sound of the engine finally died, and he headed my way. As he reached for the door’s handle, I reached out and gently put my hand on his arm. I tugged and he entered into the shadows with me.

♣️♣️ William ♣️♣️

The bar window let just enough light through for me to see the face of my attacker. It was Sarah, her eyes full of curiosity and a hint of fear. She spoke in almost a whisper.

“Why are you here?”

“I’m meeting your dad. He’s expecting me.”

“No — don’t play dumb. Why are you in Ohio at all? What’s the point of it? Why are you asking for me?”

“Honestly, I don’t remember asking about you. I think your sister was the one that pegged me as stalker number 800. Why are you here? Aren’t you filming somewhere?”

Her eyebrows raised and then her eyes narrowed. “You know exactly why I’m here. And you know why I grabbed you before you begin your story.”

“Look, Sarah,” I started, “I’m not here to hurt you. But this story should be told. I owe to Verity. And your dad wants to hear it.”

“I know,” her eyes lowered to the pavement, “but please…”

“I can only promise to tell the story. I can’t promise what will — or won’t — be said. But again, I’m not here to cause you any problems. Believe it or not, I do like you. I will say you don’t make a great first impression. Although yesterday wasn’t as bad as the first time we met. Anyway, it’s blinkin’ cold out here, and I’m heading in. Maybe you want to go first so we don’t walk in together?”

“Yeah,” she replied rubbing the tip of her nose. “It’s cold. I guess…I’ll see you inside.”

She put her head down as she walked by and into the bar. I waited a minute or two and then followed.

♦️♦️ Sage ♦️♦️

I watched as Dad sat at the table waiting for his daily William’s-life-story fix. I chuckled as I thought about it. Dad with an A-lister daughter still enamored by some two-bit jazz player. I admired his humility, but felt a little bad as William was later than usual. I pulled a glass out of the cooler as the door opened. Sarah walked in and straight to the chair next to Dad.

Interesting, I thought as I observed her nose. She wasn’t close to the bar, but her nose was definitely red. Way too red to have been outside for only a few seconds. For some reason she’d been in the cold for a whi…The door opened again and William walked in.

“Well, that wasn’t exactly discrete, guys. If you’re trying to keep a secret, this one was a fail.