I blink rapidly,waiting for my vision to clear. Through the white spots, a gangly teenager stands in the doorway, flashlight aimed at our faces. The music and screams have stopped.
“Hey, kid. Do you mind?” I grunt. “You’re burning my fucking retinas.”
“Oh, sorry.” His arm drops, and he flips a switch on the other side of the wall. A light bulb above our heads flickers to life. “You two caused a manhunt out here. How’d you get locked in?”
“That’d be my fault,” a feminine voice says beside me.
It’s then I get my first glimpse of my cellmate.
Though Harriet was obviously lying about her appearance, nothing could’ve prepared me for the big reveal.
Like her sweet-toned laugh, she’s beautiful.
Sparkling, cobalt-blue orbs pin me in place. Wavy, long blonde hair, golden like wheat in the summer, falls over shoulders, stopping below her breasts. Even in the dim lighting, the freckles along her nose and cheeks are unmissable, and I’mdrawn to the one above her plump upper lip. She’s definitely not sixty—late twenties, perhaps.
There’s a hint of shyness in her as she carries out her own inspection. The drag of her gaze burns, making me shift on my feet like I’m standing on hot coals.
The question regarding her smile is answered.
Sweet and sultry. Her mouth flattens, pulling up at the corners. Sparkling was the wrong word. Her eyes are fire, a blue ring of flames dancing around her pupils that would gleam gloriously in the golden hour sun.
“Wow. Your boils cleared quick.” A smirk joins her flushed cheeks.
“And you have a full set of teeth. Dentures?”
She nods. “Thanks for noticing.”
A throat clears, and we both turn to see the ride attendant standing there awkwardly, his existence completely forgotten while we took each other in.
“How long were you in here?” he asks with a little attitude. “Did you not read the sign on the door sayingStaff Only?”
“Hard to see in the pitch black. Do you know it’s a health and safety hazard to install one-way locks?” I volley as I cross my arms over my chest. “If there was a fire, we’d be trapped.”
He blanches. “Umm?—”
“What if we got hurt or were claustrophobic? Maybe think about installing security cameras. Don’t think I can’t smell the weed either. Is this why it took you so long to find us?”
The kid’s chin drops, and Harriet bristles at my curt tone. Shit. If I hadn’t already slaughtered her first impression of me, this is certainly the killing blow.
“I’ll pass the feedback on to my manager, sir,” he mutters.
Sir? Christ. Now I not only feel like an asshole, but fucking ancient.
I glance at the woman beside me, who stares at the teenager like a kicked puppy, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Hey, we’re all good. No claustrophobia. I’m the one to blame.” She cuts me a scathing look.
He perks up a little. “Thanks, ma’am.”
Her nose wrinkles. “Don’t sweat it.”
“The ride is closed now anyway. Your friends are waiting out front.” Obviously besotted with her, he smiles and drags his feet into the corridor.
Neither of us moves.
Well done, Warren. The first woman to give you the time of day in years, and you show her your true colors not once, but twice.
She stares ahead, posture rigid.
