He just nods and leads me back into the darkened interior. The bathroom is typical for a bar—small and dingy, but not nasty. I do my business and wash my hands quickly. When I exit, Griffin is waiting for me in the same position he was in when I left him. “Did you just wait out here for me?”
“Yes,” he answers, unashamed.
“But you said you had to go. I can go to the bathroom by myself. See? No boogeyman.” I open my arms and look around.
“Indulge me?” He makes it seem like a question, so I drop it. When we return to the table, Evan is already standing as if he was waiting for us.
“Ready?” he asks. I’m a little sad we can’t stay longer, but I understand they have a lot going on, and I appreciate that they took the time to bring me out.
“Yep,” I agree. “I noticed a shop I wanted to check out on the way over. Mind if I run in? It won’t take long.”
“What shop?” Evan drops a bunch of cash onto the wooden table.
“I can’t tell you,andyou have to promise to let me go in alone.” I look between them pleadingly.
“No,” Griffin answers, shaking his head.
“Okay,” Evan agrees at the exact same time. They both look at each other, and a silent conversation happens with just facial expressions.
Griffin is the one to give in, but I can tell he hates it by the way his lips are pressed into a thin, hard line. “I have to know what store. You can go in alone,” he offers like he’s doing me a huge favor.
“That will ruin it,” I reply softly. “How about this? I can be on the phone with you the whole time. That way if anything happens, which it won’t, you will know immediately and you can fix it.”
“Fix it?” he repeats with a raised brow.
“Save me, get the bad guy. Scare everyone away from talking to me. Whichever you like.” We exit out of the same garden gate we left through last time. I look up at him with the best puppy dog eyes I can muster. Pleading isn’t my strong suit.
“Fine.” He makes the word sound like a curse, but he reluctantly agrees. I don’t celebrate the small victory because I can tell it was a struggle for him to give in. Instead, I grab his hand and walk down the sidewalk. When we’re a few shops away from the store I want to go into, I stop and release his hand.
Griffin instantly looks back at me as if I might disappear right in front of him. I tug my phone from my pocket and dial his number while he’s watching. He makes a face when it vibrates but picks it up. “Hello.” He doesn’t respond to my greeting. I glance over at Evan, noticing he doesn’t look quite as stressed as Griffin, but he doesn’t appear like he’s excited either. “I’ll keep the phone just like this the whole time,” I tell them both.
“What side of the street?” Evan inquires.
I look to the left on instinct but refrain from looking at the actual store I want to visit. “Over there,” I admit. I hope it’s not obvious.
“We’ll stay on the side of that building.” He points across the street to the last shop in the row before a side street separates it from the next set of buildings.
“I think you guys are overreacting a little bit, but fine.” A little aggravation seeps into my tone. I’m down for a lot of things, but being treated like I can’t do anything or go anywhere by myself isn’t going to fly for long.
I drop the phone to my side, leaving the call going while we head to the crosswalk. Griffin keeps his phone to his ear as if he’s listening intently.
“Be right back,” I tell them, waiting for them to go around to the side of the building so they won’t be able to see the sidewalk or the store I’m going to. I almost just want to drop it at this point and shop online, but I feel like I would be giving up more than just the shopping trip.
“Phone,” Griffin grumbles, reminding me to put it back to my ear. Once I can’t see them, I speed walk toward my destination, looking over my shoulder to make sure they aren’t peeking when I open the door.
Dashing inside, I tug the door shut quickly behind me. My heart is beating fast with adrenaline. Once the electronic bell alerting my arrival dies, the store feels hushed. I take a deep breath, looking at the interior. The thick carpeting and wooden walls make it feel like an upscale boutique.
A man enters from the back of the shop with a pleasant smile plastered on his face. “Hello,” he greets.
“Hi.” My face is probably red, and it feels rude to be on the phone while he’s addressing me.
“Are you just browsing or is there something I can help you find?” The man’s eyes roam over me, but not like he’s leering, more like he’s trying to place me.
“I think you’ll be able to help me. This is going to sound so strange, but I’m trying to keep this a secret from the person I’m on the phone with. I need to keep them on the line though, so can I point to what I would like to see?” My shoulders rise slowly, I feel super sketchy. I should have thought this through better and shopped online like a normal person.
The man shakes his head slowly but gives me a small smile. “Okay.” He draws out the word.
“Thank you, I appreciate you playing along.” I make my way over to the glass cases and look past all the glittering jewelry until I come to a section that might be engagement rings and wedding bands. Surprisingly, there aren’t very many, but then I remember this is Bakersville, and most of the population are supernaturals. Rings are more of a human sign of commitment. I scan the selection, feeling like maybe this isn’t the best idea after all, but then a glint of color catches my eye.
