“I plan to when I get my own place. If she wants to live with me. She’s nomadic. She might not like being contained.”
Gale stood and Slick, as though understanding we were leaving, vanished along the side of the house.
“Shall we?”
The cat had broken the ice, and Gale nodded, looking far less tense as he got in the car.
The drive to his place was quiet. Leaving town meant leaving light pollution behind. It was dark on the county roads. Scattered houses. Long stretches of farmland. A few stray barns. Pavement turned to gravel a mile out.
The only time Gale spoke was to direct me when to turn. The low tones of a country tune playing from the radio helped the passing time feel less awkward. I wasn’t sure what to say, and he didn’t seem inclined toward conversation.
We arrived in under ten minutes. His house sat at the end of a long gravel driveway.
I pulled to a stop behind a neon green four-door Jeep Wrangler and put the car into park.
“Nice Jeep.”
“Thanks.”
“Is it yours?”
“Yes. I’ll be paying it off for years, but I like it for when I camp.”
“You camp?”
“Sometimes.” He motioned to his camera bag. “Photography.”
“Right. Cool.”
Out front of a detached garage sat a battered F-150 next to a rusted Pontiac. Alongside the property was a fenced-offpaddock and barn. In the distance, freshly planted fields and the silhouette of trees farther back. I couldn’t make out more.
Gale reached for the door handle.
I spoke before he got away, desperate for more time. “So, um. Olivia lives in town, huh?”
He paused but didn’t turn to face me. “Yes.”
Why did he sound subdued? “Cool. Where at?”
Gale seemed to be waiting for permission to leave. I didn’t know why I was striking up a conversation. His panic attack in the bathroom at CineVision wouldn’t leave me, and witnessing his discomfort over the past few hours, I was concerned. When he didn’t answer, I risked asking.
“I was wondering. At the studio, in the bathroom. You seemed upset, and—”
“Can we not talk about that?”
“Oh. Okay.” Sighing, I scanned the dark landscape. It was time to cut my losses. “Well, I hope you enjoyed your first chase. She didn’t produce, but that’s normal. We got close. Maybe next time.”
Gale didn’t speak, but he didn’t move to leave either.
“Stay safe on future chases. I may not be there to rescue you.”
Gale tilted his head, not quite looking back, but I got the sense he was checking to see if I was finished talking.
“Fuck it. Have a good night.” Why was I trying to keep him in the car anyway?
Gale didn’t wait to be told twice. He shouldered his way out and scrambled to his feet. He seemed about to slam the door before he thought better of it and ducked his head to glance inside. His face was mostly in shadow.
“Thank you… for the ride, and… for not letting me die.”
