Page 64 of A Ballad of Betrayal and Beauty

“Where are we?”Joel asks, his hand in mine as I pull him down a deserted alley a few blocks from The Sudsy Dream. “You’re not going to murder me, are you?”

I smirk and make eye contact while walking backward. “I have considered it. But Stella knows we’re out together. She’d turn me in for sure if you ended up missing.”

“At least someone’s looking out for me.”

“It’s just through here,” I say, stepping toward a metal door at the back of a dilapidated brick building. I drop Joel’s hand in order to pull two pins out of my hair, then insert them into the lock.

“Whoa whoa whoa,” Joel says, coming to stand next to me. “When you said illegal . . . I didn’t expect to add breaking and entering to our date itinerary.”

Worry lines crease his forehead. It’s sweet. “You scared?” I tease.

A pink flush rises in his cheeks, but he relaxes back against the brick with an air of indifference. “Of the cops? Hardly. Of you taking advantage of me in a dark abandoned building? Absolutely.”

I laugh, then return to picking the lock. “Don’t worry, darlin’, you’ll leave with your honor intact.”

He grins. “Bummer.”

The lock clicks open, and the door pulls free of the frame with a loud, rusty squeak. Stuffing the pins back into my hair, I grab Joel’s hand and draw him into the darkness. The door slams shut behind us, and it’s silent except for our breathing and the feel of his warm hand in mine. The pulse of his heart beats through his palm as he squeezes me tighter, dependent on me to keep from floating into the dark unknown.

“Wait here,” I whisper.

“What?” he whispers back in a panic as my fingers slip away from his. “You’re coming back, right?”

I chuckle as I walk across the floorboards, my heels clicking in the quiet. “Maybe. Now, cover your eyes.”

“My eyes?”

Hand reaching along the brick wall, I find the heavy lever and push upward, the lights bursting to life.

“Ah!” Joel cries, and I spot him on the opposite side of the stage with his fists in his eyes.

“I told you to cover your eyes,” I say.

He shakes his head. “I’m terrible at following directions.” His head swivels as he takes in the surroundings. “Is this . . . a theater?”

My eyes scan the area before us. “It’s an old movie theater—The Sapphire. They closed down years ago, but I guess they forgot to turn off the electricity.” I look around at the red velvet curtains hanging down the proscenium of the stage where we stand. There’s a massive screen behind us and out ahead are rows and rows of gold and red velvet chairs. The ceiling is vaulted, crown moldings with such ornate detail they look like they should be in a museum. But the best part is the chandelier that illuminates the seating area.

“Wow,” he whispers. “This is incredible.”

“Yes, it is. Want to know the best part?”

He nods.

“They also left their movie collection and projector.”

“Oh?”

I walk toward the front of the stage toward the stairs and out into the audience. “I come here sometimes to watch old movies.”

He shoves his hands into his pockets. “If you want to go on a movie date, I have money. Remember? Rockstar?”

I swat him playfully. “Where’s the fun in that?”

With a shake of his head and a bite of his lip, he opens his hands to me. “Let’s watch one then.”

It’s hard to contain my smile. “What do you want to watch?”

“To Catch a Thief.”

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