Page 40 of The King of Halloween
A flicker of light cascaded across a silver floor. Adam thought it beautiful until he realized that it wasn’t metal—the place was flooded.
“Who closed the…?” A lantern swung from the extended hand, the other clutching a wrench. Adam gulped, but instead of a machete-wielding-psychopath, he gazed at a far worse outcome—his greatest enemy.
“What are you doing here?” Adam and Raj said together.
Raj rebounded first. “What’s it look like I’m doing? I’m trying to fix a leak.”
“A leak?” Adam eased for the lower stair before the rest sank under the waves. He wasn’t about to risk his shoes and remained standing above Raj. “You’re better off building a boat and getting two of every animal.”
He got the slow glare of a man incapable of realizing the humor of the situation. “Why the hell are you here?”
“I was looking for the bathroom,” he said.
“And you were going to piss in my basement?” Raj gasped as if Adam were some feral animal.
“No. I was trying to find one, and someone pointed me in this direction. Do you get a perverse joy out of putting a bathroom sign above the exit?”
Raj blinked. “What are you talking about?”
“Right there.” Adam gestured back as if they could see through two walls. “It says ‘bathroom’ in glowing red letters.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
“I saw it with my own two eyes.”
“And I’m supposed to believe them over my sign invoices?” he snapped. Raj was a mess. While Adam would normally take delight in this, a foreign prickle of concern rose up his back. Raj had undone his tie in a haphazard fashion, tossed his jacket over a piece of pipe, and his poor pants were drenched up to his knees. His thick, wavy hair was all tossed to the side like a bird nested in it.
Or he just woke after a night of hanging onto the headboard for dear life.
Adam coughed, trying to shake that thought from his mind. Then he noticed Raj had rolled up his sleeves again. “I’m sorry. I am not having a good night.”
“Join the club,” Raj said.
“I’ll just be leaving.” Adam slunk up the stairs backward, his eyes darting around Raj while unable to take in his face. The man was swinging around a wrench as he sweated through his white shirt. All he needed was to undo the top buttons to let his unruly black chest hair out, and Adam would be a pile on the floor.
“If you see Logan, send him my way,” Raj said, throwing the fetid cold water on Adam’s libido.
Gritting his teeth, he gave a terse, “Fine,” then pushed on the door.
It bounded on its hinges, but wouldn’t open.
“Um…” Adam tried again. He scraped his palms over the latch to find a button or lever. “Is there a trick to this?”
“Let me see,” Raj moaned. He splashed through the water before rising up the stairs. There was nowhere for Adam to go, and they didn’t exactly design cellar staircases to fit two men comfortably.
Not that having his back nearly pressed against Raj’s chest was uncomfortable. He just feared his heart might pound so hard it’d crack a rib.
Raj pawed at the latch, finding the same thing Adam did—nothing. “Here.” He shoved the lantern into Adam’s hands, then forced his way up to the top. Adam turned, the light swaying in his hands as Raj balled up his fists and started punching at the door. When that didn’t work, he took to slamming his shoulder into the wood.
“This. This isn’t funny.”
“Am I laughing?” Adam said.
“Hello!” Raj knocked on the door before shouting, “Is anyone out there!” When no one answered, his knocking became frantic. Fists flying, he started running up at the thing. The door bucked in its hinges but wouldn’t let go.
“What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you’re claustrophobic.”
“You don’t understand.” Raj hit the door again. “This place is already ankle deep.” Another smack. “And the water’s still pouring in.”
