Page 16 of Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places
“Oh, no point in opening it. House wants it closed.”
Lucky froze, hands hovering near the thick drapes. “Really?”
Georgia nodded as she took the camera Stephen was holding, leaving him empty-handed. “Walk out the room, come back, and it’ll be closed.”
Chase added, “It’ll stay open as long as someone is in here. Hennessee isn’t that rude.” He also had a camera.
“Maybe you should try it,” Stephen said. “See what happens for yourself.”
Challenge accepted. She inspected them first—a matching velvet, albeit a darker shade of green than the couch, and soft to the touch. A bold choice. The cleaning bill must have been outrageous. Xander better not be expecting her to dust while living there.
“My guess is they’re on a timer or there’s a mechanism to close them remotely.” The moment she pulled them aside, a strong cinnamon scent blew into her face. “Did they put perfume on these?” She sneezed twice in a row.
“No.” Stephen’s tone was noticeably flat. “Why?”
“You don’t smell that?” She waved the air in front of her face. “It’s like a milky cinnamon latte with extra cinnamon shoved right into my nasal passages.” It was so strong she could taste it, and she began to cough a little.
“That’s specific. I don’t smell anything,” Stephen said, and Georgia nodded in agreement before adding, “Must be for you. Nice glasses.”
“Thanks. Never go in public without them.”
Georgia raised an assessing eyebrow as she gave Lucky a once-over, who returned the gesture. She never played girl hate games but knew that wasn’t true for everyone. Georgia might have been used to flying solo on their team and saw her as a threat instead of a potential ally.
“I like your outfit too.” Georgia’s grin didn’t feel entirely harmless. “It’s so quirky.”
“I like your…everything. Captivating suits you.”
Georgia, taken aback, seemingly glanced at Stephen for help.
“I tried to warn you,” he said, shaking his head.
Countering with unique compliments never failed Lucky, especially when she meant them. Charm didn’t come naturally to her. She’d put in a metric ton’s worth of effort studying how to be the kind of person everyone liked. Learning how to work a room by using innocuous flirting had been a big part of that.
A name like Lucky came with certain expectations. There was a story there. It made people stop and smile. Do a double take and ask questions. Lighting up a room with her presence, and all it entailed, became her default.
Chase cleared his throat. “Lucky, have you had breakfast yet? When Maverick comes in he’s going to cook as part of the show.”
“Only picnic basket snacks. I wasn’t allowed to leave the room.”
He seemed surprised as he led the way. The sitting room, dining room, and kitchen were connected, only separated by beautiful open archways and differing décor. “And you actually didn’t? That’d make you the first.”
Her pleasant smile grew strained on her face. “…what?”
“Oh yeah.” Chase paused tolaugh. “The next morning everyone else fessed up to wandering around.”
Sonofa—
Lucky’s swear-filled thoughts came to an abrupt halt as they crossed under the archway into the dining room. Peppermint, stronger than the cinnamon had been, flooded her senses. It stung her nose, burned her eyes, and tingled on her skin. “Oh my god.” She regretted speaking because it coated her mouth with an overpowering frosty aftertaste. “What isthat?”
“What’s what?” The three of them stared at her.
“It’s like one of those scented wall plug-ins exploded in here.” She gripped the back of the closest dining room chair to stayupright, fingers squeezing into the wood to keep from overloading into a blackout. “You don’t smell that?At all?”
Chase’s camera was suddenly trained on her as Stephen said, just as monotone as before, “I don’t smell anything.”
She squinted at him through her discomfort. When she eventually made her way through reading the team, he’d be first. That couldn’t be the same man from her interview. He’d turned uninspired, as flat and dry as a water cracker.
“The house does that sometimes.” Georgia’s relenting sigh was a welcome sign of solidarity. “Makes you smell things that aren’t there.”
