Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Goldie
I was positive they knew.
There was absolutely no reason they should know, but they knew.
Wheels and I had barely said a word after we’d gotten out of bed. I’d hurried into the bathroom, he’d gotten dressed, and we’d walked downstairs together like two completely innocent people who definitely hadn’t spent the first part of the morning kissing.
Completely innocent. Right.
The second my foot hit the bottom stair, Tempi looked up from where she stood beside Twister. She tipped her head to the side, and a knowing smile curved her lips.
My hand immediately flew to my lips. Was my mouth swollen? Surely not. We hadn’t kissed that much.
Britta glanced up from the couch where she was sitting beside Swift and she gave me the exact same look.
Oh, they knew, but how? How in the world did they know?
I looked over my shoulder at Wheels. He was still halfway down the staircase, one hand resting on the railing, and he looked completely normal.
Actually, there was the tiniest smirk sitting at the corner of his mouth.
The jerk.
“I...” I cleared my throat. “I need coffee.” Without waiting for an answer, I headed straight for the kitchen.
As I crossed the doorway, I made a subtle motion with my hand, Come here, and Tempi caught it immediately.
Britta was right behind her and stood from the couch.
The two of them followed me into the kitchen.
The second they stepped inside, all three of us instinctively glanced back toward the common room.
Every single guy was looking toward the kitchen.
Britta blinked. “I feel like we’re some kind of exhibit at the zoo.”
Tempi laughed. “Well, you did wander into the lion enclosure willingly.”
“I think we’re the monkeys.”
“I was hoping giraffes,” Britta sighed.
“I don’t have the legs for that.”
I moved closer to the refrigerator and waved them over. “C’mere.”
They leaned in, and only one person still had a clear view of us.
Wheels.
He hadn’t moved from the staircase, and his eyes met mine. That stupid little smirk got bigger.
I lowered my voice until it was barely above a whisper. “Why are you both looking at me like that?”
Tempi frowned. “Like what?”
“You know exactly like what.”
Britta looked completely innocent. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, please.”
Tempi nodded. “I have no idea.”
I folded my arms. “You both gave me the same look.”
“What look?”
“The look!” I whispered loudly.
Britta blinked. “What look?”
I looked between them. They looked at each other, then together they said in perfect unison, “We don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You are terrible liars.”
“We’re excellent liars.”
“No.”
Britta held up her thumb and pointer finger an inch apart. “A little rusty, maybe.”
I leaned closer. “Come on.”
Blank stares.
“You know.”
Nothing.
“I’m talking about...”
Still nothing.
I finally whisper-shouted, “Wheels! I kissed Wheels!”
For one full heartbeat, neither of them moved.
Then both women exploded. Britta silently squealed with her hands in the air, and Tempi grabbed both of my hands and started bouncing in place. She spun me in a tiny circle, and Britta threw both fists into the air.
Neither one made much noise because they were trying to keep it quiet, but there was plenty of whispering.
“I knew it!”
“I told you!”
“I knew it too!”
“You absolutely did not!”
“I absolutely did!”
“Oh my God!”
They were both trying so hard not to yell that it somehow made it even funnier.
“What the hell are you girls doing in there?” Twister’s voice boomed from the other room.
All three of us froze. Tempi slapped a hand over her mouth, and Britta bit her lip so hard I thought she might draw blood.
Twister called again. “I said what the hell are you celebrating?”
I frantically waved both hands at Tempi. Don’t. Say. Anything. I mouthed silently.
She looked seconds away from bursting.
My brain completely shut off. “I...” I squeaked. Think. Think. “I poured my coffee without spilling it!”
Silence. Britta snorted, and Tempi stared at me.
Then Britta completely lost it as she bent forward, laughing so hard she had to brace both hands on her knees. Tempi slapped her palm against her forehead. “That...” She shook her head. “...was the best thing you could come up with?”
“It was all I had!” I sighed.
I even started laughing because it was such a terrible lie. My brain had apparently become mush after kissing Wheels.
Tempi leaned close. “The guys are going to figure it out.”
“They are not,” I whispered.
“They will,” she laughed.
“They’re men,” I said as if that explained everything.
She shrugged. “They aren’t nearly as perceptive as we are, but they are going to figure it out.”
Britta bumped her hip into Tempi. “Yeah.” She pointed at her. “Because you’re going to tell them.”
Tempi gasped dramatically. “I would never.”
“You absolutely would.”
“I would not.”
Britta crossed her arms. “If Twister asks.”
Tempi paused. “...Well...”
“Aha!”
“I can’t lie to him.”
I blinked. “So...” I pointed between them. “Twister just randomly asks if Wheels and I kissed?”
Britta burst into laughter again. “No.”
Tempi shrugged. “But you never know.”
“I think I would know.”
“You’d be surprised.”
“I really wouldn’t.”
Twister’s voice floated in again. “You girls done celebrating not spilling coffee?”
“Yes!” I called. I threw my hands in the air and headed back toward the common area.
Tempi caught my wrist. “If you’re going to sell that story...” She nodded toward my empty hands. “...you should probably have coffee.”
“Oh, good thinking.” I reached for a cup and then grabbed the coffee pot.
I glanced toward Wheels, still standing on the stairs, and immediately sloshed coffee over the side of the mug.
A dark splash landed on the counter, and my eyes bugged out as if Twister would be able to hear me spill.
Britta doubled over again, and Tempi pointed at the spill. “I thought you said you were celebrating not spilling coffee,” she whispered.
I groaned. “This morning officially hates me.”
Still laughing, I wiped the counter, filled my mug again—this time successfully—and walked back into the common room, trying my best to look completely normal.
Wheels’ eyes were still on me, and that damn smirk was even bigger now.
I very intentionally didn’t look at him.
If I did, I’d probably smile, and then everyone really would know.
Thankfully, Twister got right down to business. He motioned toward the table. “Goldie.”
I sat with my coffee securely in hand.
“You ever meet Gene Kettler?” he asked.
I frowned. “I...” I thought back through years of working for the city. Permit meetings. Contractors. Inspectors. Developers. Council members. “I met a lot of people.”
Twister waited.
“I honestly can’t remember him specifically.” I shrugged. “He wasn’t somebody I worked with regularly.”
“But?”
“There is a chance we’ve met.”
Twister snapped his fingers toward Podge. “See what you can find on Gene.”
Podge looked up from his laptop. “Picture?”
“Anything.”
“If I saw him,” I said, “I’d probably know.”
Britta raised a finger. “I’d know him.”
Everyone looked at her.
“Went to school with the douche canoe.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’m honestly not surprised his grubby name is all over those papers.”
Twister slowly turned toward Swift. “You know your ol’ lady knows Gene?”
Swift looked completely unfazed. He shrugged. “It might’ve come up.”
Twister stared.
“I might’ve forgotten to tell you.”
Britta laughed. “I talk a lot.”
“You do,” Swift agreed.
“A lot.”
Twister pointed. “I expect you to tell me if your ol’ lady knows one of the assholes trying to take us out.”
Britta immediately threw both hands in the air. “Whoa, whoa.” She laughed. “Gene and I went to high school together.” She pointed at herself. “I never actually talked to the dude. He was a douche canoe.” She paused dramatically. “A huge one.”
Magnum leaned against the wall. “Looks like he hasn’t changed.”
“No kidding,” Hodge muttered.
Twister rubbed his beard. “Podge.”
“Yeah?”
“Find everything.”
Podge nodded. “I’m on it.”
Twister looked around the room. “I think it’s time we pay Gene Kettler a visit.”
“You think that’s wise?” Everyone turned toward Wheels.
Twister didn’t hesitate. “It’s better than sitting around waiting for him to come to us.”
Nobody argued.
Gramps cleared his throat. “So...”
Twister looked at him. “What?”
“What’re we doing today?” he asked simply. He pointed toward the stacks of paperwork. “I don’t want to stare at those damn papers all day again.”
“I second that,” Method muttered.
Without really thinking, I raised my hand.
Tempi immediately laughed. “Oh, look.” She pointed. “Goldie’s raising her hand like we’re back in elementary school.”
I rolled my eyes. “I was trying to be polite.”
Twister smirked. “What’ve you got?”
I looked toward the back hallway. “The basement.” Several heads turned. “I’d like to look around down there with the maps.” I leaned forward. “You guys have been trying to figure out where that tunnel might be.”
Twister nodded.
“I spend my life looking at buildings.” I shrugged. “I might notice something you don’t.”
The room went quiet.
Twister studied me for several seconds. Finally, he nodded. “Makes sense.” He looked at Wheels. “You stay with her.”
Wheels answered immediately. “Already planned on it.”
Twister looked toward Hodge. “You’ll post at the top of the basement stairs.”
Hodge pushed away from the wall. “You got it.”
Twister stood. “Finish your coffee.” He looked around the room.
“Then go see if you can figure out what the basement’s been hiding.”
I wrapped both hands around my mug and nodded. For the first time since finding those signatures, it felt like we might finally be getting somewhere.
And if there really was a hidden tunnel beneath this clubhouse, I had every intention of finding it.