Galilee Rising(28)

His open mouth snaps shut. "Um, I'd like that. Yes."

I breathe a literal sigh of relief. "Great. Good. Lovely. Come on."

Hallelujah. Jem shuts off the car, and we get out. The mansion is dark and especially creepy now. I kick off my heels at the door then turn on a light. "Did you ever get the tour?"

"Um, no," he says, glancing around the foyer with all its priceless vases and paintings.

"Mind if I do it later? If I don't get out of this dress soon, I'm going to rip it off." Mental head slap as he blushes. Good start, Jo. "Uh, why don't you get us something to eat? The kitchen is through the left hall, second door on the right. Give me five minutes." I pick up my shoes and bound up the stairs. When I reach my room, I all but tear off my dress, Spanx, uncomfortable yet sexy bra, and pantyhose. I replace them with black sweatpants, shirt, and blue hoodie before fixing my hair and gargling with mouthwash just in case my willpower fails. When I return to the kitchen, Jem is muttering to himself as he opens and closes cabinets. "I'm back. Need help?"

"I can't find your popcorn maker," he says with a scowl. "How many cabinets do you have?"

"Too many," I scoff. "And the popcorn maker is in the living room. We just need to do the butter in here." I pull out the tub and a mug, putting them in the microwave.

"How large is this house?" Jem asks.

"Seventeen thousand square feet. I've been coming over here for twenty years, and I don't think I've been in all the rooms. People think it's haunted too. Bitsy swears she saw a woman in Victorian dress in the second floor hallway. At least I'm never alone, huh?"

"Is that why you stay here? Because you think--" He shakes his head. "Never mind."

Mercifully the microwave dings, and I remove the cup. "You sound like my cousin Veronica. She's convinced I walk around in Justin's clothes talking to his ghost. But that's only on Wednesdays," I say with a smile. He grins back. "No, I stay here because this is the closest place to a home I've ever had. Some of my happiest memories occurred right here. It was literally my safe haven. When my mom was on a bender or feeling especially evil, I could come here, stuff my face with popcorn, and spend time with my best friend until I was strong enough to face that apartment again."

"I'm sorry," he says with a pitying look.

"Yeah, well, she's dead and burning in hell now. All's well, yada yada. Come on, it's movie time." I lead him out of the kitchen to the living room. As we pass through the Hall of Pendergast, he slows to examine the portraits. "It's the family dating back to the founding of the city. They creep me out. Feels like they're watching me, disapproving that an interloper is in charge of their legacy. One from the lower classes no less. I know I'm projecting but…" I shrug. "I was thinking of commissioning one of Justin with Rebecca and Daisy just so there's a few friendly faces up there. I know they weren't technically Pendergasts, but they would have been."

"I think she would have liked that," Jem says.

"Yeah." I pause. "Onward." I flip on the living room lights. As he looks around, I start the popcorn. "You can choose the movie."

By the time the popcorn starts popping, he picks one out with a grin. "Excalibur."

"Don't think I've seen it."

"Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. I was obsessed with the legend as a child. My brother and I used to go on quests for hours, slaying evil sorceresses and other threats to our kingdom. He was Arthur, and I Lancelot, or Merlin depending of which part we were re-creating." He chuckles. "We-We even chucked one of Father's swords in the pond and swam under to retrieve it." His smile wavers. "I won and Jordan didn't speak to me for days. I hadn't stayed historically accurate." The smile's completely gone now. "Anyway, will this do?"

"Sounds perfect."

He slides in the movie before sitting on the couch. I shut off the lights and join him with our popcorn and water just as the movie begins. The music swells, and we smile at each other. I haven't hung out with anyone in over a year. We watch for awhile in silence until…the sex scene. We glance at each other, and I hold in my chuckles. Guess he forgot about this part. A minute later, when everyone is fully clothed again, there's still tension in the air so Jem clears his throat. "This-This film is one of the few that stayed true to the most popular telling of the legend. It-It evolved through the years, as all folklore does. In the original versions, there was no Camelot, Lancelot, or even Guinevere."

"I'll bet you know every telling from every book," I say with a smirk.