Dare by T.A. Foster Read Free Book Online Page B

hadn’t known her long enough to talk about a damn thing.
    “Want to try my favorite bar?”
    I saw her face. She was deliberating. “Depends. What is your favorite bar?”
    “It’s just around the corner. I stop there after work sometimes.”
    “Good. Let’s do it.”
    “You were going to turn me down if I had another place in mind?” I helped her navigate over the cracks in the sidewalk.
    “I try to avoid the college bars, that’s all.”
    “Ex-boyfriend or something?” I didn’t know why that mattered.
    “Something like that.”
    I smiled at Isaac as we entered the pub. He polished a glass. “Hey, brother. What can I get you and the lady?”
    I pegged her as a wine drinker.
    She looked at me. “Whatever beer you’re drinking.”
    “Two beers.”
    “Got it.” Isaac poured from the tap levers.
    “This place is different.” I watched as she surveyed the hole-in-the-wall I had found.
    I grabbed the beers and slid a bill across the bar. “Let’s try over there.”
    She followed me to a corner table. There was a candle flickering in the center, the wax pooling at the base.
    I had never sat at the tables. I was usually close to the TV at the bar where Isaac and I could trade our daily rundown.
    I wanted to say something cool—something that would impress her. But with a background in history, I didn’t know what we would have in common. I usually didn’t worry about it. I couldn’t figure out why it mattered now.
    She held the pilsner to her lips and smiled after a few sips.
    “So this is your place?”
    “Yeah, I guess so. I started coming here after work. Got to know Isaac, the bartender, a little. It’s good to have a place to go when you need to get away.”
    “Because working at the museum is demanding?”
    I couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or sincere. “It has its moments. After this festival is over, I’ll get back to the book I’m working on.”
    “Book? You’re a writer too?”
    “That’s the whole point of my research. I research so I can write. I think I’ve found my next topic too.”
    “What is it?”
    I leaned a little closer. The music was loud. The bar was dark. I liked how the single flame flickered in her eyes. “I thought I’d try to unearth the mystery of the famous she-panther. But really give the story some depth.”
    She broke the stare. “Oh.”
    “What? You don’t like her story?”
    “No, it’s not that. She’s fascinating. A strong character. But what kind of angle are you taking with it?”
    I scratched the back of my head. “I don’t know yet. Thought I’d talk to a few of the storytellers tomorrow and get a sense of the legends. There are so many stories about her. Too many I think. She’s as famous as Loch Ness or Bigfoot and just as elusive.”
    “Yeah, I’ve heard them since I was a kid.”
    “I figured if I talked to some of the locals, they could point me in the right direction.”
    “But aren’t you supposed to be an expert?”
    “That’s museum PR. For tomorrow, I’m an expert, but after that, I’m a student. I’m going to learn as much as I can about this she-panther. I think there’s something to her.”
    “You believe there’s a panther guarding the city?”
    “I do.”
    “And you wouldn’t rather focus on the witches?”
    “Nah.” I shook my head. My glass was empty and so was hers. “Want another one?”
    “Sure.”
    I walked to the bar and ordered two more drinks. Isaac gave me a grin. I knew exactly what he was thinking.
    I dropped the pints on the table. “Here you go.”
    “Does your work give you the chance to travel much?” She looked relaxed, as if she wanted to talk to me all night about anything I wanted.
    “Yeah. You could say that. Most of it I’ve done on my own. I took a couple of years off after college and traveled around the world. South America, Europe, you name it.”
    “That sounds amazing. What was your favorite country?”
    “I don’t know. I think my favorite spots are the