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Ben furrowed his brow. “This rival paper interests me very much. What do you say to our looking into the matter?”
I furrowed my brow and cast a questioning look at Bashful. “Would we miss all the races?”
His eyes twinkled. “Do you enjoy the sport that much?”
I shrugged. “Enough that I want to watch a whole race. I wouldn’t mind trying out some more of that food, either.”
Ben tilted his head back and took on a contemplative expression. “If we stayed in town much longer we would miss all the daytime races, but I received a crow from our cohorts saying the officials had to schedule a night race.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “Can they do that?”
He smiled. “They have their ways. The race won’t be held until after dark to avoid the setting sun blinding the drivers on the west-facing turns. It can be quite a burst of light when the sun sparkles off the sea.”
“May I go?” The tiny request came from our compatriot Serena. Her hands fidgeted with each other in front of her and she stared at the ground. “I mean, at least to the other paper. That is, if it won’t be too much trouble. . .”
Ben smiled. “No trouble at all. We would enjoy the company.”
“Do you know the name of the paper?” I asked her.
She shook her head. “The trouble happened before I joined.”
I shrugged. “It’s fine. It just means we’ll be discovering this mystery on the same foot.”
Serena blinked at me before she looked down at our feet. “On the same foot-?”
“A figure of speech,” I assured her as I took her arm and led her over to the thunder. There was just one problem, and that was our current ride. I studied the back seat and winced. “I don’t think we’re both getting back there.”
“Then you can ride on my lap,” Ben offered.
I scowled at him. “I’d rather not.”
“Do you have a better idea?”
“Perhaps I should go. . .” Serena murmured as she stepped away.
Fortunately, I still had a grip on her arm and I tugged her back. “You’re not going anywhere except in the back of this thing.”
A little bit of color drained from her face. “But I’ve never been in a thunder before.”
“This isn’t your usual thunder,” I assured her as I guided her into the back. “It’s a special quiet vehicle.”
She paused halfway inside and her eyes lit up. “Truly?”
“You’ll see,” I promised as I pushed her down into the seat. I spun around to find Ben right behind me with a slightly lecherous smile on his lips. My eyebrows crashed down and I crossed my arms over my chest. “Wipe that smile off your face or I’m walking home.”
He assumed as stoic a face as I had ever seen before he nodded. “Very well. I would invite a lady to go first, but under the circumstances-”
I stabbed a finger at the seat. “Just get in.”
He saluted me before he climbed into the seat. I gingerly eased one leg over his and he wrapped his hands around my waist. “You’re quite slim,” he commented.
I froze and narrowed my eyes. “Any more commentary and this foot is going up your-”
“Are you sure I shouldn’t get out?” Serena spoke up.
“Yes!” Ben and I shouted at the same time, though in very different tones.
Ben returned his attention to me. “Allow me to help you onto me, otherwise there may be some. . .lasting damage.”
