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through my curls and pulled them away from my face.
    â€œThat’s different.”
    â€œRight, that’s why she wants to do it. She said he’s a movie buff and I was thinking we could do something with the Music Box Theatre. I used to know Sherry Thornton out there. Do you have any connections?”
    â€œMost of the people I know are in the live theater scene in town.”
    â€œOh.” I leaned my elbow on the bar and rested my chin in my hand. My little hope bubble burst.
    â€œBut I happen to love going to the Music Box Theatre. They played
Moulin Rouge
for New Year’s Eve. It was a blast. Do you like independent films? Film shorts? Anything like that?”
    â€œSure, kinda.” I blew out a breath and laughed. “I have no idea. I spent the last ten years doing whatever Bobby wanted, and that meant if I wanted to see a movie, I had to sneak in a matinee before I met him at The Naked Truth.”
    â€œWow.”
    â€œYeah, sad, I know.” I sat up straight.
    â€œWe can fix that.” I could hear the smile in his voice. “We’ll make a date to go to the Music Box. They’re showing this great Polish film—”
    â€œMaybe we should start with something small,” I interrupted, and rubbed my earlobe. “I’m not too certain I’m ready for subtitles.” He was quiet and my heart squeezed a little. I vowed not to worry about whether I should have just said yes and pretended to have fun like I did with Bobby. Except I knew where that went. “I want to keep things real, Gage. I really truly don’t know and I don’t want to pretend that I do.”
    â€œThat’s fair,” he said, his tone grew thoughtful and then brightened. “I’ll text you the name of my friend who knows someone at the Music Box. That way you’ll have another contact in case Sherry no longer works there. Okay?”
    â€œGreat.” My heart beat strongly in my chest. I had taken a small risk by saying no to his foreign film idea, and he didn’t hang up in a silent huff. So far this relationship was doing much better than my last—though that’s not saying much. “You are a great friend, Gage.”
    â€œI want to be more than a friend, Pepper. I’m willing to take it slow. When you figure out who you are, you’ll find me right there beside you.”
    Wow! Seriously, wow! “Just promise me one thing,” I said, as bravely as I could.
    â€œOkay.”
    â€œDon’t give up on me.”
    â€œTrust me, Pepper. I’ve known you since before Bobby. I’m not going anywhere. That’s a promise.”
    Now that was the best thing any girl, anywhere, could hear from a handsomeman.

Chapter 5

    â€œI’m here to see Detective Murphy,” I said to the officer at the front desk. The lobby, for lack of a better word, of the police station was a twelve-by-fifteen-foot room with glass windows at the front, uncomfortable plastic chairs against the walls, and what looked like a bulletproof glass sliding door that allowed the front desk to be cut off from the public.
    â€œYour name?” The officer was a wide-faced blond woman with short cropped hair and big blue eyes. She wore a crisp blue uniform with the name Cullen on her badge.
    â€œPepper Pomeroy,” I replied, and flashed her a smile. “He’s expecting me.”
    â€œHave a seat,” she said, and pointed to the plastic chairs. “I’ll let him know you’re here.”
    â€œThanks,” I muttered. On the right side of me were two middle-aged people. The woman sat in the plastic chair and clutched her handbag, while the man paced angrily in front of her. Fall was unpredictable in Chicago, and the temperatures had plummeted to forty degrees. They both wore coats. His was a Chicago Bears jacket. He wore acid-washed jeans and his head was covered by a Cubs baseball hat.
    She wore a lightweight navy wool coat that