"Well, I got lonely and tried on your bra."

Laughing softly, Dana said, "I tried on your underwear."

"Oh, gross. Did you?"

"Maybe I'm wearing 'em now."

While one of his hands stayed in the middle of her back, the other glided down and felt her through the seat of her uniform shorts. "You're not really, are you?"

"That's for me to know..."

"And for me to find out?"

"But not now," Dam said. "I've gotta go out and get to work." She kissed him on the mouth, then eased away. "See you later."

Opening the door for her, Warren asked, "Are you still planning to go on the tour tonight?"

"Afraid so."

"I wish you'd change your mind about that."

"Me, too," Dana said, and hurried out.

Chapter Forty-eight.

A TICKET TO DIE FOR.

After breakfast, Owen walked to Beast House. The morning was fresh and sunny. He couldn't really enjoy it, though. Nor could he look forward with much enthusiasm to the Midnight Tour.

John hung over his head.

He'll kill me if I sell his ticket.

Probably won't kill me, Owen thought, but he'll sure as hell never forgive me. It'll crush him. I can forget about ever seeing those pictures he took last night.

Oh, God, I've gotta see those! I've gotta have copies!

Do I? he asked himself. Even if the pictures turn out fine, they'll never be as good as what I saw.

Walking along Front Street, he called an image into his mind of Dana standing by the jacuzzi and pulling off her huge white T-shirt. He saw her so clearly that he started to get hard.

The hell with John's pictures, he thought. The hell with John. If he shows up, I'll just smile and say, "Sorry, but you disappeared. I didn't think you'd be back, so I took in your ticket for a refund."

"YOU WHAT!!!"

Anyway, Owen told himself, maybe John won't be back. Maybe something actually did happen to him.

He's probably fine.

Sure.

"He won't be so fine," Owen muttered, "when he drags his fat, sorry ass back from wherever he's been all night and finds out his little prank cheated him out of the Midnight Tour."

Though feeling sick with tension-and probably lack of sleep-Owen grinned..

By the time John shows up, he thought, it'll be a done deal.

If be shows up.

As Owen walked closer to the ticket booth, he saw that only eight or ten people were standing in line.

Won't be much of a wait.

After I get my refund, he thought, maybe I should go back to the room and take a nap. A long nap. Maybe I can sleep all afternoon. Then I'll be good and fresh for tonight.

As he walked closer to the ticket booth, he looked through its glass.

And saw Dana at work inside.

Oh, no!

Heat flashed through his body. He felt as if his skin might burst into flame. Sweat seemed to spill out of every pore.

He didn't think Dana had seen him yet; she was talking to a customer.

Afraid that stopping might draw attention to himself, he slowed down, turned his head as if looking back for someone, then made a casual U-turn and started walking away.

At the first intersection, he turned to the right and stepped past the corner of a bakery.

Can't see me now.

He stopped and took deep breaths, trying to calm down.

Now what? he wondered. I can't ask for a refund, not with Dana working the booth. She knows all about me and Monica and how I feel about her and...Oh, man, I saw her naked last night. How can I face her?

She doesn't know I watched her.

Unless John told.

They caught him and made him talk?

Don't be ridiculous, Owen thought. The only way she could know is if John went back and joined the party and shot off his mouth.

Wouldn't put it past him.

But if that's what he did, where is he?

In jail?

That's possible, Owen thought. If he went back, maybe they had him arrested. That would certainly explain why he hasn't turned up yet.

Turned up where?

Owen had been away from the motel room for more than an hour and a half.

Maybe he's back by now.

As Owen hiked toward the motel, he thought, I have all day to return the ticket. Maybe if I time things to show up during Dana's lunch break...

But he didn't know when that might be.

I'd have to go back and bang around...

It seemed too risky. And too much trouble Besides, he could always sell the ticket to a tourist at the last minute.

What if John turns up before then?

I'll say I already sold it. That's fix him. See the look on his face. Then, If he's good, I can surprise him with it.

The best of both worlds, Owen thought.

When Owen entered his room at the Welcome Inn, John still wasn't there.

Both beds had already been made, their blankets smooth and flat, pillows neatly arranged at the heads. There were fresh glasses on the tray with the ice bucket, clean towels and washcloths in the bathroom.

Owen shut the curtains, closing out most of the light. Then he changed into his pajamas, pulled back the blanket of the bed he'd used last night, and climbed between the sheets.

Lying on his back, he raised his left arm and stared at his wristwatch.

Maybe set the alarm for five or six, he thought. Just to make sure I don't oversleep and miss the tour.

I probably won't even fall asleep at all, but I'd better play it safe.

He decided to set the alarm for 4:00 p.m. That would give him time to try the ticket booth once more before closing time.

What if Dana's still there?

Cross that bridge when I come to it.

He saw himself step up to the ticket window. Dana smiled at him. A soft, warm smile that made him long for her. "Hi, Owen," she said.

"Hi, Dana."

"You just keep coming back for more, don't you? What are you, a glutton for punishment?"

"I can't get enough of Beast House," he told her, thinking I can't get enough zoom, either.

"Where were you last night?" she asked.

The question knocked his breath out.

As he tried to think of a lie, Dana said, "I thought we had a date."

"We did?"

A look of disappointment on her face, she nodded and said, "I stopped by the motel, but you weren't there."

Oh, no. Oh, no. It can't be true.

"I really wanted to see you," she said.

"I really wanted to see you, too."

"I missed you so much, Owen." Reaching out through the ticket window, she gently took hold of his hands.

In his right hand, he was holding John's ticket for the Midnight Tour.

Dana saw it. "Oh, you're going on the tour tonight?"

"Yes."

"Me, too."

"That's great."

"Will you be alone?"

His heart pounded hard. "Yes."

"Me, too. Do you think we could... do it together?"

Somewhere, a car door slammed. Owen woke up, realized he'd only been dreaming, and almost cried.

He hoped to fall asleep again quickly and return to the dream.

But you never get the great ones back. Just the nightmares.

Owen was rushing through the halls of a huge old school building, jerking open doors and glancing into classrooms. At any second, the tardy bell would ring. Where's my room? Gotta find it! Oh, my God, where is it? I'll never find it in time. if only I knew the room number!

Suddenly, the bell rang.