you hungry?”
“Famished. Let’s eat.”
***
The Old Shamrock Grill located on Gore Avenue was more bar and less grill. Sunlight had no place here. The lone window at the front of the narrow establishment had a blackout curtain over it to keep out the offending light. It was only seven o’clock, yet within the confines of these walls darkness was a permanent resident. Regulations on smoking hadn’t reached this corner of the world. A thick haze of nicotine hung heavy in the air. An old juke box in the corner played a song from the eighties that I had heard my Mom hum a few times. I think the musician was the prince of something, though I had no idea of what. On the scuffed up wood floor, couples swayed. There were maybe eighteen people there, which wasn’t a bad turn out for a town the size of a postage stamp. We were the youngest people there by a good twenty years.
My apprehension eased when I found that, just like with Alec, no emotions invaded me. I was free to relax. We took a seat at a tattered, round table and ordered a couple of burgers with sodas. As we waited for our food Alec filled me in on his life back in Nashville.
“I’m actually an intern at the station right now, which means they work me to death and pay me pretty much nothing. But I’m hoping when I get my degree they’ll keep me on. Maybe even start paying me enough that I won’t need to have three roommates just to make rent.”
“Cozy.”
“Nope, not at all. But it’s better than living on campus.”
“Easy on the horror stories, that’ll be me in September.” The waitress arrived with our burgers and we dug in.
“No, it really is a good experience. It can just get kind of crazy. Don’t expect to have any kind of privacy while you’re there. But you’ll meet some cool people and have a lot of fun. What school are you going to?” Alec asked through his mouthful.
I paused to swallow a huge bite I’d taken. “Rhodes College in Memphis.”
“I heard that’s a really good school. Beautiful campus.”
“It looks beautiful in the pictures.” I grabbed my napkin and wiped a mound of ketchup off my face. “I haven’t seen it in person yet.”
“Have you picked a major?”
I grabbed the salt shaker to season my fries. “I want to be an art teacher.” Alec gave an appreciative nod as he slugged down his drink. “So, how are you liking being in front of the camera? Is this a permanent change?”
“I never wanted it to be, but I’m enjoying it. It’s exciting. I get to interview people, hunt for leads, even save the occasional damsel in distress.” He met my eye and graced me with another of his charming grins. I felt myself blush, but doubted Alec could tell in the dim lighting.
“What’ve you learned about the fabled panther of Gainesboro?”
His eyes sparked at the mention of his story. He wiped his mouth and then leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table. “It’s really getting interesting. There have been three different sightings. Two of them were hikers in the mountains. One in broad daylight. They got a really good look and swear it’s a black panther. The third sighting though I’m convinced is a hoax.”
“Why’s that?”
“It was at a house on the outskirts of town, right at the base of the mountains. A little boy, I think he was like eight or nine, says he saw the panther. According to him he woke up and it was staring into his room with its front paws pressed up against the glass of his window.”
I imagined waking up and seeing a gigantic cat with razor sharp teeth staring at me. The bed would need new sheets. “That would be terrifying!”
“Yeah, it would be if it actually happened. But last time I checked panthers aren’t really known for their peeping habits. Not to mention, I scoped out the house out. With the height of the window the panther would’ve had to stand on its hind legs. That’s just not realistic for a panther on the prowl. More likely, the kid heard some gossip about the sightings and made up a story to get attention.” He gave a dismissive shrug. “Either way, until I get some actual pictures all the sightings are alleged. Now if I could get some actual footage, my producer at the station would love that!”
“You might even get promoted