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“Do you ever feel like a mistery isn’t quite solved?” Nancy said.
Ace inhaled, feeling the cold air rush into his body like needles. The drew crew was out dealing with their own problems. Now it was just the two of them. Ace rapidly assumed that Nancy must not have eaten all day, and having a ghost tethering a ride on your body made Ace’s energy bars lower than George’s subtleties.
“Do you wanna grab some food?” Ace asked Nancy.
“Yes.” Nancy sighed, suddenly noticing the noises coming from her stomach. “I’m starving”
Ace leaned in with a half witty smile, he close the gap between her cheeks and his mouth in inches and whispered to her “I know.” and walked towards Florance.
Nancy felt a shiver travel up her neck, down her spine, and touch her feet. She was perfectly aware it wasn’t the cold. Nancy shrugged at the feeling and strode behind Ace.
She expected the warm interior of the car to hide her rosy cheeks, which was no use since a frost greeted them. Ace quipped about Florance giving him the cold treatment for leaving her alone all day.
“How is your phone battery?” Nancy inquired.
“Running low, why?” He turned the car ignition, making Florance purr.
“Mine’s too. I think we have to search for a place to eat the old fashion way.” Nancy put her phone down and moved one arm to grab the map on the back seat. The quick movement intentionally led to Nancy’s nose to almost bump into Ace’s face as he turned around.
She returned to the seat and covered her face with the map. Struggling to get rid of the image of his face so close to hers.
“Hum.” she sought to deceive her shaky voice by reading the map. “I think there is a restaurant called Spare Time Portland close to the 95. We won’t diverge too much of our path, I guess.”
“You will be my navigation system, then. Set a course for Spare Time Portland,” said Ace jokingly.
“Aye-aye captain. Course laid in.” Replied Nancy, tracing the route on the map.
“Maximum Warp, punching in.” said Ace while steering Florence out of the parking lot.
Ace was good on many things, but at that moment he made a dreadful job at masking his sudden arouse for Nancy quoting his favorite show. Lucky for him, Nancy was distracted by identifying the best way to arrive at the restaurant before it closes.
(Or preoccupied with hiding her feelings all together. )
So she didn’t catch his slippery hands on the steering wheel and flush cheeks. Or did she?
-/-
The drive to the restaurant only took a few minutes since Nancy was a brilliant navigator and Ace a skilful driver. Or at least they were good enough to ignore the tension inside the car and focus on the road ahead.
They found a parking space on the west side of the lot and walked to the restaurant. The interior was heated contrasted to the outside. It was crawling with various people, from children to adults. The placed looked like something out of a J.J Abrams movie, with streaks of lights everywhere, and a laser tag arena among other games.
The hostess introduced herself as Kylie and greeted them with a big and tired smile that Nancy knew all too well. She was heartfelt for the girl; Nancy worked often than she enjoyed on double shifts at the claw; not when she hunted ghosts or a sea creature, though. Kylie took the couple to a corner booth, outside the range of yelling children.
Even though it was late, the restaurant was packed. It had a youthful bar/club atmosphere. From her seat, Nancy could see families, couples, kids and a few teenagers doing some weird dance on what she assumed was the dance floor.
Nancy realized Ace had said something, but she couldn’t reasonably hear because of the loud music blasting from the speakers. Her only solution was to scoop closer to Ace.
Not one of my brightest ideas. She reflected when detecting how their thighs were brushing under the table and Ace crowed her field of vision every time she looked up.
“What do you want to eat?” He asked, holding the menu at eye level.
“Some french fries for sure,” Nancy immediately said. “Hum maybe this chicken sandwich.” She scanned the menu over Ace’s shoulder.
“Are the cuties ready to order?” approached a waitress wearing a red apron.
“Yes.” Ace took the lead and ordered both of their foods.
“Anything to drink?” asked the waitress.
“Can we have two cups of coffee, please?” Nancy replied, “We have a long drive back home.”
“Sure sweetie, I will have the coffee and your food in’a jiffy,” reported the waitress with the whitest of smiles.
After the woman left, Ace snickered and turn his attention to Nancy, spotting her already glaring at him.
“See, if the Claw had waitress like her, our Yelp reviews would be on the up and go.” Ace stated, offering a daunting smile
“Hey!” Nancy hit the back of her hand in his biceps.
“That may be,” she quipped back, “but there is one thing they are missing.”
“What is that?” his eyebrow raised in doubt.
“A proper dishwasher.” Nancy rouse the plate where Ace could see dust specks.
The food arrived hot and good. They had little time to criticize the food. They inhaled faster than Nick ordering tuna melts.
After clear plates and two cups of coffee for each, they settled back on the booth chair, taking in the environment. Nancy felt her bones twinge under her skin.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Nancy inquired soothingly.
“Tell you what?” Ace returned.
“That Joe ghost was piggybacking with you.” She didn’t look at his eyes for this question, but for the second, she locked onto them. “Actually, why did you keep an object from his box?”
Ace took a minute to answer “Bottom line is that I wanted to figure out why he gave up his life in America,” Nancy noticed his eyes turning soft like silk “but after figuring out that he did out of love, I understood.”
It was a simple answer, and Nancy didn’t want to push any further.
She needed to relax, but her mind kept reciting Trott's last words.
“You don’t need to fixate on what Trott said to you.” He said, reading her like a map.
It shouldn’t surprise her, but it did. Ace always had a knack for figuring Nancy out; and it wasn’t the first time that he could see right through her. A web of strings filled her heart.
She reveled in having someone that knew her core. It didn’t matter how much she tried, Ace would always be the key to open her up.
They stood quietly for a couple of minutes, the two recalling the day’s events. Trott’s words still echoed in her mind when she felt a familiar rhythm.
Her conscience raised a memory to the surface when she heard the melody of “Are you gonna be my girl” by the Jet. The memory was one of a 10-year-old girl’s mother playing the song on an old speaker and dancing with the redheaded girl up on her feet.
For the first chorus, Nancy trembled with her feet, and softly lip sync to the lyrics. Ace seemed like a wildlife researcher studying at a gazel searching for food. He wasn’t sure he ever seen Nancy dance.
“Do you wanna go dance?” He asked with an enticing glance.
“Oh, no,” Nancy denied it at first, perhaps not wanting to make a fool of herself in front of Ace. But luckily her partner in crime doesn’t take no as an answer and accompanying the song beats;
Oh, four, five, six, c’mon and get your kicks
They were off to the dance floor.
They had to squeeze past young individuals dancing wildly. Initialy, they didn’t know how to dance next to each other. It was a new adventure for them. There were a lot of stiff movements and head swaying until Nancy loosened up.
The excitement between them rose.
“Oh my God!” gasped Nancy in between giggles.
Ace halted with his hands swinging above his head. “What?” he asked, looking around.
“I finally discovered something that you are not perfect at it.” Nancy's eyes shimmered, not with malice, but with genuine joy and curiosity.
Ace’s cheeks turned redder than his dance partner’s hair. He knew he was horrible at modern dance. But of all the days and nights he didn’t foresee that tonight he would find out that Nancy Drew, the best detective alive, thought he was perfect.
The light hazed his vision, but the glow formed an aura of grace around Nancy. His mind pressed him to say something, to stop gawking at her.
“Well, not all of us can be as perfect as Nancy Drew.” Between her giggles and the buzz of butterflies on her stomach, Ace took her in his arms and they danced together to the end of the song.
I said, are you gonna be my girl
They were drunk on fun and danced through a few more songs. The gangly couple bumped into other people during a few dance moves, but nothing stopped them.
Nancy sometimes got lost in the music, sometimes in Ace’s eyes. She couldn’t stop wondering if being there, close to him, on his arm, was a good idea.
Her brain sent waves of negativity, informing they couldn’t touch each other like that. But every time Ace’s hand found the small of Nancy’s back, all reason eluded her.
Nancy didn’t know if she would be in a similar situation in the future, so she took advantage of it. Her hands found Ace’s silky locks. And they didn’t stop gliding over his biceps.
Many times, Nancy looked over Ace’s shoulder. Today, she had the opportunity to snuggle in the gap of his neck. It did not surprise her when the fit turned out to be perfect.
Ace didn’t want the night to end, despite the day they’d had. He didn’t want to leave just yet.
“What you said about a game of laser tag?” He asked, twirling her out.
“You’re insane?” She ended the twirl by placing her palm in his chest. Nancy was mindful of his erratic heartbeats.
“Why?” He canvassed her face.
“Because, Mister Eagle Scout, you have great aim. It wouldn’t be fair.” Nancy let her hands slide down Ace’s back, clutching the side of his purple shirt.
“Is Nancy Drew afraid of some competition?” Ace smiled provocatively, his eyes shining in mischief.
Nancy wondered if it was the smart thing to play games with Ace. She was already juggling her feeling from him but always kept it locked.
“Ok, let’s play.” She accepted the challenge. “But let’s make it interesting.”
Ace’s intrigue peaked. A few r-rated ideas came up in his mind.
Although none of them would be well regarded in an environment with so many children. He said to himself.
"If I win, I get to drive Florance back. If you win, I let you pick the playlist.” She stated.
Ace’s features changed, his eyes were half closed and his brow furrowed. He didn’t understand the point of the challenge. He imagined it was something to do with: the next time we face a sea monster, you will give your blood. Or even: you will hack for me as long as I live. Although Nancy wouldn’t need to ask this of him, it was already encoded it in his DNA.
Ace accepted the challenge. They strode side by side to the game area and received some disapproving glances from the helper
They didn’t care. They were young adults, but they faced situations you would only read about in sci-fi books.
It was lunchtime, so the arena was empty. They finished gearing up and went to start the game. Ace already had a strategy in mind. Exploited the fact that Nancy overthinks against her.
Nancy’s approach was different, working Ace’s chivalry against him. After all, he would let the girl win, wouldn’t he?
It’s safe to say both were wrong. Nancy let her mind have fun and didn’t think twice when she surfaced from her hiding place and tried to hit Ace.
Ace got into his competitive side, his defenses were up and his attack was at full capacity. After 15 minutes, he was crouching behind a box. The battlefield g silent. He wasted seconds wondering if Nancy had left him. It was fatal seconds as Nancy appeared in front of him and said:
“My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” She fired her infrared gun, hitting Ace right in the chest.
Ace’s vest lights flickered and shut off. He took in the dark and recited:
“For in that sleep of death what dreams may come. When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause."
After a minute of silence, in the shimmering neo-lights, Nancy chuckled.
“You not seriously just quoted Hamlet, did you?”
“It seemed appropriated.” He smirked.
The couple walked out of the arena, leaving their weapons and vests behind. They went back to the table, and requested more coffee and the check.
It was time to go. They said to themselves. Neither of them wishing to leave. After the game, Ace and Nancy appeared to be inside bubbles. Incubated by thoughts and flooded by emotions.
They left the restaurant’s warm interior to step out into the cold of the world. Nancy rolled on her heels, crunching on the gravel. She reached palm open for Ace and batted her eyelashes.
“Keys.” she demanded.
Ace took his time getting the keys out of his pocket. Hesitant to hand out his precious car keys. He didn’t know if Florance would welcome another pilot.
As if reading Ace’s mind, Nancy said: “Don’t worry Captain Kirk, I’ll take care of Florance.” She sighed. “You can pick the playlist.”
He slowly placed the keys in Nancy’s palm, lingering in her touch. Replacing the chilly wind with her warmth.
“So does that make you Spock now?” Ace said as he got into the car.
“I honestly prefer Uhura.” She responded.
I hope you have the same tongue abilities as her. He bit his tongue, stopping himself from throwing everything he’d worked so hard to hide down the drain.
He busied himself with putting on his belt and making sure Florance was in perfect condition. Ace changed the subject, instructing how to start the car.
“Florance can be temperamental, so when you turn the key.” He started saying.
But Nancy had already started the car. “Don’t worry Ace, I get Florance, we are okay.”
It did not shock Ace that his car liked Nancy. I mean, who didn’t like her? But he felt guilty enjoying the scene.
Nancy was driving, and Ace was selecting the best playlist for the trip. The first shuffled song was Iris from Goo Goo Dolls. Ace quietly cursed his playlist.
And I’d give up forever to touch you
‘Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You’re the closest to heaven that I’ll ever be
And I don’t want to go home right now
Luckily, he and the band members had something in common. Ace didn’t want to go home, but everyone has to face their fate at some point.
“Why-y” he cleared his throat. “Why you wanted to drive?”
Nancy took a deep breath and kept her eyesight attached to the road.
“Honestly?” she asked.
“Always.” he answered.
“I felt bad about your ordeal today.” Nancy confessed.
“But Nancy…” he interrupted.
“I know what you’re going to say.” She side eyed him. “That is not my fault. But I’m still responsible for bringing in a ghost that co-habituated inside of you, and rattle Florance up.”
He wished nothing more than to take her hand and soothe her.
“What I’m trying to say is that I’m sorry, and I wanted to make it up to you.” She acknowledged. “Or at least let you rest during the ride back.”
The car got silent, even the music stopped. Ace never heard Nancy apologising to anyone, especially to him.
The bottom line is that even without asking, Ace would do anything for Nancy. Even when he lectures her or complains about deathly situations. He will always be the first to volunteer to help.
Maybe he felt special knowing that Nancy rely on him. Not just about computer problems, but when she needs to bury herself in work to get away from her problems. He enjoyed sharing theories about cases, or listen to the machinery in Nancy’s head spin at full capacity, trying to solve a puzzle.
Ace never felt this way about anyone.
He felt safe.
“I appreciate the apologies.” He said. After all, is not every day that Nancy chants those words. “But I know what I was getting into. And none of that will ever stop me from helping and being there for you.”
That was the closest he could get to expressing the truth about his feelings. Ace was wearing his heart on his sleeve. If the music stopped again, Nancy could hear the beating of his heart.
Nancy blushed with a new shade of pantone red. They always shared a connection. Even when not all the words were spoken, they understood each other.
“Thank you.” She blushed it out. “And I hope you know I will always be there for you.”
Their vows brighten the air and locked their path.
The world outside the car looked like a vast blur of nothing. The streetlights illuminated Nancy’s smile at intervals. Ace couldn’t stop himself from smiling alongside her.
That night, this was their world. Their truth. Who they wanted to be, or at least who they aimed to be.
Ace was still admiring the glow coming from Nancy when a thought hit him.
She was his safe port.