“So, let me get this straight… We’re driving into town to drop off a package for Mr. Wright; when you have a day full of tasks, and he’s sitting in his office doing literally nothing all day?”

“That’s… Well,” Lewis starts, shifting an uncomfortably large package within his arms, “that’s one telling of the story, yes.”

“Unbelievable,” Zeke groans back out.

The two men slide the heavy, awkward box into the backseat of a nice looking white coupe. Once it’s inside, Zeke puts his hands on his back. He’s not used to this kind of labor. He speaks up, “are we at least getting paid for our time out of the Hotel?”

“That’s correct,” Lewis hums, wiping off his brow. Clearly, Lewis isn’t used to hauling around a hundred pounds of metal either.

“Well. That’s cool, I guess,” Zeke huffs. He finally gets an eye of the white sedan that sits all pretty under the Hotel’s weathered porte cochère, “hey, Lewis. Is this your car?”

The ginger smiles, “yes, it is. A very thoughtful gift from my parents for my sixteenth birthday.”

“Huh. I guess I got something similar. Though I just got new wheels for my skateboard,” Zeke says, eying the car over. It was a nice looking vehicle; the pearly white exterior somehow fit Lewis very well.

“Do you… Wanna drive?” Lewis offers the keyfob to Zeke, “I won’t tell anyone if you go a little fast down these backroads,” he smiles a bit bashfully, his tone hushed as if someone were around to hear him.

“Pfft. I can’t drive,” Zeke grins as he makes his way towards the passenger’s seat, “but thanks anyways.”

“Oh. Well. Thank you for telling me that before I let you into the driver’s seat,” Lewis smiles honestly as he follows Zeke to the passenger’s side. He instinctively closes the door for the teenager before he rounds the hood towards his side. The car shifts as Lewis settles his tall self into the seat; Zeke holds in a chuckle as the man’s curly ginger hair brushes the ceiling’s upholstery. Lewis starts the car; the thing gives a nice little chime as it begins back to life, and the radio starts up to a low murmur. As Lewis shifts into drive, he makes small talk, “have you been to downtown Heart Hollow yet, Zeke?”

“Not yet.”

“Oh, that’s so exciting!” Lewis beams back, his eyes now focused on the old cracked pavement before them as they take off. Zeke looks out his window towards the faded pink and stone Hotel as they round the porte cochère. His ginger boss continues, “I’ll have to show you around. There’s this nice little area right at the center of town.”

“Cool,” Zeke smiles back, watching the trees as they pass through the grounds. As they exit the turnoff for the Hotel onto the main loop of the Resort, Zeke can’t help but think about that weird encounter he had at this very spot: his first week working here in the pouring rain, standing up atop the hill, was that absolutely massive buck with those heart shaped antlers. He contemplates bringing it up to Lewis, but ultimately decides against it. They pass by Heartwood Hall, and further down they pass another large, abandoned building.

“What’s that?” Zeke finds himself asking.

Lewis smiles honestly, “I admire your curiosity, Zeke. That’s Rare Love Steakhouse. Well… It used to be, anyway.”

“Right. I saw that on the map in the lobby,” the teenager says as he puts the puzzle pieces together, “totally weird that the Resort had its own restaurant at some point.”

“We had that, alongside a full kitchen behind the bar on the ground level of the Hotel. Have you ever been back there?”

This catches Zeke’s attention as he peels his gaze off the window and onto his manager, “what? No? First a Club, and now a kitchen? What else is this place hiding?”

This makes Lewis laugh, “oh, you’d be surprised, Zeke.”

❧

The scenic drive consists mostly of coniferous and deciduous trees, although there is the occasional view of town as they descend from the mountaintop. It’s late afternoon, meaning that the sun dips its head above the Hotel just West of town. The road itself is cracked and beaten; the town’s administration clearly neglects this side of maintenance. Further down the slope, the distant Poconos hide behind foliage, and the only indication that they’re up in the mountains is the tall incline just West of here where the Hotel looms over the town in an architectural triumph.

Zeke peers out his window as they drive down a connecting road. At first the buildings are few-and-far-between; gas stations, corner stores, and beat-up little homes. Despite the difference in local foliage, this part of town looks like home to the teenager. As they travel further, taller buildings begin to pop up left and right. Some are three-story businesses, while a few historical homes dabble their way in between.

At stop signs, Zeke examines the little details that are bathed in the warm, late afternoon sun. There’s heart decals hidden within the gables of roofs, and there’s ironwrought fences that enclose private green spaces. People’s yards boast ancestral trees, and local businesses play into the town’s imagery of hearts.  Even the antique street lights, who await their nightly rotation, wear town banners with pride.

As they turn onto an old brick road, Lewis speaks up with a twinge of second-hand excitement in his voice, “we’re heading towards the heart of town now.”

“Cool,” Zeke says with his eyes fixated on the massive trees that arch and frame the street. He stares at the perfectly manicured yardscapes, and he realizes that he’s never seen a town that cares this much about presentation. Down the road they cruise, and eventually the arching trees open up to a quaint downtown. Businesses line the main street, and there’s a large governmental building at the end of a decently sized park. Although, the thing that catches Zeke's attention the most, is this great big oak tree that sits in the middle of the park. It must reach at least one hundred feet in height, and the branches sprawl out in a way that consumes the entire green space below in shade.

When Zeke finally breathes, he just lets out a low, “woah.”

He practically hears Lewis smiling, “that’s the Heart Hollow.”

“That’s, ah,” he pauses. Normally, he’d have some snarky remark about it, but he ultimately decides to say, “that’s a pretty great tree to name a town after.”

He peers over to Lewis, who is just beaming with pride. By the look on the ginger’s face, Zeke further pieces together as to why Lewis continues to wear his assistant manager title with such pride. They pull into a parking spot on the right hand side of the street with ease. Frankly, it’s a miracle they found a spot; the town’s heart bustles with pedestrians doing their nightly errands.

“The post office is right down here,” Lewis gestures towards a small alleyway just in front of them.

“Awesome. Front row parking,” Zeke says, letting himself out of the vehicle with something similar to excitement.

The two men haul the awkwardly long, rectangular package out of the car and down the cozy little alleyway. Once inside, it smells like paper and packing supplies just like any other post office. The people behind the desk stare at them with wide eyes. Luckily, Zeke and Lewis don’t have a long wait, considering that the office closes at the end of the hour. Lewis does the transaction at the counter, while Zeke looks around the quaint establishment they find themselves in. While it’s a very typical post office, the shell is beautifully antique and intricate. The old hardwood floor creaks under the weight of Zeke’s foot, while the ceiling is covered with these intricate baroque tiles. Within only a moment, Lewis ushers the teen back out into the meat of town.

Out in the temperate summer air, they meander back up to Lewis’ car. Zeke feels a little twinge of disappointment: leaving so soon? He supposes Lewis would like to get back to the Hotel, considering all the work they still have left. Instead, the ginger boss speaks up, “wanna go take a look at the Heart Hollow?”

Zeke perks up, and his umber eyes brighten. Despite his excitement, he says a simple, “sure.”

They make their way across the old brick road and towards the massive oak in the middle of that park. Up close, Zeke notices that there’s a heart shaped hollow at the base of the tree. His curiosity gets the best of him, so he asks as he gestures towards it, “is that natural?”

“Yes, it is,” Lewis beams back, placing both fists on his hips as he looks towards the natural monument, “older than the town itself.”

“Cool,” Zeke hums out. There’s a plaque atop the ironwrought fence protecting the tree, so Zeke decides to read what the townspeople have to say about their beloved tree.

The Great Heart Hollow Oak

Through history, these grounds were a point of contention between the prominent Wright Family and the Heart Family conglomerate. At the turn of the nineteenth century, a deadly famine had spread across the lands, ensuing mass devastation.

After losing his wife Henrietta, progressivist Hugh Heartwood proposes a truce in order to preserve both family’s bloodlines. In an act of protest, he carries his now-deceased wife to the Great Heart Hollow Oak, buries her body under the tree, and declares that this place shall henceforth become the unified township of Heart Hollow, Pennsylvania.

The Heart Hollow Culture Committee dedicates this plaque to preserving our rich town history and the unifying ideals that this Great Oak stands for.

Zeke takes his eyes off the plaque and stares at the tree’s hollow. He cocks his head to the side as he asks, “is some lady really buried in there?”

Lewis, who has seemingly been basking in the sunlight aside the tree, simply responds, “as far as we know, yes.”

“Seems like someone would try to dig her up, or something.”

This garners a laugh from Lewis, “oh, heavens no. We’re such a superstitious town; that would be like asking for a lifetime of curses.”

“Pfft,” Zeke hums, and then his eyes land on a small group of pedestrians that pay their own respects to the Great Oak tree. They give the two men bewildered looks, so Zeke drops his voice down a bit as he responds, “I forgot you believe in the god of love or whatever.”

“For our own reasons, yes,” Lewis hums, and he doesn’t even look at the group of curious pedestrians as they pass by.

“Right. Remind me to pick your brain about that sometime.”

Lewis just lets out a light chuckle, “okay, Zeke.”

There’s a silence between the two of them for a moment. The little streams of sunlight pushing through the leaves feels so nice; Zeke thinks that really ought to get outside more. He feels Lewis’ light green gaze on him, so he speaks up, “guess we better get back before Mr. Wright gets on our asses.”

“Mm,” Lewis hums as he contemplates this, “actually… I was thinking I’m a little peckish. Are you hungry?”

“Well, we were too busy packing up this stupid box for Mr. Wright to take our breaks, sooo… Yeah. I’m starving.”

“Good point. There’s an excellent little place close by,” he gestures towards an old two-story building off to their right.

“Let’s do it,” Zeke grins with enthusiasm. Lewis gladly leads them across the street towards the restaurant. Up close, Zeke notices heart details hidden within the building’s ancient moulding. The front door is pure wood, and it boasts an eye-level window wearing a decal that reads Trueheart’s Bistro & Café.

Lewis, like the gentleman he is, holds the door open for his brunette subordinate. Inside, the space is cramped with tables, and the hardwood floors creak under their steps. Just like the post office, the ceiling tiles are these beautifully intricate brass works of art. Keeping the original wood paneling and the brass accents, this place truly feels authentic. Oh, and how divine it smells: like fresh coffee and home cooked meals. A little smile finds its place comfortably on Zeke’s face as he investigates the place with his eyes.

A hostess comes up to the desk with some menus in hand. She’s a short young woman with a thin build. Her thin, dark brown hair is pulled back into a high ponytail, although there are a few strands hugging her long face. Her professional smile vanishes into surprise as she lays eyes on the two pink-shirts she’ll be helping today. She stumbles on her words for a moment as she is very visibly caught off guard, “oh. Hey, Lewis.”

“Ah. Hi, Katie. What a surprise,” Lewis hums, clearly a bit bewildered as he runs into someone he supposedly knows. He clears his throat, “I - I didn’t know you were working for Ms. Trueheart.”

“It’s just a summer job before I go back to Penn State,” she says with a twinge of defensiveness. Her eyes dart down to his pink shirt, and she hesitates before she says, “you’re still at the Hotel?”

“I am,” Lewis smiles cordially.

“Right, well… If you like it, that’s all that matters, I guess,” Katie says presumptuously. Her eyes dart over towards Zeke, and he doesn’t like the way that her curious eyes fall towards the pink polo on his chest. She looks back towards Lewis expectantly.

He must have gotten her cue, because he says, “Zeke and I are just out running an errand for Andrei. Thought we’d come grab a bite.”

“Uh huh,” he looks back towards Zeke, and there’s this look behind her eyes that indicates a twinge of… Repulsion? Resentment? 

No, no. That’s jealousy. She’s jealous.

Innocently, she tilts her head at Lewis, completely disregarding Zeke’s existence as she says, “right, well, if you’ll follow me, I’ll get you seated.”

“Thank you, Katie,” Lewis says, and Zeke notices that his cordial smile fades fast once she turns to lead them through the popular little restaurant. She places two menus and two silverware bundles on top of a small square table that sits right in front of a large window. Outside, Zeke can see the Great Heart Hollow Oak and the setting sun behind it. As the two men settle themselves into their seats, Katie asks, “and what drinks can I get started for you?”

Lewis says, “a coffee for me, please. Oat milk, if you have it.”

Finally, she says something to Zeke, “and for you?”

“Uh… A cola, I guess,” he hums, feeling a little odd due to her avoidant behavior.

“Okay, one coffee with oat milk and one cola. Your server will be out with those shortly,” she says.

Before she’s able to dart to the restaurant’s back of house, Lewis pipes up, “real quick, Katie… Is Ms. Trueheart in? I’d love to see her if she can spare a moment.”

“Uh, yeah, sure. I’ll let her know you’re here,” the hostess responds, and she pauses for a moment to see if there’s anything else they need. Lewis just gives her a poised managerial smile, and Katie looks flustered as she darts away.

Once she’s out of ear-shot, Zeke asks, “you know her?”

“Ah,” Lewis hums as he busies his hands by rearranging the items atop the table, “yes. That’s Katie Lane. She and I graduated the same year at the local high school.”

“And… You know the owner of this place too?”

Lewis’ eyes settle on Zeke as he responds, “I’m a Lockheart. Of course I know her.”

“Right. Okay, let me guess… This Ms. Trueheart lady is part of this so-called Heart family conglomerate too?”

“More or less,” Lewis hums; his focus falls down towards his silverware as he sets it up in a certain way.

“Uh huh,” Zeke responds shortly. His attention falls towards the rest of the cramped restaurant. Everyone appears to be enjoying their meals and their cups of coffee… However, it kind of feels like the two pink-shirts are being stared at. Tables close to them make direct eye contact with Zeke, while some folks peer over their shoulders. Zeke looks back towards Lewis and asks, “okay, is it just me, or has everyone just been straight up gawking at us today?”

“Oh,” Lewis briefly peers over his shoulder towards the other customers, but he quickly faces Zeke once again, “yes, well. I suppose people think I’m… Well, a bit of a local celebrity, so to say. It’s rare to see me out of the Hotel,” he laughs with uncertainty.

“Really? Just because you’re part of the Heart family?”

“Ah,” Lewis hesitates, “yes, I’d say that’s a big part of it. Just… Don’t pay them any mind. People are kind of… Nosy around here.”

“Yeah, well. I kind of do mind,” Zeke meets eyes with the table closest to them and gives them the dirtiest look he can possibly muster.

Lewis watches as the whole table dips their attention back towards their meals, “ahhh,” he hums with a forced smile, “people around here aren’t really used to seeing new faces either.”

“Well, they better get over it,” Zeke crosses his arms.

Lewis’ face is slathered with embarrassment, so he decides to change the subject. He gestures down at the menu in his hand, “I think I’ll stick to my coffee. I know you’re not much of a coffee fan, but they do it all by hand here. You can really taste the difference.”

Zeke darts his attention back towards his boss; unintentionally, his gaze is still kind of sharp, “didn’t you say you were peckish?”

Lewis smiles bashfully, “ah, well - "

Before he can continue, a jaunty voice cuts him off, “boy, it’s about damn time you show your face in town again!”

The two men shoot their attention up towards the woman that approaches their table. She’s about average height, with warm skin and dark, wavy hair that’s tied back into a messy bun. She wears a black button-up with black slacks, although they’re covered by a messy apron that reads Trueheart’s on the front in embroidered letters. In her hands, she carries their drinks. By the joyous expression on her face, Zeke can tell that she’s excited to see Lewis.

“Hi, Ms. Trueheart,” Lewis smiles as he stands to greet her.

“Hiya, baby Valentine,” she sets their drinks down on the table before giving him a side hug. As she does so, she lays eyes on Zeke, “and hello to you too. Who do we have here?”

“This is Zeke,” Lewis says from under Ms. Trueheart’s arm, “he’s my assistant at the Hotel. He’s - ah. He’s new to town. Figured I’d show him around.”

“Hey,” Zeke hums, giving her a wave.

She looks at Lewis with quiet excitement as she lets go of him. Once her brown eyes land back on the teenager, she says with an optimistic grin, “well, it’s certainly nice to meet you, Zeke. So you’re new to Heart Hollow then, huh? We’re overdue for a new face around here, and you’re much cuter than I thought you’d be.”

“Uh,” a grin starts to form on his own face, “thanks..?”

“Just the truth, baby. So, tell me. What brings you to town?”

Zeke pauses, deciding on how much of the story he wants to share with his new acquaintance. He just gives her the tail end of his travels here, “I followed an old ad for the Hotel. It said I could find what I was looking for. So… Here I am.”

“An ad? You know, the last time a wary traveler said that, she turned the whole town upside down. Oh, but it was just what we needed to shake things up in this tiny little town,” she looks towards Lewis, “isn’t that right?”

“Well, Hana arrived a bit before my time,” Lewis smiles, “of course, I wish I could have met her.”

Zeke just glances between the two. He’s definitely out of the loop on this particular topic, although he recalls hearing Hana’s name somewhere. Perhaps when they were looking through that old photo album in the Club of Hearts?

“Oh, honey, no! It was such a mess when she was around,” Ms. Trueheart laughs, “oh, she had everyone dancing on their heads. What a hoot. Anyways. Goodness, where are my manners! Zeke, it is lovely to meet you. I’m Amy. Most people just call me Ms. Trueheart these days. Comes with age, I suppose.”

“Are you part of the Heart family then?” Zeke finds himself asking, since Lewis’ answer to that question had been kind of vague.

“Well, I used to be. Goodness, tell him, Lewis,” she says, despite following up immediately after, “I was in marriage counseling for years with Mr. Trueheart. Do you know Lewis’ mother? Mrs. Lockheart? She’s one hell of a therapist, but she couldn’t fix that sinking ship. So you know what I did?”

“Uh oh. What’d you do?” Zeke smiles, glancing over to Lewis for merely a moment. Lewis just smiles back.

“I divorced his ass!” She beams with pride, “with the help of Lewis’ father as my attorney. Oh, and it doesn’t get better than Lawrence Lockheart himself. Genuinely.”

Zeke gives her a little laugh; Lewis laughs too. She continues, “I opted to keep the last name for the business; which I won, by the way,” she boasts with pride, fists placed firmly on her hips.

“Good for you, Ms. Trueheart,” Zeke responds back.

“Mmhm,” she hums, nodding her head, “oh, here I go just talking y’all’s ear off. You boys look starving. They don’t feed y’all up on that big ‘ol hill now, do they?”

“No, ma’am,” Lewis smiles bashfully, “both the Hotel’s kitchen and the on-site restaurant have been closed for years.”

“Rare Love?” Her eyes go wide.

Lewis just nods his head, “gone in oh-nine, if I recall.”

“Oh, what a shame,” Ms. Trueheart hums as her focus falls out the window just past them; the amber sunlight turns her brown eyes this beautiful golden shade, “you know, I met Mr. Trueheart at that Hotel. I shoulda’ known it was just Cupid playing games when I saw him that very same night.”

Lewis hums, “I always forget that you’ve seen Cupid.”

“Well, you know he has an affinity for us Hearts. Or… Soon to be Hearts,” she says, and her focus shifts towards Zeke. Was that a nod at something more? In fact, it definitely was, because Lewis starts to look real uncomfortable; on the table, his freckled hands massage themselves mindlessly.

“Oh, don’t pout, baby Valentine,” Ms. Trueheart’s smile softens. Even though Lewis is seated now, she holds him in a supportive side hug as she says, “your time with Cupid will come. And I’m praying that it’s all good things for you.”

He glances up at her for a moment with a lightly forced smile to his face, “thank you, Amy.”

“Of course, darling,” she smiles, taking her hand off his shoulder. Her dark brown eyes peer over to Zeke, “well, now I’m curious… Have you seen Cupid?”

“Your god of love?” He cocks his head to the side, “Cupid, as in, like… A baby dressed up as a cherub?”

Now this makes Ms. Trueheart laugh. Like, really laugh: head thrown back, hand patting at her chest, tears forming in her eyes... Her laugh is so boisterous that it catches the attention of the other guests at her restaurant. Their chitter-chatter grows quiet, and many people peer over their shoulders to the spectacle that is the new-hire, the workaholic, and the divorcee. Once she comes to, she finally says, “oh, baby. You really are new to Heart Hollow, aintcha? Whew,” she wipes a few tears from her eyes, “look, you’d know if you’ve seen Cupid.”

“Tell me about him,” Zeke inquires.

“Well,” her eyes get real wide, “on these lands, he’s the god of love. It’s said that the Resort grounds are his home, since most people have sighted him there. Why, he’s a devious thing. It’s said that upon seeing him, he either presents you with the gift of true, unconditional love. Or,” her eyes fall towards Lewis for a moment, “he curses you with a lifetime of undeniably bad luck with romance.”

“Is that so,” Zeke gives her the tiniest form of a devious grin, “and what does this love god look like?”

“Well… When I saw him, it was back in eighty-nine. I was working at the Hotel’s kitchen, just getting my foot in the door for cuisine here in Heart Hollow. I was working the overnight shift back then, real late hours. I had just finished flirting with a very handsome man at the bar: little did I know, he was going to become my ex-husband,” she smiles as she recalls the night. The restaurant is quiet; clearly they all want to hear her tale too.

“So, after serving him, I took the trash out to the dumpster around the side of the Hotel. I heard rustling just up the road from me, and up on that hill was this massive silhouette… Even though he was far from me, I knew immediately what I had stumbled into. My breathing stopped, my heart began to race. I couldn’t take my eyes off him.”

Lewis stares with intrigue as she talks. Zeke, however, looks between the two with nothing but pure skepticism. 

“I won’t lie, I kind of feared for my life,” Ms. Trueheart smiles a bit before her face shifts into something very serious, “I mean, the way my chest burned when I saw him… It felt like I had been stabbed through the heart by those - those antlers.”

The restaurant is quiet, and Zeke stammers on his words, “you’re messing with me. Right?”

Ms. Trueheart’s eyes are dead serious, “never.”

“Cupid’s… A buck?”

“Why?” Lewis looks across the table, “have you seen him?”

The brunette suddenly feels all these eyes on him: Lewis, Ms. Trueheart, the staff members, that hostess Katie, and all the guests cramped into this teeny tiny little restaurant. Everyone peers over their shoulder or stares directly, clearly awaiting for his response. He sinks down in his seat. Is this something he should lie about too? After all, Lewis still thinks he’s aromantic. How could Cupid affect someone that’s not even interested?

Before even thinking about it, his decision is set in stone; Zeke begrudgingly shakes his head, confirming that he has not seen the buck they call Cupid. The air of the restaurant falls flat, the anticipation being cut short by a less than satisfactory answer. Even Lewis’ shoulders slump a bit, and so do Ms. Trueheart’s. People turn around to begin their own conversations yet again. The restaurant owner just nods her head slowly, “I’d be curious to hear if it ever happens. Our last new-face saw him. Though, it didn’t turn out so well for her… Maybe it’s for the best that you haven’t seen him.”

But he has seen Cupid, and somehow this lie feels worse than any of the other ones he’s told this summer. Ms. Trueheart clears the silence by saying, “I’m so sorry to take up so much of your time, boys. You two must be starving by now,” she smiles, resting her hands on her broad hips.

Lewis’ fingers entangle one another nervously, “I’m good with my coffee. Thank you, Amy.”

“Of course, baby Valentine. Anything for you, Zeke?”

The brunette can’t get himself to say anything, because the secret is practically lumping up in his throat and edging itself out of his mouth. He shakes his head despite the fact that he’s starving. She nods her head, “okay, boys. Well, if you decide otherwise, just holler,” she smiles lightly, “food and drinks are on me today. I mean it.”

Lewis peels his attention away from his hands, “are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” she smiles affectionately, “lovely to see you as always, Lewis. And it has been an absolute pleasure to meet you, Zeke. I’ll stop by in a little bit to check in on you boys.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Lewis smiles politely, dipping in one last, “thank you,” before she takes off towards the back of house.

Even though the restaurant guests’ have picked back up on their own conversations, and even though low Bossa Nova plays, the silence at Zeke and Lewis’ table is absolutely deafening. The ginger’s hands absentmindedly play with themselves while Zeke peers out the window towards the Great Oak.

He still feels eyes on him, and he feels pressure from telling a lie; he feels like he’s going to die in this town and it’s going to be Cupid’s fault. Why is this such a big deal for him? After all, he doesn’t believe in some stupid god of love. Right?

“Ahem,” Lewis clears his throat, “if it’s any consolation, I haven’t seen him either. Not - not really, anyhow.”

Zeke just peers back towards Lewis’ gentle face for a moment. He wants to reply, although he might suffocate if he were to try. The two men sip their drinks in silence. At some point, a server brings them a basket of bread rolls, simply stating that Ms. Trueheart ordered this to their table. Lewis says enough thank you’s for the both of them, gingerly grabbing a roll and picking on it once the server leaves. Maybe that’s what’s wrong; maybe this pit growing in Zeke’s stomach is hunger, not just this incomprehensible feeling of foreboding dread. He picks up a roll and eats it in nearly two whole bites.

Woah. Actually, he forgot how much he missed fresh, warm, homemade food. He decides that would be a good ice breaker to their silence as he goes in for another roll, “never thought I’d miss warm food like this.”

This comment seemingly breaks Lewis out of his trance, the man having been staring out the window absently. He smiles gently, “that’s one of the hardest parts about living alone. You really forget to feed yourself.”

“Heh,” Zeke chortles before adding, “yeah. It blows having to live off cup noodles and instant mac n’ cheese.”

Lewis just smiles back, “it’s not too late to order some food, Zeke. I don’t mind.” Although, as he says that, his cellphone begins to ring against the chair he currently sits in. He takes the thing out, and his face drops immediately.

“What’s up?” Zeke asks.

He sighs, “it’s Mr. Wright. Just a moment, please,” he hums. Zeke watches one side of the conversation take place as Lewis answers the call, “evening, Mr. Wright.”

There’s a pause. If it wasn’t so loud in here, Zeke might be able to hear what was going on from the other side of the phone. Lewis responds, “yes, sir. I understand, sir. My deepest apologies, we just…” He gets cut off, pausing for a moment, “yes, sir. I’m - yes, sir. I’m sorry,” there’s another long moment of silence. Lewis’ face only grows more and more uncomfortable as the one-sided conversation continues, “yes, sir. We’ll be there shortly. I’m sorry again, sir. Thank you.”

He hangs up the phone, his eyes glazed over with the deepest look of remorse. He peers up at Zeke for a brief moment, “I’m sorry, Zeke. We should get going.”

“I kinda figured. Is he pissed?”

Lewis just nods his head, although his eyes are down towards the table as he fishes his wallet out from his back pocket. He places a crisp twenty dollar bill on the table before getting up.

Zeke follows Lewis out the front door of the establishment, back out into the temperate night air of the Poconos. Zeke gives the old Heart Hollow Oak one last glance; the brilliant thing is all illuminated with warm, artificial staging lights. Although, once he realizes Lewis is making a bee-line to the car, he runs to catch up.

❧

There’s a weird tension on the drive back to the Resort grounds. Lewis doesn’t seem like talking, even at Zeke’s desperate attempts to lighten the mood. He tries to ask what Mr. Wright said, or bring up the history of the Heart Hollow Oak. Hell, he even tries to bring up how nice the weather is tonight… It’s true; there are hardly any clouds drifting by, and the further they drive up the mountain, the more visible the great stars above become.

Lewis has some radio station playing lightly in his car; it sounds classical with a heavy emphasis on piano. Between songs, there’s a smooth-talking host discussing the pieces he plays.

Zeke sighs, and he peers out his window to the darkness beside them. Now out of town, these back roads get extraordinarily dark once the sun goes down. Lewis’ high beams do the trick in terms of the road, but past the first layer of trees is pitch black.

Is Cupid out in these woods tonight, hunting for his next prey?

Zeke shakes that thought off, because he doesn’t believe in the god of love, or any gods for that matter. Not in this world.

He watches as the trees zip by. Actually, is Lewis driving a bit fast? He peers over to the odometer nestled behind the steering wheel; forty-five up these back roads seems a little dangerous. It would be more fun if they had the windows down and were in a better mood.

God, what the hell did Mr. Wright say on that phone call?

Or is it more than that? Is it the fact that Zeke lied about not seeing Cupid? Or maybe the fact that Lewis got too much unwanted attention as soon as they showed their faces in town? Or maybe these are just insecurities that Zeke feels, and he’s projecting them onto Lewis? In fact, he really has no idea what’s going through the man’s head as they speed up the winding mountain road.

Just as Zeke’s about to say anything, apologize about something, ask desperately for an answer… The car jolts to a complete stop, and Zeke flies forward; luckily, the seatbelt catches him from going too far. As his body thrusts back into the nook of his seat, Zeke’s attention immediately shoots towards Lewis, “what the hell?”

Maybe it’s just shock from the abrupt stop, but Lewis’ face is full of consternation. His knuckles turn white from the firm grip around the steering wheel, and his wide green eyes don’t budge from the front windshield. Due to the lack of response, Zeke whips his head to look where Lewis does. Up the road, illuminated only by the headlights, stands that buck with those imposing antlers. His reflective eyes catch the headlights hauntingly.

With one of his front hooves, the buck grazes the asphalt below. He dips his head with each scrape… Over and over, it almost appears as though he’s taunting the two pink-shirts. Zeke’s hands tremble from the adrenaline, and the thumping in his chest nearly drowns out the light jazz that has started to become more static than melody. As if the buck were to hear them, Zeke whispers, “dude, honk or something.”

Lewis stammers quietly, “I’m not going to honk at Cupid.”

“Oh, please. It’s just some deer,” he responds, although his voice falters, because he isn’t so sure about that.

“No, Zeke. I’m telling you right now. This is the buck that Ms. Trueheart was telling us about.”

Almost to soothe himself, Zeke justifies his dismissive argument, “she said that saw that thing in the eighties. Deer only live for like, what? Five years, or something?”

“He’s a god that takes the shape of a buck.”

Zeke sighs, peering over to a very pale Lewis. The brunette catches his breath before speaking in a hushed tone, “look, man. I get the Wright and Heart family dispute. Even though it’s weird, I can get why Wallace would use the Resort grounds for his own nefarious deeds. I can even wrap my head around the founder of this town burying his dead wife under that Oak.  But I cannot, for the life of me, get behind some… Some deer dressed up as the god of love, or whatever.”

Lewis’ eyes look dark and petrified as he peers back towards his assistant, “you may not believe it, but this means everything to me, Zeke,” he gasps, “can you let me have this?”

On instinct, Zeke’s brows furrow, because he doesn’t like the man’s firm tone… But the desperation behind Lewis’ eyes leads him to eventually back off, “yeah. Fine. Sorry.”

Zeke crosses his arms to hide the fact that his hands are shaking. He sits back in his seat, and when he takes a cautious glance through the windshield again… That hearty buck that’s been haunting Zeke and Lewis’ presence is gone.

Zeke glances over towards Lewis, whose sturdy hands finally release the steering wheel. He has a light look of pain on his face as one hand presses into his chest. Actually… Zeke’s own chest feels like it’s burning from the inside out... Is that the phantom pain Ms. Trueheart experienced when she saw Cupid, or is that the adrenaline pumping through his veins?

Both men catch their breath, and Zeke watches as one of Lewis’ trembling hands fiddles with the volume on the radio. Now, the hosts’ voice comes in clear as he discusses the waltz that was just playing, although Zeke can hardly focus on what he says, because Lewis speaks aloud to himself, “okay. Alright. Back to the Hotel then.”

As they begin to traverse up the mountainside once again, Lewis drives with much more caution. Zeke peeks over towards the man; he really believes in Cupid’s gift of unconditional love, or the curse of a lifetime, huh?

Lost in silent thought, they cruise up to the Hotel, and Lewis parks under the sleek porte cochère. He halts the engine and both men promptly get out of the little white coupe. Despite the warm incandescent exterior lighting, Zeke stops as he notices how dark the woods are around the property. Quickly, though, he jogs to catch up to Lewis, who is holding the heavy glass door open for his assistant. 

Now that they’re inside the safety of the Hotel, Zeke never thought that he’d be grateful to smell that pungent odor of mold and dust. Becka pokes her head out from the raspberry colored curtains behind the front desk and greets them, “hey, guys - woah. What happened in town? You two look like you saw a ghost.”

Zeke peers up towards Lewis, although it’s clear that the guy can’t get himself to manage right now. So, Zeke speaks up in his silence, “hey, Becka. We’re alright. Thanks though.”

She just nods her head and adds, “Mr. Wright wants a word with you, Lewis. He’s in the break room.”

Lewis says slowly, “I know. Thank you, Becka.”

Without another word, she watches as the two men walk the length of the Hotel lobby towards the rotunda. As Zeke wonders about where the rest of the night will take them, Lewis seemingly reads his mind as he says lightly, “you can head home now.”

Zeke’s shoulders slump. Really, after everything they’ve witnessed today? That’s it? That’s the end of the day? Yet again, it's clear that Lewis wants to get this conversation with Mr. Wright over with, so Zeke mindlessly starts, “yeah, sure. I’m, uh,” he pauses for a moment, because he’s really not sure what to say right now. Eventually, he just adds, “good luck in there.”

Finally, Lewis meets his gaze, and his face softens, “thanks, Zeke. Have a good night.”

“Yeah. I’ll try,” he responds. As Lewis trudges down the hallway towards the break room, Zeke just stands in the empty rotunda. Something feels wrong about just leaving it here; about just going back to wherever he calls home right now, even if it is an easy trek. Instead, he crawls down into the conversation pit and takes a seat on the old raspberry colored pleather. He’s not sure what he’s waiting for, but he can’t seem to clock out from assisting.

At first, he makes a note of the time. He peers over to the backside of the large, stone block that makes up the front desk and the room hidden away behind it. Facing out towards the rotunda, above the empty hearth, a large analogue clock ticks away. It takes Zeke a moment to read the time, but eventually, he gets the gist that it’s around eight thirty. Wow, were they really gone for that long? After a few minutes, he kicks his feet up and tries desperately to get his mind off everything that happened today. 

A great tree with a dead woman buried under it.

A deer that can supposedly bless or curse romantic lives.

A simple lie, and a room full of curious eyes.

Just as he opens up his text messaging app in a desperate attempt to reach out to someone, anyone… Mr. Wright trudges back through the hallway. He looks more furious than he usually does, as his thick eyebrows are strung deep into his forehead. He catches a glimpse of the teenager freeloading in the rotunda and stops dead in his tracks.

The boss man stares daggers with those tired gray eyes as he says, “you know, kid. You’ve caused a lot of trouble around here. Lewis never acted this way until you washed up,” he hisses. With that remark, he shakes his head deeply as he begins to depart into the depths of the Hotel hallways.

Zeke scoffs, because he could care less about what Mr. Wright thinks. As soon as the old man is out of sight, Zeke climbs out of the conversation pit and treks down the hallway towards the break room. He steps carefully, close to the walls, so as to not misstep and creak the old floorboards under the shag carpet. He peers around the open door frame and cautiously gauges the situation… Zeke freezes in place.

Inside, on the far back wall, the door to the employee restroom sits propped open. From this angle, he sees Lewis’ back as he hunches over the sink, both hands placed firmly on the porcelain. His chest and back lurch as he tries desperately to control his breathing; even from here, Zeke can hear the quick inhales and exhales coming from the man’s chest.

Clearly, Lewis is having a bad night, and Zeke feels awful too, because all he can do is watch. He watches as the man peers up at himself in the mirror nestled above the sink. He watches Lewis’ reflection, and he watches as the guy’s face reads heavy with anguish. Lewis stares at himself through bleary eyes; he’s much too pained to see the teenager frozen in place several feet behind him.

He watches as Lewis’ breathing picks up, he watches as his grip against the porcelain strengthens… Within the bat of an eye, Zeke watches as Lewis raises a fist and punches the mirror with a sob. The face of the anguished man fractures and breaks under the stress of his knuckles. The glass shatters, and loose shards rain onto the floor below.

Zeke, acting out of pure instinct, runs.

He runs down the cramped hallway. He skips steps down the emergency stairwell. He collides into the heavy door as he pushes through to the ground level. He frantically pulls his keys out from his pocket and unlocks the door to the last honeymoon suite at the end of the hall. He locks the door behind him, deadbolt and all, and slides down the sturdy oak door to curl up against his legs. 

Zeke tries his best to regulate his breathing, but everything from today is crashing down like broken glass: a dead woman buried under a worshipped tree, a deer that plays with human hearts, a simple lie under prying eyes, and a manager’s agony finally fractured.