CHLOE BAKER'S LOST DATE

Chapter Four: There Were Knights in the Temple

The Temple of Dendur was nothing like the Lord of the Rings. Where Mordor was dark, the Temple was in a light filled room, surrounded by a quiet pool. The sunlight streamed in through a wall of slanted windows, reflecting off the gleaming stone. When you walked in, the present fell away. It was easy to imagine yourself two thousand years earlier, in another place, another time.

"Did they sacrifice virgins in here?" I asked.

Jack snorted. "Not to my knowledge."

"Why did they build it?"

"You want the long version or the short version?"

"You still remember the long version?"

"You really are going to think I'm a massive dork."

I put my hand on his forearm. "I won't. I'll be impressed."

"Well, that's because you haven't heard it." He touched my hand briefly, trailing his finger along the tendon as our eyes locked.

"Tell me."

He dropped his hand and cleared his throat. "It's basically a cult to the leader combined with religious and mythological elements."

I knelt down and examined a relief of figures on one of the walls to hide my blushing face. "This detail is fantastic."

"You can buy a rubbing in the gift shop."

I stood up. "I just might do that. Where to next?"

"Knights in shining armor?"

"That's right up my alley."

We made our way to the Arms and Armor galleries. Once inside, we stood in front of a long procession of knights on horseback and examined their gleaming armor.

"I used to love coming here as a kid," Jack said. "I'd spend hours here when I had the day off from school."

"Why here in particular?"

"Not sure. I guess because the armor was worn by real people, once. I used to imagine being in battle, how close you had to get to your opponent. You would've been surrounded by smells—horses, sweat, fear, mud. And there would've been so much noise—cries of pain, hoofbeats, the clang of the armor..." Jack trailed off, a tinge of red on his cheeks. "Sorry, I get carried away."

"I like when you get carried away."

"Oh?"

"You must've been a great tour guide."

"I enjoyed it. But wait, 'must have'? Am I failing today?"

"Not at all. This is the most fun I've had in a museum in a long time."

He grinned. "I'm glad."

I turned back to the knights. "It's funny, I probably had my face buried in a book while you were imagining the battles. A different kind of escape."

"Romance novels?"

"I was more into VC Andrews, though I guess you could say that those books had romantic elements if you're completely twisted?"

"I remember my sister reading those. They were awful."

"They were. I would've been better off reading romances."

He shook his head. "I don't get why women want to read books about being saved by a man."

"It's a fantasy. No matter how bad things are in real life, you always know that there's going to be a happy ending."

Jack touched the side of my face, his fingers moving gently on my skin. "That's—"

"Sammy, no!" A harassed looking mother tried to catch her four-year-old boy before he climbed up onto the plinth that held the soldiers.

Sammy clenched his fists and boosted himself up. He was wearing overalls and yellow rain boots. "Wanna ride the horsies!"

Jack's hand dropped and he bolted after the boy, scooping him up right before his little hand clasped the tip of one of the knight's swords. "No touching, little buddy."

"But I wanna! I wanna ride the horsie!"

Jack jumped off the plinth with Sammy in his arms. He delivered him to his mother who thanked Jack profusely before she pulled Sammy away from the knights, howling.

"My hero!" I said to Jack as he walked back to me, the feel of his touch still lingering.

"All part of the training. I'd like to show you one more place. But it's a surprise."

"Should I close my eyes?"

"Not necessary. Follow me."

He turned on his heel with military precision and strode out of the gallery. I trailed along wondering where he was leading me.

"Wait up," I called.

"Come on now, almost there." He had a laugh in his voice as he turned into the Greek and Roman art gallery. He moved purposely until he got to a large sarcophagus.

He opened his arms. "Tada!"

"Is that where—"

"Claudia hides her violin case? Yes!"

I touched its smooth surface. I loved books in general, but the Mixed-Up Files had saved me. It was the first book I read after my sister died, and I'd tell myself that she'd just gone to the museum like Claudia and Miles had. That she'd be back.

"Thank you, Jack."

"There used to be a large wishing pool here that had something in it called the Fountain of the Muses."

It was in the book too, described so vividly that it was easy to conjure a large fountain with bronze sculptures rising out of it. Visitors grasping pennies, warm in their hand, taking an important moment to wish for something.

Love, happiness, a dream come true.

"Do you have something you wish for, Chloe?" Jack said beside me, standing close, his tone intimate.

"Doesn't everyone?" Our eyes locked again. "Do you?"

"I do."

I felt the heat of his gaze and my hands started to tingle. Something was happening between us— But, wait. We'd only met a few hours ago. I was getting carried away by nostalgia and the novelty of being on a real date.

"It's a shame the pool's not here anymore, then." I said, breaking eye contact. "But what about the statue? Where's that?" The statue had fascinated Claudia and her brother while they hid in the museum.

"It's always surrounded by a million people, but we can go see it if you like. Or ..." He checked his watch.

"You have somewhere you need to be?" I said as gently as possible, masking my disappointment.

"You promise not to laugh?"

"How can I promise when I have no idea what you're about to say?"

"How do you feel about boats?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's not far, just in the park, but it'll be easier to take you there than to describe it."

The ground felt uneven beneath me. It wasn't a rational response to what he was saying, but I couldn't control how my body reacted. "What am I getting myself into?"

"It'll be fun, I promise."

"And if it isn't?"

"Then lunch is on me."

****

Katie here! If you're enjoying CHLOE BAKER'S LOST DATE, please consider leaving a comment below or voting for my story. Thanks so much for reading!

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