The engine rumbled beneath them as Ray steered through the quiet city streets, the neon glow of late-night diners and street lamps flickering across the windshield. Peter, slouched in the passenger seat, let out a long, exaggerated sigh before side-eyeing his friend.

"C'mon, Ray, you can't believe everything this chick says just 'cause she smiled at you," he drawled, propping his elbow on the door.

Ray gripped the wheel a little tighter, jaw tightening. "That's not-"

"Oh, it's exactly that," Peter cut in with a smirk. "You're sitting there, moon-eyed, because a mysterious woman batted her lashes at you and said, 'Ooooh, I sense an energy .'" He waved his hands dramatically. "Meanwhile, we run a legitimate business, based in science, innovative technology, and-"

"Trapping ghosts in laser boxes," Ray deadpanned.

Peter huffed. "Semantics."

Ray exhaled sharply through his nose. "Look, she's the real deal. Just trust me on this one."

Peter crossed his arms, unconvinced. "Oh, I trust you, Ray. Just not your, uh, ability to resist the power of the opposite sex."

Before Ray could shoot back, he pulled up outside Marie's building. The place had an old-world charm, the brick exterior softened by ivy climbing up the sides.

Ray pushed open the heavy front door to Marie's building, stepping into the dimly lit foyer. The air carried the faint scent of old wood and something herbal - sage, maybe. A brass mail slot rattled as the door shut behind them, and the overhead light buzzed faintly, casting long shadows on the checkered tile floor.

Peter strolled in beside him, looking around with an unimpressed hum. "Yeah, this tracks," he muttered, eyeing the vintage furniture and the cluster of dried herbs hanging from the wall.

Ray shot him a look but ignored the comment as a door opened along the corridor up ahead. A moment later, Marie appeared, dressed in her usual effortless style - dark layers, silver rings catching the dim light as she adjusted the strap of a satchel slung over her shoulder.

She smiled at Ray before her gaze flickered to Peter with quiet curiosity.

"Marie, this is Peter," Ray introduced, rubbing the back of his neck. "Peter, Marie."

Marie extended a hand. "Nice to meet you."

Peter hesitated for half a second before taking her hand, but instead of a quick shake, he held onto it, turning it over as if inspecting a magic trick. His fingers ran lightly over her palm.

"So this is it, huh?" he mused, eyes flicking up to meet hers. "The famous psychic touch?" He traced his thumb along the inside of her wrist. "No glowing runes? No secret inscriptions? Just regular old fingers?"

Ray groaned. "Peter."

Marie, however, simply blinked, her lips curling into a slow, amused smile. "If you wanted to hold my hand, you could've just asked."

Peter smirked. "Oh, I like you."

Marie's smile widened, her fingers still loosely entwined with his. She tilted her head, watching him as if peeling back layers he didn't even know he had. "You know, if you were this charming on that date last week, it's probably why she hasn't called back."

Peter opened his mouth, but Marie cut him off, squeezing his hand just slightly.

"You thought you were gonna get lucky," she mused, almost sympathetically. "But she got cold feet - crept out the side door. Left you there, stuck without a lift back into the city. Took you an hour by subway."

Peter froze.

Ray blinked, his gaze darting between them. "Wait - what?"

Peter's grip on Marie's hand slackened slightly. "How did you-"

"There's a spirit with you," she continued, as if it were the most casual thing in the world. "They just couldn't wait to tell someone about it."

Peter's breath hitched. He didn't move, didn't speak, but Ray saw it - the flicker of recognition in his eyes, the way his shoulders stiffened for the briefest moment before he masked it with a scoff.

Still, Marie must have noticed too.

Her grip finally loosened, allowing Peter to pull his hand back, flexing his fingers as if shaking off static.

Marie simply smiled. "But I'm sure that's just a coincidence, right?"

Peter swallowed, forcing an easy grin, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah. Total coincidence."

Ray glanced at him. He was rattled. For the first time in a long time, Peter Venkman didn't have a snappy comeback.

Marie turned back to Ray. "Shall we?"

Ray hesitated, still watching Peter. When his friend gave a noncommittal shrug - one that was far less confident than usual - Ray finally nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."

Marie moved toward the door, and Ray followed, but Peter lingered for just a moment longer.

He glanced over his shoulder at the empty foyer, his pulse still slightly uneven.