Lucky Number Four (26 page)

“I’m so glad it’s over. I never want to see
another math book again for as long as I’m alive.” I grab Jeff’s
arm and loop mine through his. It’s freezing. Winter has come early
and I’m thankful I bundled up this morning. “I think I nailed it
though. Thanks, Jeff. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Anytime, my friend. To pay me back, you can
buy me lunch.”

“Okay, I guess that’s fair.”

The ringing of my cell has me pulling off one
of my gloves and pulling the phone out of my coat pocket. “Hi, Mom.
Yes, it’s finally over. I think I did well. Sorry I haven’t called.
We’ve been hitting the books hard. Yeah, I asked them and Drew
accepted. The other two are going home. Okay, he’s right here. I
will. Love you too.” I quickly end the call and throw my phone back
into my pocket, pulling on my glove before my fingers drop off from
frostbite. “Mom sends her love, and she’s so happy Drew is going to
be able to make it. Now she’s stressed about what to buy him.”

“She has a point. What do you buy a
zillionaire?” Jeff responds, pulling my hand through his arm
again.

We pick up the pace and finally arrive at his
car without my frozen nose falling off. The blast of hot air from
the vents is almost painful for a few seconds, and then it feels
wonderful. I love Jeff’s little sports car. I don’t know what make
or model it is though. Cars aren’t really my thing.

“So, where are we going for lunch?”

“Somewhere cheap. Remember, I haven’t worked
for a few weeks, and Christmas shopping just about wiped me
out.”

“Well, I guess I’ll pay, because I’m not
going to eat cheap when I received my Christmas money from my
parents today. I went from dirt poor to—let’s just say I have money
now.”

“Then we’ll go all out for lunch.” I smile at
Jeff’s cute smirk and settle back in the plush leather seats,
letting the warm air wash over me.

“I’m stuffed. I shouldn’t have had that
dessert, but it was oh-so-good.” I feel like a bloated pig. My
three-course meal was amazingly scrumptious, and I finished it off
like I hadn’t eaten for months. Now I’m searching through my
messenger bag looking for something to calm my tummy.

“If you’re looking for antacids, I could use
a few as well. I don’t think the lobster is sitting very well with
me at the moment.”

“I thought I had them in here, but they must
be in my medicine cabinet. Damn.”

“We’ll be home in a few minutes,” Jeff says
as he swerves to miss an idiot who pulls out in front of us.

“I’m glad I’m in the car with you and not my
mom. She would’ve chewed that driver out just then, even though he
wouldn’t have heard her. I hate when she drives. It’s a wonder she
hasn’t been arrested yet.”

“It doesn’t do any good yelling at them. It
just makes your own blood pressure go up. Most terrible drivers
couldn’t care less.”

We pull into the parking garage entrance and
Jeff swipes his card across the machine’s sensor. Within seconds
the security gate slides to the side, allowing us to enter. There
aren’t any other cars on the basement parking floor, and I’m
relieved. All I want to do is to go upstairs, take my tummy meds
and lie down.

The lobby is warm and Brad is MIA, which
allows for Jeff and me to enter the elevator unseen. Okay, so there
are security cameras all over the hallways, but no human has seen
us, unless someone is looking at the monitors.

“Jeff, do you know where the monitors are
that those cameras feed into?”

“Never thought about it. Maybe they’re in
that locked room behind the front desk?”

“I just realized how creepy it is being
videotaped and not knowing who’s watching.” I shiver as the
elevator doors close and we start to ascend.

“It’s not like there are cameras everywhere,
Dora. Just in the stairwells, hallways, and lobby. Or maybe I’m
mistaken and there’s one in your bathroom.”

I hit him on the shoulder and he laughs. I
storm out of the elevator as soon as the doors open.

“You’re a butt, you know that? Now I’m going
to be paranoid about going to the bathroom and showering now,
thanks.” I unlock my door and try to shut it before he comes
in.

“Dora, I’m only kidding. Look, I’ll show you
there’s no camera in the bathroom, and then you can rest easy.”
Jeff takes me by the hand and we go into the humongous bathroom to
begin our search.

I’m still not convinced ten minutes later.
Jeff laughs after I tell him so and he leaves the bathroom. I hear
knock at my door and then hear Jeff talking to someone. I open the
medicine cabinet and pull out my bottle of antacids and pop a few
in my mouth, hoping it helps, but also hoping that whoever Jeff is
talking to will be gone when I come out. No such luck. I walk out
and there’s Liam, Drew and Colin lounging in my sitting room,
making themselves at home.

“Hey, Dora.” Drew’s grin holds me spellbound
for a second, and then Colin draws my attention by patting the
empty seat next to him on the couch. I plop down, gracefully, of
course, and listen to them banter. Apparently, tomorrow is the last
day Liam and Colin will be here before departing for home, and they
want to go out tonight and celebrate Christmas early.

“What do you two think? Are you up for an
evening with us poor unfortunate souls?” Drew glances at me then
Jeff.

“We just ate and are stuffed. Frankly, we
were going to take some antacids and have a nap. Our last exam was
today, and it was brutal.”

“Well, that’s okay. You guys rest, and we’ll
leave about seven. We’ll make it a ‘last exam and farewell until
New Year’s’ celebration.” I start to shake my head, but Drew raises
his hand and shakes his head first. “Not going to take no for an
answer. We’ll go to my club so it won’t be crowded, and we’ll just
hang out and have a few drinks.” He smiles at my grimace at the
word “drinks.” “Or not, and dance, so be ready by around
six-thirty, okay? We’ll take my car.”

He stands up and so does his silent partners
as they leave without another word.

“Well, I guess we’re going out tonight,” Jeff
says as he makes his way to the bathroom.

I lie down on the bed and close my eyes. I
feel the bed dip as Jeff joins me. I snuggle up to him and sigh. “I
guess we have to go.”

“Yep, we do.”

Drew’s club is exactly the same as it was the
last time we were here. The same girl is checking coats and her
bright, white smile greets him and then encompasses all of us in
her cheerful hello. Its cozy feel is still there, and the music
isn’t blaring.

Drew leads us to the farthest booth in the
back, where we can actually talk without having to yell at each
other. The booth is a semicircle, and somehow I end up between Drew
and Jeff, with Liam and Colin opposite us. Can I say I’m
disappointed? Well, I am. Colin keeps looking at his phone and Liam
is brooding. Yeah, I can feel it. Remember, empath.

A waiter arrives at our table and takes our
orders. I move a little in my seat and I feel a thigh pressing
against mine. Drew is a little too close for comfort. In fact, I
feel a little claustrophobic, or maybe it’s something else. I look
over at Colin and catch his eye, and his smile should make me
forget the thigh, but no dice. My leg is warm and so are other
regions of my body, really warm, in fact. I must be coming down
with the flu, that’s it. It is flu season, and I didn’t have the
shot. Drew shifts his body so that his whole side presses against
mine.

Damn flu.

“Jeff, I need to go to the ladies’ room,” I
whisper to him.

He quickly gets up and I scoot over and out,
nearly colliding with our waiter, who is bringing our drinks. I
find the bathroom and make a beeline for the sink, grabbing a paper
towel along the way. I wet it with ice-cold water and pat my neck
and forehead. My eyes don’t look feverish, and I don’t look pale,
or feel clammy, so maybe it’s not the flu. Maybe it’s early
menopause hot flashes, or maybe I’m starting my period several days
before it’s due.