Chapter Twenty-Four
“Crush - a strong positive emotion of regard and affection.”
Piper
I crept through the darkened apartment toward the couch where Frankie insisted on sleeping.
I hoped she was comfortable, but I wasn’t sure my couch would be.
I didn’t have a sleeper with a pull out mattress so she had to settle for the lumpy cushions.
I tried to make her take the bed, but she refused, saying I needed more rest than she did.
I peeked over the back of the faded red velvet to see she had a couple blankets piled on her and all I could see was the top of her white-blond hair.
At least she managed to sleep. Before creeping back to my room I glanced at the daisies still sitting in the center of the coffee table.
They were still as gorgeous as yesterday.
It was early, still dark outside and very cold.
I could hear the howling of the wind outside the window.
Mornings like this I hated the opening shift at the diner.
But on Friday’s, my classes didn’t start until later in the day so that left room for an extra shift, and it was money, which I needed.
And since I had the day off yesterday, I didn’t really need to be complaining.
As I pulled on my uniform and then a sweatshirt on top of that, I thought about Dex and how I hadn’t seen him since he brought me home from the clinic.
I was still unsure about who he really was and the more I got to know him, the more I wanted to find out.
At first it had all been about the man who died in the street.
I was positive he knew something. But I wasn’t so positive anymore, and even though I began to suspect he knew nothing, my desire to get to know him was still strong.
Maybe my attraction to him hadn’t been all about the man who died after all.
Maybe I just had a crush on him.
His messy blond hair, the thick-framed glasses, and the green eyes…
I couldn’t deny I thought he was handsome.
Never mind the fact his jeans always had a rip in them and he wore those black Converse sneakers every time I saw him.
His look was an absolute contradiction to his expensive sports car and fancy townhouse (with a butler!).
I smiled to myself thinking about it all.
“Why on earth are you smiling that like at this ungodly hour?” Frankie grumped from the doorway of my bedroom and I gave a little shriek and dropped the ponytail I was pulling my hair into.
“Crap! You scared me!”
“Well that’s what you get when you creep up on a girl who’s dreaming about a hot actor sweeping her off her feet.”
I grinned. “Who was it this time?”
“Patrick Dempsey,” she said as she trudged over to my bed and fell onto it face first.
I laughed. “I’m sorry I woke you.” She grunted into a pillow as she pulled the covers up around her. “Make yourself at home,” I said, amused. Really, I wished I was still in bed. It was too cold for work this morning.
“What are you all smiles about?” she mumbled. “I know it isn’t because you have to go to work.”
“Nothing,” I replied, going into the bathroom to brush my teeth and throw on some minimal makeup.
When I came back, she lifted her head from the comfort of the blankets and said, “Mmmhmmmm, it’s Dex, isn’t it?”
“Maybe.” I smiled.
“I’ll never understand it. Crushing on some guy who fed you chicken with peanuts.”
“He didn’t mean it,” I said, trying not to remember the reaction I had. My body was still sore from the panic. It was probably why I still felt tired even after a full night of sleep.
“I’ll meet you here later and drive you to class.”
“Don’t you have to work?”
“Yes, but not until an actual decent hour. And I’ll take an early lunch to come drive you.”
“You don’t have to do all that.” I protested, knowing it was useless. I covered up my reaction to touching her last night, but she still knew me well enough to know something had thrown me off. I’m just glad she didn’t seem to realize that whatever it was had been about her.
“Girl, don’t make me get out of this bed,” she warned. “After everything that’s been going on, it’ll make me feel better to know you actually made it to class. And that peanut boy won’t be driving you.”
I rolled my eyes, but then said, “Thanks, Frank.”
She was a good friend—sleeping on my couch to make sure I was okay and then driving me all around town.
“Must sleep,” she groaned.
I laughed. “There’s coffee in the kitchen if you want to make some later.”
She grunted and I slipped out the bedroom door and into my boots. As much as I hated riding the bus these days, it was too cold to walk. As I waited at the bus stop, my thoughts went back to Dex. I wondered when I would see him again and I found myself hoping it would be sooner rather than later.