Dates From Hell (17 page)

“The gym bisects this end of the school,” Kyle pointed out. “The only way to get to the other side is through the gym.”

“Or across the stage,” Claire said.

Kyle blinked. “I forgot about the stage,” he acknowledged. The small gymnasium was used for plays as well as sports, or had been when they’d attended Murphy High.

“It’s curtained off tonight.” Jill began to grin. “We can sneak across it to the other side and slip out unseen.”

“Okay.” Kyle took an arm of each of them and turned back the way they’d come.

Luck seemed to be on their side, and they reached the door to the back of the stage unseen. All three of them sighed with relief as they slipped into the dark alcove at the foot of the stairs leading onstage…until the door closed, leaving them in utter blackness.

“I can’t see a thing,” Jill complained in a whisper, her hand grabbing at Claire’s arm.

“Just wait here a minute until our eyes adjust,” Kyle suggested. They waited several minutes, listening to someone giving a speech in the gymnasium itself. From the alcove, the voice was really just a low incomprehensible drone occasionally punctuated by clapping or laughter from the reunion attendees, but it was soothing in its tenor.

“Okay,” Kyle said after several useless moments had passed and their vision didn’t improve. “I guess this is as good as it gets. I’ll lead the way. Claire, you take my hand. Jill, you hold on to Claire.”

Claire almost protested that she couldn’t hold the jacket closed if both her hands were occupied, but then let the matter drop. After all, it was so dark, no one would be able to see if the coat hung open. She’d just retrieve her hand before they slipped out through the door on the opposite side.

Kyle moved very slowly up the stairs to the stage. Claire followed just as slowly, carefully feeling out each step as she drew Jill behind her. Once on the stage itself, it was less difficult; the flat floor was easier to negotiate. It was also easier to hear the speech being given on the other side of the curtain up here, though Claire was too tense to listen as she blindly followed Kyle’s firm hand.

Claire never considered that there might be anything on the stage itself to trip them up. Presumably, Kyle didn’t either, for he moved a bit more quickly as they crossed the floor, trading caution for speed. When he suddenly came to a halt with a grunt of surprise, Claire crashed into his back, then stumbled to the side, their handhold briefly broken. Before she could tumble to the stage floor to alert those beyond the curtains that someone was onstage, she crashed into Kyle and his hands closed around her waist, steadying her.

“Sorry,” Claire whispered, relaxing against him.

“What happened?” Jill hissed, tightening her hold on her hand.

“We ran into something.”

“What?”

“I don’t know,” Claire whispered.

“Who is that?” a baritone voice asked over her head and Claire stiffened. That wasn’t Kyle’s voice. The hands around her tightened as if sensing she would try to break free, and Claire began to struggle in earnest, then stilled and blinked as she realized it was growing lighter…Fast.

“I give you your Prom King and Prom Queen from 19—” The voice died mid-year and Claire whirled around as the hands holding her suddenly dropped away.

“Oh God,” Claire heard Jill breathe as the stage lights suddenly went on, blinding them to the sight of the people staring at them…but highlighting them on the stage.

“You’re not Claire!”

Claire’s hands had gone up to shield her eyes the minute the lights blinked on. Now she turned her head toward that startled comment from Kyle and saw him almost off the stage with Magda by the hand. The blond was wearing a long red robe over her dress and a tiara on her head. She also had a furious expression on her face that said she wasn’t pleased.

“Claire?”

She glanced over her shoulder at the man who had caught her when she’d stumbled and found herself staring at Jack McCarthy, the football player she’d dated in high school. He, too, wore a robe over his suit, but his head was topped by a crown.

Prom King and Prom Queen, Claire recalled the speaker saying. Magda and Jack had been the Prom King and Prom Queen the year they’d all graduated. Obviously they’d been waiting back here in their robes and crowns to be presented to their cograduates. Kyle must have stumbled into one of them, and the moment their hands had broken apart, confusion had set in. He’d ended up dragging Magda offstage, and she’d ended in Jack’s arms.

The silence that had gripped the gymnasium suddenly gave way to the roar of shouts and clapping. It was so loud, Claire almost didn’t hear Jill’s shout. She did however, notice the way she was trying to pull the lapels of Kyle’s suit coat closed over her nakedness.

Squealing in horror, Claire finished the task herself and turned her back to the pandemonium in the gymnasium, only to find herself staring at a leering Jack.

“You aged well, babe. Are you still single?” Jack asked, reaching for her.

“No, she isn’t,” Kyle snarled, suddenly at their side. Snatching her hand, he dragged her quickly offstage, leaving Jill to rush along behind them.

“Well, I’d say that’s a reunion no one will forget,” Jill gasped as they ran out of the school and hurried across the parking lot.

Claire groaned and felt her already flushed face darken a bit more. She would really rather not think about what had just happened.

“Did you see Magda’s face?” Jill added. “She was furious we stole her moment.”

Claire groaned again, then sighed as they reached Kyle’s car and leaned weakly against the side of it.

“Cheer up, Claire,” Jill said, rubbing her back. “This might have been the double date from hell, but Magda had it worse.”

“Worse?” Claire asked with disbelief.

“Well sure. First she finds out her fiancé’s been cheating on her from Kyle and that she’s dating my castoff, then Ted goes and asks me to see him again, then Brad Cruise says she’s a lousy kisser and drops her in the toilet, then her crowning moment as the Prom Queen revisited is spoiled when she’s dragged offstage. At least you got a standing ovation for your figure. You were a hit.”

Claire groaned and dropped her head.

“I don’t think that helped, Jill,” Kyle said archly. “Get in the car.”

“No thanks. You two go on. I’ll wait for you at home,” Jill announced.

“But—” Claire straightened abruptly, feeling as if she was being abandoned.

“I have my car here and you two need to talk,” Jill said firmly as she moved off.

Claire blew a breath out and glanced at Kyle. He didn’t say anything, but merely unlocked and opened the passenger door of his car for her to get in, then closed it behind her. Biting her lip, she watched him move around to the driver’s side to slide behind the wheel.

A moment of silence filled the dark interior and then Kyle gave a short laugh.

“What?” Claire asked warily.

“I was just thinking that you were two-timing me tonight with my own sister.”

Claire grimaced. “It was more like a double date where I was both Brad and Claire.”

“This night would have gone much easier if you’d just told me what was going on,” Kyle pointed out.

“I know.” Claire bowed her head.

“But you didn’t trust me not to immediately rush you back to the lab and treat you like Thumper,” he said quietly.

“No,” Claire said quickly. “I mean, not really. I was just afraid you’d think I was a freak, or that you’d…”

“See you as an experimental subject rather than as yourself,” he finished quietly.

Claire sighed, unable to deny it.

“That would never happen, Claire,” Kyle said solemnly. “We’ve known each other too long for me to think of you as anything but the beautiful, intelligent young woman you are.”

Claire felt tears well in her eyes, but forced them away, and quickly changed the subject to one she’d been wondering about all night. “You said you’d tell me why you didn’t ask me out when we were in high school,” she reminded him.

Kyle grimaced, then admitted, “Actually, it’s because your father had a talk with me and asked me not to.”

“My
father
?” Claire asked with surprise.

Kyle nodded. “He said it was obvious the two of us liked each other and that we were very compatible and would probably make a good team, but he cautioned me that I might want to wait until we were both out of school to start up anything with you. That we already knew we liked each other, so if we found we had passion together, we might do something unfortunate and become pregnant, or marry impulsively and destroy the possibility of two promising careers. He also wanted you to gain some independence and learn you could stand on your own two feet rather than move from living with your parents to living with a husband.”

“Daddy said that?” she asked with outrage. Claire couldn’t believe her own father had interfered in her love life that way. She was definitely going to have a chat with the man.

“He was right, Claire,” Kyle said quietly. “It was better this way. You’ll have your master’s soon and I my doctorate. You experienced independence and know that if you aren’t happy, you can leave and take care of yourself. You’ve also dated other men and I’ve dated other women, so we’ll never wonder what we were missing out on.”

Claire blinked. “That sounds rather long-term, Kyle.”

“Yeah, it does, doesn’t it?” He smiled wryly, then took her hands and said, “Look, Claire, I’ve known you since you were a skinny little twelve-year-old brat with braces. More than long enough to know I love you. I’ve always loved you.”

“You
love
me?” Claire asked with pleased surprise.

“Yes.”

“I love you, too,” she said happily.

Kyle leaned forward and kissed her and Claire felt her heart thrill at the passion that again exploded between them. They definitely had some chemistry going on there, which was good to know, she thought, and then felt Kyle’s hand slide beneath the jacket to find and cup one breast. Claire moaned and arched against him as his lips began to travel down her neck.

“Oh Kyle,” she breathed, clutching at his shoulder with one hand as the other started doing a little traveling of its own.

“Oh Claire,” he gasped, shifting around and trying to find a better position for them both without the stick shift and steering wheel to get in the way. They were both panting, half with excitement, half with frustration, when he reached past her and pulled the lever to let the upper part of her seat down.

Claire gasped as she suddenly slammed backward in the front seat and then simply began to crawl backward, leading him into the backseat where the steering wheel and stick shift wouldn’t be a problem. Kyle growled and followed, tugging the sides of his jacket aside to leave her exposed to him as he joined her on the backseat. Then he paused, and glanced around, blinking at the sight of the already fogged window. He frowned and reluctantly offered, “We could go back to the house.”

“Too far,” Claire muttered, reaching for him. She then paused and smiled wryly as she realized they were so eager for each other that they were about to make love in the back of a car like a pair of teenagers. Shaking her head, she said, “Daddy was right.”

“Oh yeah,” Kyle admitted wryly, stretching himself so he lay half on her and half on the seat and then he kissed her again.

Shuddering and moaning, she arched against him again, then gasped with excitement as his hand found and cupped the center of him. Moaning into his mouth, she shifted her hips upward into the touch, then reached to find him as well, smiling against his mouth as he groaned in response to her own hand covering him.

He was already hard, but his erection was still growing and she blinked her eyes open in surprise as his more than healthy erection continued to grow under her hand. And grow. And grow.

Dear God, she thought faintly, she’d hit the jackpot. The man was
really
well endowed.

Kyle broke their kiss and moved his mouth to her ear to murmur, “Did I mention the destabilizer ray was still on when I ran into the experiment chamber to drag you out? I discovered the effect it’d had and my new abilities in the parking lot of the grocery store this afternoon when I went to get groceries.”

Claire’s eyes widened at this news. “You mean you’re
doing
this? You’re shifting to make it bigger?”

He nodded, then caught the lobe of her ear in his teeth and sucked lightly. “Anything for my lady’s pleasure.”

“But Kyle,” she cried. “You shouldn’t be shifting. What about the possibility of destabilizing the cells further, to the point of breakdown?”

Kyle straightened with a sigh. “I don’t really think that’s likely. Mostly I just didn’t want to have to share you with Jill anymore tonight,” he said, then added with a wry smile, “Getting you naked was also a consideration.”

Claire narrowed her eyes on him. “Kyle, you may be able to fool Jill with that, but I’m as savvy on the experiment as you are. I know there is some worry that—”

“Some small worry,” he acknowledged. “But very small, and you’re worth the risk.”

“Oh, Kyle,” Claire breathed, pulling him back down toward her. “That’s just the sweetest thing ever.”

Epilogue

Five years later

“I
can’t believe Kyle agreed to babysit,” Jill
said as they got out of the car.

Claire laughed as she led the way around to the trunk to unload the goods they’d bought. “He knew I wanted a special dress for the graduation next week. I have to look good when I become Dr. Claire Lockhart.”

Jill smiled faintly at her obvious pride in finally achieving her doctorate, but shook her head. “Still…”

“Oh, come on,” Claire chided. “Kyle’s a great dad. He loves little Beth.”

Jill snorted. “He
loses
little Beth every time he babysits and it drives him wild.”

Claire laughed again, the laugh of a wife and mother who was happy and satisfied. It was five years since their high school reunion and her first date with Kyle Lockhart. Four years since she’d become Mrs. Claire Lockhart, and two years since they’d had their first child. Claire was now three months pregnant with their second child and already couldn’t wait for Beth’s little brother or sister to be born. She was hoping for a boy. Nothing would make her happier than giving Kyle a son to go with his daughter.

“Kyle!” Claire yelled as she led Jill into the house. “We’re back!”

A childish giggle answered her from the end of the hall and Claire started slowly forward, carefully scanning the floor as she moved toward the kitchen. She was nearly at the kitchen door when she stopped abruptly and shook her head.

“You little dickens,” Claire chided. “Are you playing hide and seek with your daddy again?”

The uneven bit of floor she’d noted gave another little giggle and suddenly shifted into a naked baby girl with curly strawberry blond hair and big blue eyes.

“Claire!” Kyle came rushing down the stairs, his hair and clothes a tousled mess, his eyes slightly frantic and a diaper and pink dress in hand. “I can’t find Beth. She shed her clothes and is hiding on me again. She—”

He paused, blinking abruptly as he noted the child standing, leaning against her mother’s knee.

“Oh, Beth,” Kyle breathed with relief, hurrying forward to scoop her up into his arms. “Naughty girl, scaring Daddy like that.”

When his daughter’s only response was to giggle, Kyle shook his head and bent to kiss Claire softly on the lips.

“I love you,” he breathed by her ear before straightening.

“And I love you,” Claire assured him.

She watched with a soft smile as Kyle moved off down the hall, reprimanding their daughter as he went.

Five years had passed since the day they’d both been exposed to the destabilizer. They’d managed to keep their secret and still see John Heathcliffe lose his position for his “attempt” to test the destabilizer on a human. And, so far—much to their relief since they’d passed their condition on to their child—there didn’t appear to be any terrible side effects to the exposure to the destabilizer. If anything, it tended to make life more than a little interesting.