Lucky Number Four (33 page)

My smile is wobbly. I hope he’s not drunk and
won’t drop me. I also hope my underwear isn’t showing to the crowd
of people.

“I didn’t do anything, Liam. It was all you.
Now, as much as I love this, could you please put me down? Two
glasses of wine and pizza, plus spinning, are not mixing very well
together. Oh, and I love you too.”

“Sorry, love, but I’m so excited to start the
New Year free from secrets,” he says as he puts me down gently and
kisses my cheek.

“I’m so happy for you.” I feel Jeff watching
and pull him close to us. I guess he backed up when Liam started
his twirling act.

“Hey, Jeff, how were your holidays?” Liam
looks uncomfortable all of a sudden, and even though he’s tan, I
see a hint of blush on his cheeks.

“Pretty awesome. Spent it with Dora and her
family, or as I think of them, my second family.” Jeff beams. I’m
sure he noticed the blush too. If I could, I would cross my
fingers, toes, legs, arms, and wish on a shooting star that these
two gel.

“Beer?” Liam asks, but I shake my head. “Oh,
right. Fireball doesn’t like beer.”

I can’t believe the change, and he’s calling
me fireball.

“I’ll have one,” Jeff announces, and Liam
makes his way to the kitchen with Jeff trailing behind. The crowd
closes in, and I lose sight of both of them. Wait until I get a
hold of Jeff. He promised he’d stick to me like glue. I feel eyes
on me. I seem to be the center of attention of the group in front
of me.

“Who’s your agent?” a tall, dark, long-legged
male with shaggy hair addresses me.

“Me? I don’t have one,” I reply, watching his
eyes widen in surprise.

“Everyone does. It’s unheard of not to have
one in this town.”

Is that disdain on his face?

“I don’t do what everyone else does. It’s so
common.” I can’t believe those words just came out of my mouth.

“Hey, Chilton, are you harassing our roomie?”
Thank the stars that are absent in the sky. It’s delectable Colin
to the rescue.

“Oh, so she’s not one of us?” Chilton’s tone
is starting to grate on my nerves, and yes, I’m getting fired up. I
think Colin thinks so too, as he takes my arm and guides me to the
other side of the room.

“You didn’t have to rescue me. Okay, maybe
you did. He’s quite the pompous ass. Remind me to not buy any
magazines with him in it.”

Colin laughs and it sounds so good. But no
butterflies. What is up with that? Are they drunk on the wine and
don’t have the energy to flutter?

“I know you can hold your own. I was worried
for Chilton. He’s never met a Pandora before, and I don’t know if
he’s up for it. How were your holidays?” He’s looking into my eyes,
and yep, no butterflies. Oh, well. It never had a chance
anyway.

But what about that kiss? Surely he hasn’t
forgotten about that.

“Oh, just abnormal, as usual. Poor Drew had
to put up with us, but he’s still hanging around, so we haven’t
scared him off yet. And yours?” I ask as he looks me up and
down.

“Dora, has anyone told you how amazing you
look in that dress? It totally matches your hair. No wonder Chilton
was talking to you. My holidays were brilliant. I found out I’m
going to be an uncle again. My family loves to procreate. My mum
always drops hints to me. I’m the baby and everyone else is
settled.”

“Mothers have a way of doing that. I’m glad
you like the dress. Jeff picked it out for me.” I brazenly turn
around, letting him get the full effect.” He responds with a soft
whistle, causing people in our immediate area to stare.

“Well, he has good taste. Speaking of which,
thanks for what you did for Liam. Drew and I have known he was gay
for years, but he wouldn’t even break his silence for us. He called
me from his home on Boxing Day, which is the day after Christmas,
and told me the news. Also, between us, I think he’s got his eye on
someone we both know.”

“Jeff. Tell me it’s Jeff.” Stupid, Dora,
stupid. Of course it’s Jeff.

“Are you all right with that?” He looks
warily at me.

“Are you kidding? I would flippin’ love it.
Jeff is a wonderful guy, and the two of them would be perfect
together.” I reach up and hug Colin, who returns it with gusto. My
feet are barely touching the floor.

“Hey, what’s this? What am I missing?” Drew’s
deep, smexy voice washes over me and the butterflies stir. I mean
they’re
jumping
. Maybe it’s the pizza or the wine mixing
together.

“I was thanking our Dora for helping
Liam.”

“Yeah, I’ve been meaning to drop by, but I’ve
been tied up since Christmas on a project I’m working on.” Drew’s
eyes meet mine, and the psychotic butterflies, pizza, and wine are
having a wild party. I can’t believe these two can’t hear them. I
can’t be attracted to Drew. It was Colin, always Colin. Drew
wouldn’t have bowed and kissed my hand before he ravished me. For
the love of chocolate…I used the word ravished.

“Dora?”

Oh, great. Now I’ve missed something.

“Sorry, what did you say?”

“Colin just said you’re okay with Liam and
Jeff.” Drew’s voice is now sending shivers through me and goose
bumps have popped up all over my arms and legs.

“Uh-huh, of course. I couldn’t think of a
better match, except for Kevin and Julie.” Why does that depress me
all of a sudden?

“Anyone taking your fancy?” Colin asks, and I
realize he’s asking if I’m into anyone.

“Too busy. School, work, and Sunday dinners
leave little time for anything else.”

I feel Drew’s eyes on me, and then all over
me as if he’s just noticed how I look. I bite my lip. I can’t
remember the last time I bit my lip. I’m nervous. What does he
think? Too slutty? No, Jeff wouldn’t let me look slutty, and I
didn’t appear slutty in my mirror, and hey, Drew hangs around with
models who look slutty all the time.

What the hell is wrong with me? Bitchy much,
Dora?

“She’s talking to herself,” Jeff’s voice
punches through my thoughts.

“Are you talking to me?”

“You’re the only female standing with
us.”

I look around. He’s right. Just Drew, Colin,
Liam, Jeff and I are standing in this little intimate circle.

“Shouldn’t you guys be circulating? You’re
the hosts,” I say a little too quickly and maybe a little
defensively.

“So are you,” Drew replies with a little
delicious smirk.

How the hell can a smirk be delicious? What
was in that wine? I feel my arm being taken, and I look up to see
Drew gazing at me.

“Come with me, Dora. We need to do some
hosting.”

I can’t think of a damn response. My brain
has gone on strike, but my stomach is full of activity.

The crowd parts as we move along, and I’m the
object of many stares. Instead of being nervous, I stare back. How
dare they look at me like I don’t belong here. Chilton did, but who
the heck is he? I hear whispering and I want to yell that my mom
taught me it’s rude to whisper. If you can’t say it out loud, then
drop dead.

Okay, my mom never said the last part, but it
sounds better than what she says.

Drew doesn’t stop as we make a sweep around
the apartment, even though he’s hailed by everyone. He just smiles
and keeps moving.

“Shouldn’t you stop and speak to your fans?”
I finally ask.

“I see these people all the time. They’re
phony, Dora. They only like me because they think I can help their
careers. They don’t care a lick about me. They’re shallow, and I’m
tired of all this bullshit.”

He sounds so sad. I want to take him in my
arms and hold him, and then run my fingers through his hair. Okay,
so maybe not that, but I’m supposed to help him. I wish I could
strangle Henry for being so vague. I’m not good at guessing games.
I’m a spell-everything-out-for-me type of girl.

“There are phony people everywhere,” I say,
“but I’m sure not everyone in this room is fake.”

Yeah, Dora, that sounds good. Way to pick up
his mood.

“Nope. Every single one of them, except for
our little group, of course. Agents, models and makeup artists,
they all want a huge piece of the pie and expect us to give it to
them. I worked hard to get where I am, and I didn’t step on people
to get here. Sorry to be such a downer on New Year’s. Maybe we
should dance.”

“But there’s no music,” I say as he takes me
in his arms and moves flush against me and sways like he can hear
music.

He leans down. “I love that you’re wearing my
present,” he whispers.

I suddenly forget that we’re surrounded by
people. My focus is solely on the sound of his heartbeat and the
chime of my necklace.

“Are you cold?” he whispers, his voice
mesmerizing.

“No, why?”

“Because you’re shivering.”

He pulls me closer. My legs wobble. Jumping
stomach and wobbly legs are nothing to laugh at, and I’m definitely
not laughing right now. I’m burning up, hotter than Hades, but I
don’t want to leave his arms.

What am I saying? Here I am in the arms of
the “bad boy” of modeling and I want to stay. The flu, that’s it. I
didn’t have my shot this year. All the symptoms: shivering, upset
stomach, wobbly legs, and fever. Yes, it’s the flu. Whew, close one
there.

“Ten, nine, eight, seven…”

Why is Drew counting? Oh, shit—it’s almost
New Year’s, and what happens at the end of the countdown? People
kiss, and I don’t want him to catch my sickness. Trying to pull
away, I hear “two” and I pull a little harder, but it’s like I’m
strapped into a straitjacket. I had to endure one of those in a
psych class this year.

“Happy New Year, Dora.” Drew leans down and
gently lifts my chin, sealing his lips to mine.

And then it happens.

Fireworks.

Okay, so there are some going off outside,
but I mean within me. His tongue pushes its way in, and my body
goes wild, just like it did on Halloween. In fact, it’s exactly the
same feeling and the same lips. Sweet Jesus, it was Drew, not
Colin.

A feeling of panic washes over me. I have to
get out of here. I break contact, and before Drew can react, I lose
myself in the horn-blowing, screaming crowd.

Where the hell is my door? Great, all the
tallest people in the room have surrounded me. I look up and see
Jeff. He makes his way to me, looking worried.

“Dora, what’s wrong?” he yells.

“I have to get back to my room. Please help
me.” I grab his hand and let him lead me through the mayhem.
Finally, I see my door and Jeff opens it, pushing me before closing
it behind him.

“What’s up? You look like you’ve seen a
ghost.” He reaches into the fridge, grabs a bottle of water, and
then tosses it to me.

“Worse,” I say while taking a deep swallow of
the cold liquid. “I’m in a nightmare.” I cap the bottle and lie on
the bed.

“What nightmare?” Jeff lies beside me on his
side, his face inches from mine. He gently pushes back a rogue hair
that has come loose from my ponytail and runs his cool fingers down
my heated cheeks.

“I thought it was the flu, but it’s
Drew.”

“You’re making about as much sense as trying
to make peace with zombies. Great. I got you to smile. That zombie
marathon the other night is still giving me the creeps. Let’s start
from when I lost you.”

“Yeah, remind me I’m mad at you for
subjecting me to all those movies after I tell you what happened,”
I joke. I still have the goofy smile on my face from his zombie
remark. Love my zombie movies. “I lost you, and then I found Colin,
and he didn’t give me butterflies and Drew did, and it’s because
it’s him, not Colin.”

He lets out a soft chuckle. “That pretty much
cleared up nothing.”

“Oh, for the love of Sunday dinners with my
family, it’s Drew. Drew is the Modelteer who kissed me on
Halloween. He’s the one who almost gave me an orgasm right there in
a dark hallway. Or what I think an almost orgasm feels like.”

“Whoa, Drew? Bad boy, Drew?”

“Yes, him. I can’t believe it. I’m going to
have to move. This isn’t going to work, me living here. Why is he
doing this to me? I was happy with my boring, mundane life.”

“Thanks for calling me boring. Or am I
mundane?” Jeff remarks, still wearing that silly grin of his.

“Oh hush. You know what I meant. Sexless,
dateless, and the only worries I had were passing math and enduring
my crazy family. I passed math, and my family will always be crazy,
so I have to deal. But having a fling with a famous—correction,
mega
famous—hottie isn’t needed or wanted in my world. No,
sir.” A few tears slip down my face and Jeff gently wipes them
away.

“Are you finished? I think you’re
overreacting. I’ve come to know Drew. Wait, it’s my time to speak,”
he says, shushing me when I try to argue. “Liam says he’s a good
guy. The fights in the tabloids were provoked, and the women? Each
one of them only wanted to be photographed with him for their own
gain. Yes, he’s slept with a few of them. He is a guy, after all.
But Liam says that over the last few years, Drew’s changed and has
become more distant with people. He also told Liam you’re like a
breath of fresh air, and he’s happy you moved in.”

“When did Liam tell you this? How long have
you known this and let me believe he was this
love-’em-and-leave-’em type of guy?” I turn so I’m facing Jeff side
by side and I watch the guilty look cover his face. “Fess up,
buddy.”

“I’ve known for a short time. But wait—I saw
the way he looked at you, and I guess I got a little possessive. I
wanted to see if it was true before I told you. I think Liam is
right. Forgive me for loving you so much.” He leans over and kisses
my nose and I melt. How can I be angry after that?

“I forgive you, and I won’t hit you for
losing track of me tonight. But, Jeff, in all honesty, I felt like
I had the flu when Drew and I were dancing. I had all the symptoms,
and now they’ve disappeared. That can only mean one thing: I’m
attracted to him. I don’t want, or need this.”