Reborn (13 page)

Chapter 19

I
sit on one of the benches outside Frasier Hall to
wait until class
starts at ten. My stomach rumbles, and I remember I didn’t eat any breakfast at
the house. When I dig around my messenger bag, my hand emerges with a vanilla
flavored protein bar. I usually save these to eat before I go running, but it’s
better than nothing. I unwrap it and take a bite while I try to reorder my
thoughts. I’ve got one House Monster, as Tanya so lovingly called Farrah, who
has not only come here to haul her son back to Olympus, but also wants to
jeopardize Gamma Lambda Phi by kicking out half of our members only a few weeks
before recruitment. Why would a beautiful, powerful, practically immortal being
have any interest in the quality of members in a measly sorority—especially
when ours happen to be some of the smartest, cutest, nicest women on campus? I
know this is self-centered, but is this all because of me? Because she hates
me? I don’t care what she does to
me
, but dragging my sisters into this
is crossing the line.

I’ve
also got a gorgeous if unpredictable ex-husband who still adores me; a man the
Ancient Greeks worshipped as the embodiment of virility, of love and desire. Even
though he tells me he understands that, in this life, I can’t be the exact same
woman as his wife, he wants me to magically become her and succumb to him,
which I’m finding harder and harder to resist. It’s difficult to tell if this
is, deep down, a manifestation of my undying love for him, or my body’s
reaction to some pretty potent pheromones. He also hasn’t told me about his
secret club with Liz, Genie, Sam and the other minions. Why does he need Liz to
steal these stones from Farrah? I’m assuming they have something to do with
kicking his ass back to Olympus, as Hephaestus would say. But then why not tell
me about it? And why do I feel this sudden urgency to get to the stones before
Liz can?

My
phone buzzes in my bag, interrupting my thoughts. Seeing the name on the caller
ID brings a smile to my face.

“Hey,
Jimmy.”

“Hey.
What’s up?

I
shrug even though he can’t see me. “Just waiting for my class to start. You?”

“Just
going into work.” He breathes heavily into the phone. “I was running a little
late this morning. Anyway, I still really want to take you out this week. Are
you free tonight? I know it’s last minute. I just realized, between bartending
and playing a few gigs this week, I don’t have as much time as I thought. I
mean, I know you’re busy too, it’s just—”

“It’s
okay,” I assure him mid-apologetic rambling. “We have our board meeting
Mondays, but I’m free after. What do you have in mind?”

“Dinner
at The End?” he asks, sounding embarrassed. “Sorry, I know that’s lame, it’s
just I have to work until six, and then we’re playing a set at nine.”

“Sounds
great. I should be free by six thirty.”

“Cool.
I’ll pick you up then. Anna said I could borrow her truck while she’s away.”

“Away?”
I echo. “Where did she go?”

“She’s
at some retreat for the next couple days. I’m not really sure what it’s for.
She just told me about it before she left this morning. Well, I should get
going. My boss is giving me the evil eye.”

I
laugh. “Yeah, my class is going to start soon. I’m looking forward to tonight.”

“Me,
too.”

I’m
smiling even after the call has ended. Anticipation for tonight bubbles up
inside me, displacing my anxiety over Jasper and Farrah. I devour the rest of
the protein bar and toss the wrapper in a nearby garbage can before heading
back inside Frasier Hall.

Most
of the class is already seated when I walk into the auditorium. Dr. Mars isn’t
here yet; instead Jasper stands behind the lecture podium, hands clasping its
sides as he skims a page in the book open before him. Glancing up at me as I
walk by, he doesn’t smile but finds my gaze and holds it steady. A second or
two later I break eye contact with him to go find a seat. At least I have that
excuse. After spending the night at his place and what I saw this morning, I’m
not really sure how to act around him. I’m still holding his jacket hostage,
but it would just be awkward if I gave it to him now, in front of everyone.

“Let’s
get started,” Jasper says a few minutes after ten as the last students trickle
in. “Eric will be out for the next few days, so I’m taking over his classes. As
you know from the reading, today we’re going to discuss the differences and
parallels between flood stories from various ancient cultures.

“So,
let’s start off simple. Can someone give me an example of what the Sumerian and
Hebrew flood stories have in common?” Enraptured, wide-eyed faces surround me,
but no one actually volunteers an answer.

“Anyone?”
Jasper comes around to stand in front of the podium. “You guys did the reading,
right?” He draws out the last word, his tone coaxing rather than scolding.
Heads bob. “Okay, then. Amritha,” he says to an Indian girl sitting in the
front row. She straightens up as he walks up to her. “I know it’s hard
sometimes to speak up in front of a big class like this, but don’t be shy. We
value everyone’s opinion here. So. Can you give us an example?”

She
clears her throat quietly before answering him. “In both stories, birds were
sent out to find dry land once the flood was over.”

“You’re
exactly right, Amritha.” Jasper’s smile is appreciative. I can’t see Amritha’s
face, but I’m sure she’s beaming at him. “Can someone give me another one?”

Class
flies by. Probably because it senses I want to talk and not talk to Jasper at
the same time. Jasper’s lecture-style is different from Eric’s—and I’m not sure
it’s necessarily in a good way. Both men have that larger-than-life quality.
Eric’s sheer size makes him difficult to ignore, but even outside of class, his
every word is direct, laced with a shot of aggression, and demands all of your
attention. A quieter, more insidious intensity infuses Jasper’s words. Although
people are initially reluctant to participate, his tactic of sympathizing with
them followed by discreet flattery eventually draws them forward in their seats
and their hands into the air. On the surface it seems innocent enough, but
something sinister lurks beneath it. He’s manipulative, and I’m starting to
realize he’s like this with everyone. I couldn’t actually hear his conversation
with Liz at the Black and White party, but I could see it in his face and in
his actions. He’s even like this with me. Does
he
realize it?

I
thought I was supposed to be special to him, so it’s like someone dumps a
bucket of icy water on me when I admit to myself that, yes, he probably does.

“Well,
I think that’s enough for today,” he says, ending class a few minutes early.
“Remember to read chapters three and four in the Walt book for Wednesday.”

I
wait until the auditorium clears out before approaching him at the front of the
room. He’s busy stuffing his books and notes into a brown leather briefcase,
but this time when he finally does look up at me, he sends me a loving smile.
The warmth of it softens his features, sands down his dark, dangerous edge. My
heart, which seems to have cut all ties with my brain, gives an excited leap as
I hand him the jacket.

“Thanks
again,” I tell him. “Great class today, too.”

“I’m
a little surprised to hear you say that,” he says. He slips the jacket on,
picks up his briefcase and starts the walk toward the door. “You seemed a
little preoccupied. You should try participating more in class.”

“Sorry,
Dr. Hart,” I tease him lightly. He chuckles. We pause in the middle of the
hall, both tense and uncertain.

“Want
to hang out in my office for a bit? You can watch me grade papers.” I realize
he’s joking, but he even makes this sound like an appealing option. “Or we can
go grab an early lunch.”

“I’d
love to, but I have to stop back at the house before my next class,” I say. “I
don’t think it would give us enough time.” Actually, my next class isn’t until
one, but he doesn’t have to know that.

“Okay.
Well, what about dinner tonight?”

I
sigh inwardly, hoping he can’t tell that I’m starting to get annoyed. Isn’t
this what every girl wants after spending the night at a guy’s place? Would I
really rather he ignore me? Well, in his case, I guess I would. He’s going to
make it really hard for me to avoid him, isn’t he?

“I
can’t. I’m having dinner with Jimmy at The End. It’s not a date.” For some
reason I add this in a rush even before he responds, and even though it
probably is a date. Heck, I
want
it to be date. Just because I’m
confused about Jasper doesn’t mean I don’t like Jimmy anymore.

“I
get it,” Jasper says, but his jaw is stiff, his usually sensuous mouth set in a
thin, white line. “We’ll see each other later in the week. I’ll call you. Just
promise me you’ll be careful around Farrah, okay?”

“I
promise.”

We
back away from each other slowly, Jasper toward the stairs, me toward the front
doors. I give him a small wave before running through them, the sky splattering
my face with a few sprinkles as I walk out onto the lawn. I forgot an umbrella,
but I don’t mind rain, except when it’s that stinging cold rain we get in late
November.

At
the Gamma Lambda Phi house, I open the door to a deserted downstairs. The door
to the guest room is closed. I go up to it and knock.

“Farrah?”
I call.

No
answer.

It’s
only been a few hours. Could Liz have gotten to the stones already? I go to the
entertainment console and open the back of the wood table clock, where we keep
the master card key that opens all of the bedrooms.

“You
can use my key.”

I
jump at the sound of Tanya’s voice on the stairs. As she walks down the last
several steps, she pulls her room key out of her wristlet.

“I
don’t need it for our room.” My eyes betray me by wandering over to the closed
door of Farrah’s room. Tanya follows my gaze, and understanding dawns on her
bronze face. Her lips curl into a mischievous smile.

“Best
idea ever,” she proclaims. “Let’s see what skeletons House Monster has hiding
in her closet.” She claps her hands eagerly. “I’ll go get Carly! She’ll want to
help!”

“No!
I mean, let’s just keep this between —”

“Help
with what?” Carly asks from the landing.

“We’re
going to go through Farrah’s stuff!” Tanya tells her in a loud whisper.

“Sounds
naughty,” Carly says. “I’m in!”

She
and Tanya beat me to Farrah’s door. “What do you think we’ll find? Drugs? A sex
tape?” They look back at me, my roommate motioning me forward. “Come on, Twin!
You’re the one with the key!”

As
well as being a conniving, two-faced bitch, Farrah is also apparently a neat
freak. If it weren’t for the sheets on the bed, the clothes in the closet and
the books aligned neatly on the desk, you might think that no one lived here.
She’s left the window open a crack, and a light breeze ruffles the pastel blue
curtains. Otherwise, it doesn’t look like anything’s ever been moved or
touched.

“We
have to be really careful to leave this the way we found it,” I say, but Carly
and Tanya are already descending upon the closet.

“One
of us should be lookout.” And not me, I want to add, but they’re acting like
they don’t hear me. I survey the lifeless living room one last time before
closing the door, leaving it open just a crack.

When
I turn back to the bedroom, regret and hopelessness overwhelm me. What was I
thinking, snooping around Farrah’s room? I glance again at the bare, dust-free
surfaces and perfectly made bed. I don’t know where to start looking. I don’t
even really know what I’m looking for. How big are these stones? How many of
them are there? Will I know when I find them?

The
best place to start seems to be the desk. I rummage through the contents of
each drawer, being careful not to disturb them too much. The desk is less
severe than the rest of the room, but it’s still organized better than mine,
which I basically use to hide stuff so that Tanya thinks I’m neat. Each drawer
is lined with blue and yellow plaid shelf paper. In the first are her combs,
brushes, curling iron and other hair necessities. Stationary, envelopes and
notepads are in the second.

“Oh,
my God! Better than a sex tape!” Tanya sings excitedly behind me. I look up
from where I’m crouched to see her and Carly peering into a pretty pink and
lavender box, its contents cushioned by a white silk lining.

“What’s
this?” Carly wonders. At first I’m not exactly sure what the object is clasped
in her small, dainty hand, although it reminds me of something. It’s about
six-inches long and made of a cheap-looking peach-colored jelly rubber—

I
clamp a hand over my mouth to stifle my laughter.

Tanya
is less successful at hiding her own and gives a loud snort. “You might want to
put that down.”

“Why?”

“It’s
a dildo.”

Carly
shrieks and drops it. It lands with a smack on the hardwood floor and rolls up
to Tanya’s feet.