Blood Ties (13 page)

I gave them a small shrug. It was suddenly quiet. I could see the wheels turning. Nope. Didn’t want to know what movie played in their heads.

Jen opened her purse, fished around in it then dropped the whole thing on the floor as planned. It spilled everywhere. They all bent down to help her. While they were distracted, I stepped close to the room and glanced inside. From where I was standing, I could see a stack of folding tables and chairs. In the corner leaned up against the wall were the composites.

I carefully bent down to pick up a comb, knees together, bracing against the wall with one hand. They weren’t going to get of glimpse of what was under my dress. They could keep guessing “panties” or “thong” until the day they died as far as I was concerned.

Jen snagged a tampon that had rolled to the feet of one of the guys and quickly slid it into her purse. Her face flushed. It was kind of cute. She’d never struck me as a flusher. “Thanks guys, clumsy me,” she said breathlessly.

“Well,” I said. “It was nice to meet you. We’re looking for the bathrooms. A guy at the party told us they were back here.” I leaned over to the side and tried to see down the hall, a firm grip on the hem of my dress. “If you could just point us in the right direction?”

“Sure, they’re down there, just keep going.”

Out of sight, I sent a text to Logan and Dylan to meet us at the back of the atrium. They met us halfway down the hall and told us there was also a west entrance, not too far from the bathrooms. Since I didn’t see any gala members wandering about, it looked
as if we had the hallway to ourselves.

“Logan, you were dead on. Dylan, you’ll be the only one stripping tonight.” I called Parker and put him on speaker. “
Okay, everybody. This is the plan. Logon, go stand watch at the east entrance. Parker, bring the car around to the west entrance, park it as close to the door as you can and leave it running. Then go back to the east entrance and get ready to help Logan. Jen and I are going to hang out by bathrooms near the west exit. Scenario is … Dylan streaks, we scream, the four bros come running. You guys snag the prize.”

I turned to Dylan. “Dylan, when the car gets here
, throw your clothes in it and come back in. Once we start screaming, make sure the frats see you run out that door. Jump in the car, go back around, and pick up Parker and Logan. When everything’s calmed down, we’ll meet you down the street at the QuikTrip.”

Whew. I took a big breath. Details, details. I always had a flair for clandestine activities.

We placed our fists in the center of our diabolical circle and smacked them. Dylan ran out to the car. He came to the door shivering, wearing a facemask, holding his privates. “Don’t peek,” he hissed as we let him back in.

“Sure, Dylan, we won’t peek
.” We giggled as we took a look. He frowned and pressed himself up against the wall, hiding his backside.

My cell buzzed. Everyone was in place. We started screaming. Sure enough, the brothers came running around the corner. Dylan took off in the opposite direction, hit the door and flew out. He was long gone when the boys piled out of the entrance to the building, yelling.

Jen and I grasped each other’s hands in a combination of feigned embarrassment and horror. People poured out of the atrium. Two security guards and the president of the college, George Nelson led the herd. He was a big man with a thin drape of silver hair brushed over the top of his head. He was dressed in a black suit and a yellow patterned bow tie. The collar of his shirt was so tight around his neck it looked like his head was a blow pop.

He yelled out, “What the hell is going on?”

We huddled up against each other looking terrified. The frat boys came back all excited and puffed up. “Streaker sir, he had a car waiting.”

The security guards went out the door and disappeared.

“Well, did you get the license?” he growled.

They looked at each other. “No sir.”

Oops, I’d forgotten about that.

Dr. Nelson huffed in frustration then turned to us. “Girls, are you alright, did he hurt you, touch you in any way?”

We both shook our heads. I didn’t dare look at Jen. I concentrated on the crowd of concerned faces around us and gave them an almost tearful look. “No, he just ran right past us. We … we hardly saw anything.” Jen leaned against me and put her face into her hands. Her shoulders shook from laughter. I pulled her into my arms. “Jen, it’s all over now, he’s gone, don’t cry.” She made a choking noise and her shoulders shook even harder.

I saw Dr. Marcheon
struggling to control the expression on his face. A few women came over and patted poor Jen on the back, comforting her.

Someone from behind
President Nelson pulled out a camera. He turned around as if he knew, and turned an angry red. “I swear to God Harold, if you take one picture, print one word I’ll hang you by the …” The camera disappeared. He let out a huff, held his arms out away from himself, and hung his head in silence, taking deep breaths.

I spoke with a feigned tremor, as if I
were going to break out in tears. “Sir, if that would be alright, I think we just need to go home.”

Dean Wilson came out of the crowd. “That’s right. They’ve had enough excitement for the evening.” He looked around. “Michael, would you be so kind as to see these two young ladies home?”

No, no, no! This was not planned. Definitely not in the plan!

He waded through the crowd with a concerned look. “Of course.”

I sniffed, trying to keep the emotion going. “No really, that’s okay. I have my car here, we’ll be fine.”

“Well then, please escort them to their car
,” said President Nelson. “We wouldn’t want them running into that damn streaker again.”

Everyone made a path for us and
Dr. Marcheon led us outside. Jen held her head down, leaned into me, snorting every few steps. I patted the back of her head. “We’ll be home soon enough Jen. Safe … and … sound.” I scrambled to figure a way out of our predicament since we didn’t actually have a car. I guess I was just going to have to just pick one and shoo him off. If he didn’t leave, I’d call Parker for a pickup once I conveniently discovered I had lost my car keys.

Streetlights illuminated the full parking lot and I searched for a car, one that looked ratty like mine. Unfortunately it looked
as if the faculty with their nice cars had commandeered all the primo parking spots. I would have to “forget” where my car was and head towards the back, searching for my one and only.

“This way ladies.”

We screeched to a halt.

“I have no intention of letting you go off by yourself. I can see the both of you are distraught and
I would never forgive myself if I let you drive and there were an accident.”

I blinked. His words – the way he had said them seemed so familiar.

He gave me a sweet smile, daring me to argue.

Jen tugged on me with a scrunched up look, tears of laughter streaming down her face. “He’s so right Liz,” she snorted, then covered it up with a fake sob. “We shouldn’t be behind the wheel.” She tried to pull me along. I looked at Dr. Marcheon. Shock hovered
just at the edge of my mind. She tugged harder, and then turned so only I could see her face. “Liz … let’s go,” she hissed.

I let her drag me along by my hand. Dr. Marcheon opened the door to the backseat of his Mercedes and we slid in. I sat there
, stunned.

“Is everyone in? Seatbelts on?”

I heard his words but they didn’t register until Jen poked me in the leg. I fished for mine and when it was in place, he pulled the car out of the parking space. I glanced up just in time to see him look away from the rear view mirror. His shoulders were shaking. I seemed to be the source of his amusement lately. You’d think he’d be upset we’d just been violated. I guess people can see humor in anything.

I sent a text to Parker and told him to stash the composite in Jen’s apartment. He had a key. They’d been having several late night study sessions. I’d started wearing earplugs.

It seemed as if the drive took forever. We finally pulled up to the building and he helped us out of the car. Jen leaned against him. “Thank you Dr. Marcheon. Thank you so much for bringing us home. You probably saved us from hitting a tree.”

He smiled down at her
and chuckled. “You’re welcome.” His gaze turned to me. Jen squeezed my arm. I gasped from the pain. “Um … yes, thank you. I’m sorry we pulled you away from the gala.”

He smiled broader. “No, don’t apologize. I’m grateful to have an excuse to get out of there. My evening has turned out to be quite ... pleasurable.” That word. That word rolled across my skin like a wet kiss. Both Jen and I shuddered. “Well, I must be off but before I go, I will see you safely inside the building.” He walked behind us, Jen dragging me up the sidewalk. Once we were inside, he gracefully walked
back to his car.

Jen whispered in a singsong voice. “You want to kiss him … you want to date him …” as she pulled me into her apartment. The guys yelled out when we walked in and threw us up over their shoulders. Beer flew everywhere.

It was all the gossip on campus the next day. A brawl had broken out between the Delta Sigs, Betas, and Thetas. There was a subsequent rash of thefts, kidnappings, and half-naked victims tied to trees in the commons. Maybe I’m a trend setter or maybe it was just me, knocking over the first domino.

Chapter 10

Friday I walked into his office and he was on the phone. On my desk were a Coke and Snickers bar. Several weeks ago, he’d started bringing me food. Sometimes it was a box lunch, surplus from one of the administration luncheons, other times cake, ice cream or cookies from someone’s birthday. It reminded me of my sister’s cat, the one I’d accidently run over on the way to school. Every morning it had brought us furry and feathery gifts. I liked Dr. Marcheon’s better. They didn’t move and make little noises.

I pulled out my laptop and I began reading through my campus emails. There was a promotion for the St. Germaine soccer team, a slew of emails on midterm exams and one from Dr. Marcheon. He wanted me to type up another handout. I had a suspicion he made things up for me to do.

I heard him put down the phone.

“Miss Aldridge, there’s a new exhibit in Sydney at one of the downtown galleries. It’s only here for a few weeks and I was wondering if you’d like to accompany me for a look? I’ve been re
quested to restore some of the artist’s paintings and thought a field trip would be useful.”

I gave him a long blink. My mind focused on the last bit – he wanted me to go to an exhibit, with him? I did a silent primal scream. Jesus I had it bad. I was flipp
in’ dying with excitement.

I plastered a mildly interested look on my face. “An exhibit?”

“It’s just arrived from Russia. It contains several of Vasilii Dmitrievich Polenov’s biblical paintings along with a few of his lesser known landscapes.”

I had no idea who Polenov was but that wasn’t going to stop me. “When were you planning on going?”

He gave a small, thoughtful look. “How about tonight, if you don’t have plans? I could pick you up, say around six-thirty?” He smiled. “Will you come?”

I glanced away and pretended I was thinking it over, then looked into his soft brown eyes and said the only thing I could.

“Sure, why not.”

***

The sun had just set. I did my best imitation of casual while I waited for him, leaned up against the wall in the entryway, dividing my attention between watching the parking lot and my nails. I’d torn a couple off and was trimming them down with my teeth. My stomach was doing these weird flips.

I’d spent the last hour with Jen and her excitement, quizzing me on what he had said, how he’d said it, etc., while I tried on one outfit to the next, clothes flying everywhere. I settled for a pair of “nice” jeans and a blue sweater. I wrestled the perfume out of her hands when she tried to douse me with it. As a consolation, I let her do my mascara. Other than that, makeup was too much of a bother.

At least a dozen students had gone past me while I waited, running up and down the stairwell or coming in or out of the building, all quizzing me why I stood by the door. I’d said I was waiting for the pizza guy.

Shit. What if someone saw me get into his car? What if the faculty found out
? What if they thought it was more than a field trip? Couldn’t he lose his job?

M
y heart gave a sudden thud when his car pulled up to the curb and I completely forgot what I had been thinking about. I checked the stairwell then took a shaky breath and acted nonchalant as I walked down the steps towards him. I glanced around for witnesses. I didn’t see a soul and by the time I made it to the bottom of the steps, he’d gotten out and opened my door. I smiled, he smiled. It was awkward. It felt like a date.

I settled into the black leather seat and watched him walk around the front
of his car. He wore a pair of faded black jeans and a fitted white shirt, the top button undone. It revealed just enough to see the absence of chest hair. I sighed. He was unreal. He opened the door and got in, sliding into his seat. He gave me another smile.