7

She was not pleased with the pizza. Pizza was one of her all-time favorites, and he'd picked it up from her favorite pie-shop with all of her favorite toppings, but she'd expected dinner with Dory and was hoping to see Peter up close.

Geoff shared a slice with her and put Ghostbusters on, knowing how much she loved the movie. She seemed distracted, though, and didn't laugh as often as usual, so when the guys were climbing the stairs on their way to battle Gozer the Gozerian, he unexpectedly departed.

Macy picked at savory toppings when she didn't feel like eating whole slices anymore. She watched the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man get angry and was relieved when the guys survived the ordeal even though she had seen the film like a hundred times.

She heard a throat being cleared as the credits rolled, and there was her father standing smartly by the little hallway that led to the single bedroom, a fluffy, peach-colored towel folded neatly over one arm. "Your spa treatment, m'lady?"

"My what?" She rose from the floor and strolled past him as he gestured toward the bathroom. Candles glowed in the steamy darkness and fragrant foam topped scalding water in the tub. "Oh, she'll love this!"

"This, my dear, is for you," he told her.

"Me?"

"I'll refresh your beverage." He stepped within the small space to turn on some soft music. "Be right back."

She stood on the little apricot colored plush rug and inhaled the sweet fragrance of frangipani. The music he'd selected was Hawai'ian slack-key guitar. He returned with a tall, iced pink lemonade and set it on a small table near the tub. Then he reached behind himself and withdrew a fresh Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine from his pocket.

"When did you buy this?"

"This morning when I bought gasoline."

"You're just dreamy!"

"I please all the ladies," he boasted playfully. "Take your time. Have a good soak."

Because she had slept over a few times, Dory kept a soft bathrobe for her with her nickname embroidered on it. Geoff had thoughtfully hung it on the back of the door. Macy stripped and folded her clothes neatly atop the toilet seat lid. She had already left her shoes in the living room when she first arrived. She looked in the mirror above the sink, gazing at her slight form in the soft gold candle glow and couldn't decide if she did or did not like what she saw. She unbound her hair and let it fall just past her shoulders, pale and almost shimmery in the flickering light. The water was very hot, so she perched on the edge of the tub for a few minutes, listening to the drowsy sounds of traditional Polynesian melodies over a recording of lulling ocean waves caressing a glittering shore. She inserted her toes, but it was still too hot, so she ran cold water until she could ease beneath the lingering blanket of foamy white bubbles.

At first she merely surrendered herself to the encompassing warmth and heavenly fragrance, closing her eyes and clearing her mind. After a while she slouched and bent her legs until only her eyes, nose, and lips remained dry. Then she slowly let her head sink, holding her breath, relaxing, feeling the velvety warmth consume her. She lifted part of her upper body free and leaned back to let her hair dry until she felt she could look at her magazine without water running into her eyes. Now and then she heard her father make noise as he busied himself about the apartment, killing time. She thought she heard him singing a couple of times, and that was rare because he wasn't aware he had a pleasing singing voice.

The bubbles melted and she let some of the water drain off so she could refill it with hotter water. She washed her hair with Dory's papaya shampoo and coconut conditioner. Geoff had left a fresh bar of soap for her in the dish and she unwrapped it to inhale its coconut lime fragrance. A candle sputtered and she smiled, thinking she might have the most awesome father in the whole wide world. Shortly thereafter she distinctly smelled chocolate and decided there was no room left for doubt.

When she cut the water, she heard talking and knew Dory was finally home. She drew her robe on and fled the humid room to greet her with a big hug. "Dory!"

"Macy!"

Behind her stood a wisp of a boy in a loose fitting button-down shirt, khaki trousers and sneakers holding a cardboard box that smelled wonderful. "Hi," she said, releasing the woman.

The boy's eyes met hers and after a moment his lips formed a slight smile.

"Peter," Dory began, "this is Macy."

He said shyly, "Hi."

"Hi," she said again.

"I brought extra in case he's hungry," Dory mentioned, turning to accept the box from the Quasar. He stared at Macy, but without menace.

"They don't have to eat," Geoff reminded her.

"I know, but I want him to feel…like he belongs."

Suddenly aware her hair was wet and she wore only a robe, Macy hurried to Dory's bedroom to seek something more appropriate. The best she came up with was an oversized long nightshirt with Wonder Woman on it, but at least it wouldn't come untied and flop open. When she emerged, the adults were unpacking food in the living room and Peter still stood near the apartment door. Macy approached him and he followed her with eyes that seemed flecked with brown one moment, then more of a dark grey, then olive green. She noticed his pupils were unusually large.

"Whoa! Hey there, kiddo!" Geoff said, abruptly on his knees so he could look into her face. He turned her chin his way and snapped his fingers in front of her eyes. "You still with us? You okay?"

Embarrassed, her eyebrows crinkled toward each other and she drew away from him. "What? I'm fine."

"Not for a good thirty seconds or so you weren't," Dory told her from her right.

"You were in a daze or trance," Geoff explained, looking over at the innocent boy who still stared her way. She thought she detected a sad longing in his eyes and cocked her head, intrigued. "I think it's time for you to hit the hay."

"But Dory just got here!"

"It's after ten o'clock," he told her. "You agreed to start going to bed at a reasonable time before school-"

"What's burning?" asked Dory, sniffing the air.

"The cookies!" Geoff yelped.

Smoke was streaming from Dory's oven, and even as they dashed toward it, the smoke grew darker and more voluminous. "Oven mitts! Oven mitts!" yelled Dory, searching frantically about.

"I don't know where I put them," Geoff blurted, waving smoke out of his way so he could turn the oven off.

Someone began to beat on a wall from an adjoining apartment and then Dory's smoke detector went off.

"Get the cookies!" Macy told Peter, and he blinked, strode purposefully between the adults, opened the oven and withdrew the hot baking sheet bare-handed.

"Oh!" exclaimed Dory before she started laughing. The Quasar felt no pain. She located a dish towel and folded it over itself on top of her cutting board. "Set it there," she told Pete. "Thank you." She reached to fondly ruffle his hair.

"Is that what you're going to do?" Geoff asked her.

"What?"

"Mess up his hair like that? That's one of the things Alex always did to Amanda."

She looked at Two thirty-one and shrugged. "I don't know."

"It looks like you're petting a dog."

"Jealous?" she teased.

He chuckled. "No. Just curious. Sorry 'bout the cookies. They were the last batch anyway."

She saw several on a cooling rack atop her small kitchen table. "Chocolate chip?"

"Tollhouse with walnut pieces."

"Ooh, what a man!" she purred.

He grinned and noticed the mixing bowl near the sink. "Next to the last batch."

Dory grabbed the bowl and looked at it. She didn't think there was quite enough dough left for another full dozen…not at the size Geoff made them. She handed it to Peter. "You like cookie dough?"

He accepted it as though it was a gift so marvelous he was unable to believe anyone could trust him with it.

"Go ahead. Finish it up."

Macy had fled to open windows and turn on a small fan in Dory's bedroom to help evacuate the smoke. The alarm hadn't stayed on long and the neighbors seemed to have settled. At least no one was banging on the wall anymore. As she re-entered the tiny kitchen she saw Peter lift the bowl to his face as if to sniff the treat, but he kept going until his face was well within it. Geoff's eyes grew large and Dory started laughing again. "What were you saying about treating him like a dog?"

"Maybe we could buy him a collar," Geoff snorted.

"That's not funny," Macy announced loud enough that the boy lowered the bowl, revealing gobs of dough stuck to his face and eyelashes.

"You're right," Geoff agreed. "I'm sorry. You're a good kid," he told the Quasar.

"That sounded like you were talking to a dog," complained his daughter.

"Let me get you a spoon," Dory said, gently prying the bowl free of his hands. She looked at his face and added, "And a towel."

"Can I have a cookie?" Macy asked.

Her father sighed. He didn't like sending her to bed full. "All right. One. Want some milk?"

"I still have lemonade in the bathroom."

"In the bathroom?" Dorreen echoed. "Were you guys having a picnic in there before I arrived?"

Macy grabbed a cookie and was happy to find it was still warm. She departed for the bathroom where she finished her drink and blew out all of the candles, then gathered her clothing and carried it into the bedroom. She set it on the floor near the door and climbed up on Dory's high, cushiony mattress. She laid her damp head on a pillow, spreading the strands out behind her like rays of sunshine. She listened to the adults talk and noticed the burnt cookie smell was rapidly fading. She had just drifted to sleep when a chill woke her. She got up to turn off the fan, hit the lights, and draw a lightweight afghan up over herself. Soon she was sound asleep.