Chapter 10

At the last minute, the St. Patrick Day Dance at the nursing home fell through. We might have been able to pull it off, but Ian and I didn't try very hard. We decided to go to the nursing home on Monday night and have a dance at "the house" on Friday night. My roommates and apartment 14 looked forward to the nursing home, but I didn't add to their buzz of anticipation. Being around the elderly made me nervous. It's not that I thought that they were secretly children eating witches or world domination seeking wizards, but once you get old you're either a mind trapped in a decaying body or a deteriorating mind occupying a…well…decaying body. Moreover, the only remedy for a decaying body is death. That's depressing.

We all crammed into Will's SUV to head for the nursing home. Once we got there, the sophomores and Emily had brought nail polish and were painting nails and giggled with the elderly. While Kyle obviously was wherever Emily was, Ian was talking with two ladies who seemed to be flirting with him. I had no clue where Will went, but I sat nervously in the back until two old men beaconed to me to sit with them at a table.

"Have you played Parcheesi before?" One of them said as I sat down.

"A long time ago." I answered with a weak smile.

"Good." The other grinned broadly and said in a clogged whisper, "Just don't cry when you lose."

"I won't." I reassured them.

"I'm Joe, by the way." The first one said. "This is Ron."

"I'm Kerstin. Nice to meet you."

"Share-who?" Ron said.

"Kerstin." I pronounced slowly, but then added. "They call me Red."

"I wonder why." Joe said, and they both laughed.

"Are you going to stand there staring, son?" Rod said looking over my head. "…or are you going to join us?"

Will Grandison took a seat between Joe and me, across from Ron. Ron eyed Will and wheezed. "We've an added challenge, young lady. This boy hardly ever looses. Your changes of winning were scarce to begin with, my dear, but I'm afraid now they're non-existent."

My eyes jumped wide open. "You know Will?"

Ron nodded. "You owe me another game of Stratego, Willie?"

"Losing twice isn't enough?" Will said.

"Rookie's luck. We'll see how you fare in Parcheesi."

It was nice to see Will glaring at someone else for a change, but I didn't think it was exactly appropriate for him to glare at a man three or four times his age. However, I do have to say that Ron's wrinkly skin, crooked nose, thinning white eyebrows, and multi-colored teeth added an extra sinister oomph to his own glare to combat Will's. After Joe started laughing at the two of them, slight smiles grew on Will and Ron's faces.

As we played, I talked little and mostly stared at my pieces while Joe, Ron, and Will talked mostly about politics and healthcare. In the middle of their discussion, Ron started coughing…coughing uncontrollably. Mucous oozed out his nose, and…well…something else…seeped out of his mouth. Joe started patting him on the back. While he still coughed, Ron's eyes seemed to plead with me to do something for him, but what could I do? I could play golf and tutor in statistics…nothing of any worth to Ron. Wishing my touch had some sort of healing power, I put my hand on his back and started rubbing while Joe patted. Will stood up to grab a nurse's attention. Finally, a nurse came to calm his coughing down and clean him up.

The game resumed, but I was even quieter than before. I didn't know what to say or where to look. That's when I remembered a ring pop in my pocket. I tried opening it, but the stupid thing wouldn't open.

"Red," Joe said. "You said you wouldn't cry when you lost."

"I'm not crying," I said, but I felt two tears roll down my cheek. I quickly wiped them away, but then a few more came down.

"Red, what's wrong?" Will asked.

I hesitated, but whispered close to his ear and pointed to the ring pop. "The stupid thing won't open."

Will's eyes narrowed. "You probably shouldn't eat it in front of them."

Not in the mood to argue or hit him, I took a deep breath and put the ring pop back in my pocket.

Will whispered in my ear, "They don't expect you to heal or translate them. They just want you to smile, small talk, and play Parcheesi."

How'd he…Why'd he… I had a hard time believing the novelty…his words weren't offensive. In fact, they were thoughtful. Yet…his face still featured narrowed eyes, a furrowed brow and a set jaw.

He leaned toward my ear again, but said louder. "You are loosing pretty badly, though."

"She said she wouldn't cry," Joe said.

"I'm not," I said.

"Good. Let's get this game going, but…" Joe split his focus between Will and I. "…no alliances."

"No worries, Joe," Will said. "Red will fend for herself. I was only telling her how badly she's loosing."

"Right, of course you were." Ron smirked.

I couldn't take not knowing any longer. "How do you know each other?"

"Ron's my great-uncle." Will said. "My paternal grandpa's brother."

"Is that what I am to you? No wonder you keep bothering me here." Ron laughed. After completing his turn, he said. "Are you still planning to waste your engineering degree and going to medical school?"

Will shook his head. "Law school."

"Same thing." Ron sighed, "Just what this world needs…another lawyer."

"I thought you were going into business." Joe said.

"I am." Will said.

"So…eventually…you're getting an MBA as well?"

Will nodded.

Ron turned toward me. "A sadistic overachiever, like his grandfather." He winked and asked me. "What do you do when you're not loosing at Parcheesi?"

Dang…what do I do?

Will cleared his throat. "She played golf for BYU."

Yeah, but that's what I did…not what I do now.

"Why didn't you say so?" Ron's eyes light up. "What's your handicap?"

I smiled. "Scratch."

"No kidding." Joe said. "Did you win any tournaments?"

"As a team, yeah, but not personally. I lead a couple of tournaments into the last day."

"Then you choked?" Will said.

I glared at him. "No, somebody would come from behind."

"How'd you get started with golf?" Joe asked.

"It's a family thing. My dad played for Weber years ago. My older brother and sister played for BYU. But then…my mom is a fair weather golfer and my little brother retired his clubs when he was 11." Yeah…more than they needed to know.

"Who's the best in your family?" Ron asked.

"I am." I smiled. "…but the answer to that question varies…depending on which one of us you ask."

"Have you thought about turning pro?" Joe asked.

"Yeah, but it's not for me. After 14 years of straight golfing, you kind of wonder what else is out there besides golf." I said. "I'm still looking for a job after I graduate. I'm a statistics major."

"Statistics." Ron said. "When you could be golfing?"

I didn't know how to respond to that, but thankfully I didn't need to. Ian, Kyle, and Emily came up to our table and asked us if we were ready to go. While Will was completing his game winning move, he said. "Yes."

After Will and I cleaned up the game, there was an awkward silence that was supposed to be filled with some sort of good-bye.

Ron broke it. "You're going to bother me again before you leave Provo, right?"

"Probably." Will said.

"Bring the young lady with you." Ron smirked. "She lightens your mood."

Will glared at his great-uncle, said "Bye" to Joe, and then left the premises. I'm not sure how wide I was gaping, but Joe and Ron started laughing when they turned towards me once Will was out of sight.

When Ron stopped laughing, he said to me. "He's shrewd and painfully blunt, but he's a good young man. All he needs now is an angel like you."

Me…an angel? for Will? "I…uh…well…" I blushed. "We're not exactly on good terms. I wouldn't even call us friends."

"Ron," Joe laughed. "Don't jump the gun on them. They don't even see it themselves."

"Uh…" There's nothing between Will and me except glares, Cooper, and red hair. "I should get going. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too." Ron smiled. "Miss Kerstin."

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The rest of the week slid by casually—the highlights being the ice cream that showed up in our freezer on Wednesday and tutoring Cooper McCoy.

I cornered Emily in the kitchen on Wednesday. "Emily, do you have something to tell me?"

"What?" She said…all too innocently.

"There's ice cream in the freezer. That can mean only one of three things. Someone's had an emotional brake down, it's that time of the month, or someone's been kissed. Everyone in this apartment is very vocal during their emotional brake downs. I'm the only one PMSing this time of the month. For reasons against all logic, I follow the three of you by a week. Therefore, evidence shows that someone's been kissed." I fold my arms. "Give me the gory details."

"It… He… Well…" Emily blushed.

"Follow Fraulein Maria's example, and start at the very beginning."

"Well…"

"Emily, you've never hesitated before."

"It's not just a high school crush."

"You're the only person I know that have kissed all of her high school crushes. How hard can it be?"

"Well, this one seems more…private." Emily rubbed her middle finger and thumb together in her left hand. "…as if the kiss should only be talked about between Kyle and me."

"How does it rank?"

"Nothing compares." She said. I didn't think I'd ever seen Emily so swoonish.

"Can you tell me where it happened?"

She sighed and pointed to the front door.

"Inside or Out?" I asked.

"Inside."

"When he walked you home from campus yesterday?"

"Uh-huh."

"You have it bad, Emily."

"Uh-huh."

"I expect a ring on your finger by finals." I said, but she couldn't hear me over her sighs.

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Cooper was asleep at a table in the library when I got there Friday morning. I nudged his shoulder.

"Cooper, time for stats."

He rubbed his eyes and stretched. "Morning, Kerstin."

"Late night?"

"All nighter. I've a report due at 10."

I shook my head. "I'm glad I haven't done one of those in a while. I'm useless for days."

Cooper shrugged. "It's been a while for me, too. I'll buy candy to get me through the rest of my classes, and than I'll crash." After he asked me a few stat questions, he asked, "Are you doing anything tonight?"

I blinked at him a couple of times.

He continued with his dimpled smile. "One of my roommates' girlfriend found this Lepricon/St. Patrick's Day movie with Sean Connery in it. I've no idea if it's any good, but hey…it's Sean Connery. Would you like to come over? Granted I get some sleep this afternoon, I might stay awake."

How could I say no to that smile? But I have no choice. "I can't. My FHE group is throwing a dance tonight, and I'm the mom. But you could come if you wanted. I'm not exactly sure how many people will be there. It's at a house on 2230 N in Provo."

"At Ian Laird's place?" His smile faltered a touch.

"Yeah."

"I won't be much of a partier. I might fall a sleep in the middle of a slow dance. I don't think you could hold me up."

"238 lbs… you're right. I couldn't."

"I'll take a rain check."

After a few more stat related questions, I asked. "How do you know Will? Why did he…" I didn't know how to finish.

Cooper said. "He was the best companion I had on the mission. We hung out a lot after we got back, but we got in a fight last summer."

"A fight?"

"Over a girl." He added.

"Over a girl?" Would that stimulate at least eight months of aggression?

He looked down at his stat homework. "Yeah."

"Why's he still mad?"

"Oh, you noticed that?" He rolled his eyes.

"Who didn't?" I pictured Will's death glare.

"It was a pretty big fight."

I blinked and asked, "A fist fight?"

He said, "Yeah," as if there was more to it than that.

I tried to picture Will punching Cooper. Although Will had aggression, he didn't exactly seem like the type to loose control of himself. However, I remembered how all of his muscles clinched at the sight of Cooper and how he grabbed my arm. I asked, "How did it end up?"

"I don't remember who or how many it took to get him off of me, but I remember a couple my friends icing my face afterwards. He broke my jaw."

"What? You're jaw?" My mouth dropped, and I sat stunned silent for a moment. "They had to get him off you? I would have thought…" I blushed. I should have been wondering why someone didn't hold Will back in the first place, but my mind was comparing the participants. Cooper had a bulkier build than Will. I thought that Cooper would have had the upper hand.

Cooper shook his head. "Will knows how to carry himself in a fight."

"Oh." I said. "I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "It was a while ago."

"But, apparently, still fresh in his mind."

"Apparently," he agreed.

"Who was the girl?"

"Her name was Amber Tomlinson. She's graduated now from BYU, and I believe she's engaged."

"So, neither of you won her than." I said before thinking that I was only stating the obvious.

He nodded and took a drink from his water bottle.

I asked randomly, "What color hair did she have?"

He started coughing and cleared his throat, "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." I shrugged.

"Her hair wasn't much different from yours. Maybe…more auburn."

"And she was gorgeous, of course." Could you imagine Will or Cooper with anyone looking less than a goddess?

Cooper smirked. "Of course."

"Huh. I'm sorry," I said.

He smiled at me.

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"I can't picture Will fighting." Emily said as we were getting ready for the dance. "He doesn't seem the type to lose his cool like that."

"Are we taking about the same Will here…Will Grandison?" I said in frustration. "You didn't see him grab my arm at the party last week." I grabbed my own arm and hissed with the evilest voice I could muster, "How do you know him?"

"True." Emily laughed, "…but if Ian knows about it and doesn't hold it against Will, then the whole thing can't be that big of a deal."

"Emily! Will and Cooper had a fist fight over a girl. Will started it. He broke Cooper's jaw and had to be pried off a 238lbs fullback. I don't know where Ian fits in to all this, but last week, Will looked at Cooper and me as if we were evil aliens sent to destroy the cosmos."

"Okay…okay…that was random…but, Red, you haven't heard his side of the story."

"Will? He wouldn't tell me. He didn't even tell me when I asked him about it after Church last week."

"What did he say?"

I looked down. "Nothing."

She crossed her arms.

"He could've, though." I said. "…but then Ian yelled, 'Will, I'm starving! Let's go!' And then he glared at me for a bit before he left without a word."

Emily shook her head.

"What?" I said.

"Why are you so set against Will?"

"I'm not against him." I scoffed. "It's just…why does he glare at me…why did he give me such a hard time about Zach…why did he switch ties with him last week…why does he always find fault with me…why is he such a…"

"Whoa! Breath, Red! I understand, but you still need to hear his side of the story before jumping to conclusions about it."

"Okay, Mother."

"Red," Emily laughed and rolled her eyes. "You remember what a self-absorbed prick we thought Ian was until we got to know him. And now…you ask him to crack your back for you all the time. If that isn't a wake up call to repent and stop judging, I don't know what is." She shook her head. "How do we know that Will didn't have a good reason to fight?"

I didn't say anything.

"Do you have the guts to ask him?" She asked.

I wished that I could sigh inaudibly, but Emily heard it.

She said. "Yeah, Will's not really the most approachable person ever."

"You think?" I scuffed.

After a few minutes to let me cool off, Emily asked. "Is Cooper coming tonight?"

"No. I'd like you to meet him, though. He's…" I sighed. "He's something else."

"Apparently!" Emily smirked, "I don't think anyone's taken your breath away since Jared McClean."

"This time the boy actually knows my name, and he…" I blushed.

"He…what?"

"He told me that I looked hot last week at the party."

"Ooooo!" Emily raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Was that the first time a guy's told you that?"

"I wasn't a prom queen and Miss New-Boyfriend-Every-Other-Week in my high school like somebody else I know." Like the mature adult I am, I stuck my tongue out at her.

She rolled her eyes.

"And you have a special someone now that hasn't taken his eyes off you for almost a month." I said.

"Red," She hesitated. "I…really like him. I know we've made fun of people that get engaged fast, but…if he asks, I…"

"Hey," I stopped her and smiled. "It's fine."

"You think I'm a hypocrite."

I shrugged. "No. It's one of those things that people make fun of until and even after it happens to themselves. Besides…when you know, you know, right?"

She smiled and blushed.

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Our mouths dropped open the moment Emily, Katie, Jenna, and I walked in to "the house." Everything was cleared. The recliners and the love sack had all disappeared, and Kyle was holding a ladder in the middle of the floor while Ian was putting up a disco ball.

"Wow!" Katie cried. "Where'd you fine it?"

"Sam, my bro number 4, found it at D.I. about five years ago. Who knew?" replied Ian. "Sweet, huh."

While my roommates and I set up a green snack table in the kitchen, apartment #14 was already there blowing up green balloons and taping them among the video games, VHS's, and DVDs, and the twins were setting up folding chairs around the room. I'd never seen the place seem so empty and huge, but that didn't last too long. About an hour later the media room, kitchen and foyer were packed with people. I recognized a lot of people from our ward, but everyone else…friends of a friend of a friend.

I didn't dance at first. I made sure that people didn't trash the snack table. I was cleaning up diet caffeine-free coke when Emily rushed toward me, "Isn't hell supposed to be a condition and not a place?"

"As far as I understand it, yes…why?" I asked.

"Out of all the boys that I dated in high school five of them are here." Emily caught breath, but spoke quickly, "and all of them are talking to Kyle right now. I've never been so…"

"What!"

"Yeah, they're talking about high school." She whispered. "I had to leave."

"What are they saying?" She didn't answer, so I continued trying to ease her distress. "That you had the most sought after lips in high school and freshman year of college."

"No!" She cried. "I guess it's not so bad as that. They're talking about the musicals and plays I did with some of them, seminary, and group dates we did, but still…why are they all here? Of all my break ups, those were the worst."

I paused before asking, "Wouldn't Will know them?"

She bolted her head upright. "Yes, he would, but he was older and didn't hang out with us much. Though, he'd be the only one that would have invited them. I didn't. Come with me."

She dragged me out of the kitchen to the corner of the media room that turned into a Henderson YSA meeting. I recognized quite a few of the girls and some of the guys as Emily's home friends whom she still hung out with. I didn't recognize the rest of the guys who must have been her ex-boyfriends who were gathered around Kyle and Will (with a few girls mixed in the circle). When Emily reached Kyle's side, Kyle put an arm around her waist causing one guy to choke on his drink, another to raise an eyebrow and gape, and another to untie and retie his shoe laces. I guess some of them never got over her. Interesting.

His eyes…man, his stupid, amazing eyes...why can't he look somewhere else? To my annoyance, every time I'd look around or over a shoulder on a dance partner I'd see Will (surprise…surprise) staring at me, and while I took a break from dancing for a few songs and leaned against a bookshelf of VHS's, Will's condescending gaze never left my face. When I'd had enough, I abruptly stomped toward him and demanded, "Why are you staring at me?"

He smirked. "What makes you think I was staring at you?" He gazed back to where I was leaning. I turned around and saw a beautiful brunette, Jill Garnet from our ward, standing not too far from where I was. She sent a flirtatious smile our way (obviously, not intended for me). I grunted in half-embarrassment…half-frustration and tried to retreat toward the kitchen (Maybe there's Mountain Dew left for me…caffeine free of course.), but an all too familiar grip seized my arm.

"Hey," I said pointing to his hand. "That's three times you've grabbed my arm like that."

Will shrugged and let go. "While you're here, you're going to dance with me."

"Oh, am I?" For the one millionth time, who does he think he is? But...then again...I did walk up to him at the beginning of a slow song. Brilliant, Kerstin.

He smirked again. "I bet you've never turned down a dance before."

Of course, I hadn't. I was looking at the only person I had ever known to turn down a dance. "I could start following your example." I crossed my arms.

"Suit yourself." He said and walked towards Jill Garnet.

"Wait!" I cried, and he stopped abruptly. I couldn't control my blush when I realized that I had just grabbed his arm. "It'd be rude of me to say no to you and then dance with other people."

"True."

"And I still want to dance."

"Just not with me." He said.

He grabbed my right hand in his left and put the other in the middle of my back as I rested my left hand on his shoulder. I wasn't surprised by the stiffness of his manner when dancing; it suited his character, but I still had a hard time meeting his gaze. When I did, we had another staring contest. Do normal people stare at someone inches away from them? I blinked first this time. I couldn't get over how hardnosed and stern he appeared and…yet…his dark eyes, his strong jaw and defined cheekbones all made me wonder how much more amazing he'd look if he smiled…if he ever really smiled.

"Well." I said trying to stop myself from staring as openly at him as he stared at me. "Dancing would be a good time to figure you out."

"Figure me out?" He said. "What would you like to know?"

I knew that it wouldn't be wise to start questioning first about Cooper, but I still started my questioning too bluntly with "Why are Ian and Kyle friends with you?" I half expected his countenance to turn menacing, but he maintained a pokerfaced expression. Well…his eyebrows turned in a little.

"Why don't you ask them?" He said.

"Maybe, I will." I took a moment to focus on my breathing...to keep my frustration in check, and then I asked the first thing that came to my head. "What's your favorite color?" That was lame.

A corner of his mouth raised. "Blue. Do you think Ian and Kyle would still be my friends if I liked green?"

"Why did you switch ties with Zach last week?"

He let out a short laugh and looked away from me for a second. "He offered, and I'd never worn a plaid tie." His gaze on me intensified as he added, "I think he regretted his choice of tie that day."

"No one was making fun of him for wearing it."

"That doesn't mean a change wouldn't help his confidence."

True. Huh. I swallowed before I demanded…for the second time that night, "Why do you stare at me?"

All expression wiped off his face. He's good at that.

"Are you going to answer?" I asked.

"I've said it before…what makes you think I'm staring at you?" He said.

I stomped my foot. Why doesn't he answer?

"Anymore questions?" He asked.

"You never talk unless provoked or nagged. You never let anyone outside of 'the house' get to know you. You're completely unapproachable except when you're teaching. I've never seen you smile—really smile." I paused hoping he'd comment, but I should have known better. I aimlessly continued, "You don't… I don't…" …understand why you're so conceited, stuck up, and such a jerk. Yeah…I probably shouldn't say that.

"Are you going to finish that thought?"

My checks flushed. "No." I waited in vain for him to say something, but…again…what did I expect? "Say something." I pleaded.

"I'm waiting for the question." He said.

Cheese Me A River! Gah! What a j…

Will's smile ceased my thoughts. It wasn't only a smile. It was a full blown eye-twinkling smile. My eyes shot wide in an instant, but my mouth gradually morphed from a thin line to a full drooling gape (I don't think anything came out…I hope, anyway). As I willed myself to start breathing again, his furrowed brow and a cruel glint in his eyes wiped his smile away. He asked, "Are you alright?"

"Um…fine?" I'd just witness Will Grandison smile for two seconds. Would you have been okay? Probably, but I sure as heck didn't know where the smile came from or why it disappeared so fast. However, I concluded that he was just smiling (genuinely for the first time in my sight) because I was frustrated. Jerk!

At my reply/question, his sternness and stiffness amplified 100 percent. He asked slowly. "Are you fine or not?"

"Fine!" I said too loudly. "I'm fine."

His expression eased back to pokerfaced. The slow song finally ended, but neither of us moved out of middle of the room. We stood face to face while people were "getting jiggy with it" in a PG sort of way all around us. He folded his arms and held my gaze as if waiting for me to make the next move.

I might as well do it now. I cleared my throat. "What happened between you and Cooper?"

He didn't cringe, flinch, or throw another punch. In fact, he had been expecting the question…probably since he never got a chance to answer the last time I asked it, and he probably wondered why it took me so long to bring it up again. However, if he really was expecting me to ask about Cooper again, he failed to prepare an answer…or maybe he only prepared himself not to blow up in my face when I asked. Regardless, he answered, "It's none of your business."

"Cooper told me what happened." I watched his jaw tighten. "Can't you tell me your side of it?"

"It's none of your business." He repeated.

"Why'd you fight?" I persisted.

He shook his head.

I took a deep breath and counted to ten before asking. "Why are you still mad at him? It was last summer." I waited for a response. None came. "I invited him to come tonight."

"He wouldn't dare enter that door knowing I was here." Will clenched his fists.

"Why can't you forgive him?"

"This isn't about forgiveness."

"Oh, really? Tell me what it is then."

"No."

The conversation was going nowhere. I spun around and stormed away from him, but his annoying grip caught my arm again.

"Watch your back with McCoy." He said in my ear.

"Spoken like someone who's truly forgiven, and might I remind you that you were the one pried off of him in the fight." I said.

Then, he took his turn to storm away from me.

I found refuge in the kitchen…checking up on the snack table. Sure enough, all that remained on the table were empty bowls and plates with a chip or a half of a cookie here and there. While washing the bowls and plates in the sink, I noticed a huge presence on my left drying the dishes.

"Cinderella didn't start work again until midnight if I'm not mistaken." Ian said.

"Cinderella didn't have a burly man helping her either. The girl and I have little in common."

"True." A smile grew on his face as he put a couple bowls away in a cupboard. "I saw you dancing with Will. Did he finally say, 'yes,' to a dance?"

"He asked me." I said, but corrected myself. "No, excuse me. Let me rephrase. He told me to dance with him."

Ian paused with his drying while he let out a burst of laughter. "Really? Miracles never have ceased, have they."

"What do you mean?"

"The Book of Mormon's true." Ian continued to chuckle.

What does that have to do with me dancing with Will? After his laughter died down, I dared myself to ask him a question. "Ian?"

"Yeah?"

I hesitated, but I'd already started. "Why does Will stare at me?"

Ian started laughing louder than he was a second ago.

"What?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"Well, I asked him about it." I added.

Ian dropped the bowl that he was drying (luckily, it was plastic), and he stayed bent over—making it hard to tell if he was coughing up a lung or laughing. He regained some composure, and upon seeing my serious features, he apologized and asked, "What he'd say?"

"He never really answered." I furrowed my brow and deepened my voice to say, "What makes you think I'm staring at you?"

While Ian's boisterous laughter challenged the volume of the dance music, I turned to hide my blush and to wash the last few platters. I made a mental note never to ask Ian questions about Will again. We continued our work in silence, but after several seconds, I felt a kick in the rear.

"What was that?" I cried.

"Nothing." Ian said.

I felt the kick again. "Ian!" I whined. "Stop!"

He snickered and asked, "What'd I do?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught him flicking back his heel…kicking my rear. I tried doing it back to him, but I missed. He was too tall. Cheese! I tried again, but with a jump. Cheese! I missed, again! He did it to me, again. As I tried to kick him again and again (while jumping), I cried, "I…can't…reach…you! No Fair!"

He collapsed on the kitchen floor in laughter. Still peeved, I whipped him in the arm with a dish towel.

"Hey!" He cried while standing up, and he had no idea how vulnerable he was. I took the opportunity and whipped him with the towel in his rear.

"Haha!" I exclaimed, but I forgot that Ian was fast for a huge, white guy. He had the sink sprayer in his hands before I could duck or shield myself. Well…I got wet and quickly gave Ian another whip in the rear before we noticed the audience we'd attracted. In the forefront stood Will, arms folded, feet standing shoulder-width apart and square-jaw set.

"What?" I asked ready to whip him as well.

"Red." Ian laughed and shook his head.

The crowd averted their eyes and dispersed, but Will walked toward me and started taking off his polo shirt.

I backed away from him as he drew nearer toward me. "What's he doing?" I asked Ian.

"Will, what's up?" Ian asked.

When Will didn't say anything, Ian looked at me, but quickly moved his eyes else where. I looked down at myself and gasped. The day I choose not to wear a tank top underneath my shirt… As I folded my arms across my chest and turned my back to Ian, Will and the rest of the world, a shirt went over my head and covered me. I shot my arms through the sleeves, turned back around, and found myself face to face with Will again. We stared at each other for a few seconds…him in an old white Far-side T-shirt with a bunch of smoking dinosaurs on it over the caption "No wonder they're extinct"…and me in his polo that he had just taken off…to put on me. Huh. I blushed and said, "Thank you."

Will nodded slightly, and we both took a step away from each other when Ian cleared his throat.

"Red, I'm…um…yeah…that won't happen again." Ian said.

I responded with a weak smile and dug my hand into my pocket to get out my keys. "I should go," I said while walking toward the kitchen screen door, but stopped and turned around. What about my roommates?

"We'll take them home," Will said.

"What?" Did I say that out loud?

"Your roommates," he said as he opened the screen door for me. "Either Ian or I'll take them home."

"Thanks," I said and quickly left.