To Meet Again

Part 12:
Under Where?

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Knote: A puuun! It doesn't make much sense. But it's a pun. ^_^

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        Lumbar vertebrae are characterized by the large size of the bodies, the absence of costal facets on the bodies and the transverse processes… The words blurred in front of Cassandra's eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and rubbed the bridge of her nose. The room was hot, very hot, sweat dribbled down the back of her neck and she knew her hair must look awful. The Professor must have turned up the heat full blast. She rubbed the back of her sore neck. Lord, the man was a camel! To top it all off, a headache was beginning to pinch at her temples.

            "Now," the professor said in his slow, plodding voice. "Who can tell me what the ischiopubic  ramus is formed by?"  Cassandra looked up at the ceiling. She'd just read this yesterday. The heat was making it so hard to think. Someone else wasn't having any difficulty thought. Almost as soon as the professor had asked the question, a hand shot up on the other side of the room.

            "Yes Mr. Dunhill?"

            "The ischiopubic ramus is formed by the union of the ramus of the ischium with the inferior ramus of the pubis."

        "Correct. Now remember the test in two days and…" the professor went on. Cassandra shoved her books in her bag, irritably wiping her sweat soaked hair from her face. She really needed to take a shower before going into work. Unfortunately Danielle wasn't going to be home from work until three and Ash had gone out skiing and had taken the house key with him. She shrugged the book bag onto her shoulder and looked up to see Duncan coming toward her. She managed a small smile.

            "Hello. Remember me?" he asked.

            "Yes… You're Jason's friend aren't you?" The name made a chill run up her spine. She shook it off. Why did she always react that way when she said or even heard his name?

            "Yes," Duncan said, his eyes downcast. For a moment, Cassandra wanted to ask how Jason was doing…but thought better of it. It really wasn't any of her business. They walked from the room and she couldn't help but smile at the blessed chill of the hallway.

            "So Duncan, are you a med student?" she asked as she made her way through the press of people.

            "No. I have a double major in philosophy and history and a minor in computer technology. I just take the anatomy class for fun." 

            "For…fun?" Cassandra asked, stopping where she was and looking him in the eye. There wasn't a hint of teasing on his face.

            "Yes. I find the study of the human body fascinating," he said, voice equally serious.

            "How do you find the time for all of your studies?" 

            "Well…I've got scholarships out the wazoo, so it's basically like a job," he said with a shrug. Cassandra whistled. She'd known people who'd cracked with half the workload Duncan did. She found it hard to keep up with one major. Suddenly a ring bedecked hand slipped over her shoulder and a purring voice whispered in her ear.

            "Bounjur mademoiselle. Would you like me to take you away from this crowd?"  Cassandra removed the hand from her shoulder and turned to face the short Frenchman.

            "Hello Nick," she said in a deadpan voice. An exaggerated frown pulled down his lower lip.

            "You're not even happy to see me? I'm hurt. I'm wounded. I will die if I do not hear a kind word from you."
            "Don't do it Cassandra, he'd make good fertilizer," Duncan said. Nick squeaked in outrage and punched his friend in the arm.

            "Oww Nicky! Not so hard," the twenty-year-old whined, rubbing the sore spot. Nick flipped a strand of purple hair and rolled his eyes.

            "Wimp." Then the man's brown eyes lit on her again and smiled. "So belle, may I have the honor of walking you to your car?" Nick said and bowed with a flourish. Cassandra laughed.

            "After you put it like that monsieur, how can I resist?"

            "I could," Duncan muttered. Nick ignored him and offered Cassandra his arm. She took it with a small curtsey. Nick then grabbed Duncan's arm and proceeded to lead them from the building.

            "Do you and Ash have any plans for tonight? Perhaps we could arrange some dinner. Just the four of us," Nick said.

            "Can't. Studying," Duncan said. Nick pouted again.

            "All you do is study mon cher. You need a night out. What do you think Cassandra?"

            "It sounds like a good idea, but we'll have to reschedule. I have to work tonight," Cassandra said. They came out of the hall into a gentle snow flurry. It didn't look like it would turn bad…but then again, the weather around here had mood swings like nothing. She glanced at her watch. She had to be at the hospital in an hour. Maybe she could eat lunch with Nick, who was, at the moment, admiring the back end of a group of boys clustered under the pagoda. He was admiring them very loudly in fact. Duncan's face was entirely red and he looked ready to knock his friend into the next millennium if he didn't shut up. Cassandra couldn't help but giggle at that. Poor Duncan. Suddenly a thought occurred to her.

            "Hey Nick…" His attention immediately came back to her, much to Duncan's obvious relief.

            "Oui?"

            "I know this is going to sound a little…odd. But can I use your shower? I'm locked out of my apartment."

            "But of course. I'll even stay out of the room," Nick said with a wink. He patted his coat pockets, looking for something. Then he pulled a fat black wallet with the picture of the Statue of Liberty on it.  Cassandra wondered why until she remembered that the Statue of Liberty was French after all…and female besides. The thought made her shake her head. In some respects, Nick was almost as bad as Ash.

            She suddenly remember the present her boyfriend had given her that morning and heat flooded her cheeks. She had just woken up and there he was, standing over the bed and grinning like an idiot.  Between his two hands he held a bright red thong with the word 'Sexy' splayed across the front in rhinestones.

            "For you," he'd announced, as if he'd just given her the best present in the world. Sometimes she wondered if he ever really knew her. Still, she didn't want to disappoint him and had promised to wear it. It wasn't as uncomfortable as she'd imagined, but just remembering that she was wearing it made her blush even harder. Hopefully the others would think it was just the cold.

            "Why don't I like the look on your face?" Duncan asked, breaking into her thoughts. She looked up at him, then back down at Nick who was smiling at her sweetly. She was about to ask who Duncan was referring too when she saw the slight narrowing of Nick's eyes and the deepening of the charmer's smile.

            "What face?" Nick asked innocently.

            "That face. You're planning something."

            "Oh…non, you're imagining." Nick then turned on Duncan and shoved his hands up his coat. Duncan jumped a mile.

            "Ack! What are you doing?!"

            "Do not squirm so, mon cher! I can hardly keep a grip on it," Nick said in a loud voice, several students turned to gape.           

            "I don't know what you're talking about!" Duncan bellowed, trying desperately to bat his friend's hands away.

            "You naughty boy, denying our love so readily," Nick cooed. Cassandra was caught between being amused and embarrassed. The expression on Duncan's face was priceless. A smile twitched at her mouth and she hid it with her sleeve, hoping the boy wouldn't notice.

            "Get off me!" Duncan squeaked. Nick laughed and slipped his hands from the boys coat. Then he hooked his arm through hers again and nearly dragged her off.

            "See you later mon cher!" he called, blowing a kiss. Cassandra raised her eyebrows.

            "What was all that about?"

            "Nothing, nothing," Nick said, gracefully flapping his hand. "Since I plan to stay for a while, I rented an apartment here in town." He slipped a key into her hand. "It's on 411 Johnson Street. You have to look for it because it's down some steps outside, there's a lawn chair out front I believe."

            "You believe?"

            "Oui. I told the landlord to dispose of it, but you Americans aren't very service oriented," Nick said smoothly. They stopped before Cassandra's old blue mini-van. She fixed him with a long, suspicious look. Nick simply smiled at her. She shrugged to herself and climbed into the van.

            The apartment wasn't hard to find. In fact it was really easy. It almost was like she'd been drawn to it. The outside was shabby, but inside it was clean and a pleasant, familiar smell permeated everything. The apartment was small, with a tiny kitchen merged with an equally small living room, barely big enough to fit a couch and a TV. She peered into the room just off the kitchen and found it to be a bedroom. The bed's navy blue covers were messy, as if its occupant had just left. Upon closer inspection she realized that at least one of the occupants still remained. A big ball of gray cat lay snoring in the middle of the bed, hind paws tucked up to his nose.

            She smiled and stroked two fingers down his silky side. Seeing this cat was like seeing an old friend. The cat lifted his head and opened his eyes to mere slits. Then he meowed softly and began to purr. She chuckled.

            "Can you show me the way to the bathroom Sir Cat?"  The cat purred louder, stood and stretched luxuriously. Then he hopped from the bed and padded away. She followed him and felt her heart jump as he led her to the bathroom and plunked himself on the floor in front of it. It must have been just coincidence. If she didn't know better she could have sworn he understood her. She stared at the cat. The cat stared back at her. Then it yawned, jumped up into the sink and curled up in it. Cassandra shook her head. That must have been her imagination. 

            The bathroom only had a bathtub unfortunately. She checked her watch and found she had a whole thirty minutes to soak. She was surprised to discover a bottle of lavender bubble bath sitting inside the tub.

            "Of course Nick has bubble bath," she murmured to herself. She should be more surprised at the fact that he didn't have a full makeup counter.  She put a little into the bathwater. Then when the tub was full, she undressed and slid it. The warm water closed over her neck and she sighed happily. This tub was bigger then most. It would practically be a swimming pool for someone like Nick. No wonder he liked it. She closed her eyes and lost herself to a watery world smelling of lavender.

            The only thing needed to make it perfect was a fire. She could picture herself sitting in a wooden tub, floating with herbs, before a roaring fire. The room was sparsely decorated. Different herbs were strung across the ceiling, mingling their scent with the ones in the bath and jars of varying colors and sizes littered the shelves. Seeing that made her laugh a little. The man was so disorganized it wasn't funny. The door to the outside flung open and slammed against the wall. There was a cold gust of night wind that made goose bumps rise on her arms.  He was staring at her. The dark room hid his expression but she knew what it must be.

            "Wh…what are you doing here?" he asked, taking a hesitant step forward.

            "I thought it was time to be more then just friends." She lifted her leg from the water, enjoying the sharp intake of breath it gained from him.

            "But…I thought you said…"

            "That I was too busy…I know…" she rested her foot on the wooden rim of the tub and tried to pierce the darkness to see his face. "But I'm tired of waiting…aren't you? Besides…a healer who doesn't enjoy herself once in a while loses interest in her work…. Don't you think so?" He said nothing and remained where he was. She sighed and remorsefully got out of the wonderful hot water. She came over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him. He was definitely interested. That much was obvious. But he remained still otherwise. It was like hugging a breathing tree. She sighed and started to slip away. A large hand on the small of her back stopped her and warm, gentle lips found hers.

            The door slammed open, jarring Cassandra out of her daydream. The white tiled bathroom and harsh light filled her vision again. She blinked rapidly and put a hand to her forehead. Wow. What was that? That had been…intense. A scratching sound caught her attention. She glanced down at the floor and saw the cat pawing through her clothes. She reached out her hand to bat him away from them.  She froze as she heard footsteps coming toward the door. She had left the door open a crack, not expecting any company. Cassandra clenched her hand into a fist. It had better as hell not be Nick.

            "Are you in there Tom?" a soft, deep voice asked. Cassandra froze again and stared at the door. It sounded like… But it couldn't be. What would he be doing in Nick's apartment? Tom trotted through the crack in the door, carrying something bright red along with him.

            "What have you got there?" Jason asked. It took her a full three seconds to realize the implications of everything. She had just enough time to submerge most of her body in the water when the door creaked open. Jason was kneeling in front of it, holding her underwear in his hand. She had just enough time to catch his blush before she slapped a hand over her own darkening face. Oh. God. In heaven. She was going to murder Nick.