When I got home Ken’s squad car was in the driveway. I grabbed my groceries and headed inside. “Hey,” I called as soon as I walked in the door.
Ken turned from the sofa as did my mom.
“Amber, sweetheart, look who’s here,” Mom beamed, sounding breathless. Ken’s hair was sticking up and I could only imagine what they were doing.
“Hey Ken,” I called from the doorway.
“He brought steaks for dinner,” she called after me.
“Awesome,” I said, making my way toward the kitchen to unload the groceries.
“Amber, I brought another magazine for you, too,” Ken said, sliding his hand through his hair.
“Wow, thanks, Ken.” I stopped and lifted up the latest issue of Cosmopolitan and off the hall table and tucked it under my arm. I figured I would slip off to my room and read it to give Mom and Ken some alone time.
“What’s in the bags?” Mom asked, sitting up fully.
“Oh, just a couple things from the store,” I said. “I got you some sticky buns too, they looked really good.”
“Oh, thanks honey.” Mom adjusted her blouse.
I hurried into the kitchen and unloaded the groceries. Opening up the refrigerator, I looked inside and there were three good-sized steaks marinating in a glass casserole pan.
“Yum!” Ken was an awesome cook. My stomach rumbled. I could smell something in the oven and peeked inside. There were three potatoes, wrapped in foil. I grabbed a small bag of chips out of the cupboard along with a can of soda to tide me over until dinner and headed out of the kitchen.
“Steaks look great, Ken,” I called as I passed, making my way to the stairs.
“Where are you off to?” Ken asked.
I paused. “I have some homework to catch up on and some light reading.” I smiled and waved the magazine in the air.
“You haven’t read that issue have you?”
“Nah, not this one…” I glanced at the cover. “Thanks again.”
He smiled the act lighting up his face. “Good.”
“Ken,” Mom said, moving closer. He glanced at her and said something. She shook her head back and forth. That was my cue to get out of dodge. “Well, I’m off…”
“Okay honey.”
“How are you feeling?” Ken turned toward me more fully, his expression expectant.
Mom let out an exaggerated sigh and fell back against the cushions.
“Ah, good,” I said, shifting uneasily. I could tell Mom wanted some more alone time with him.
“I went by and checked on Glinda,” he said and stood. He pulled his shirt back down but not before I got another eyeful of his ripped stomach.
“How’s she doing?”
“She hasn’t woken up…yet, but they are still hopeful.”
“Well, that’s good to hear…I guess.” I didn’t know what else to say.
“Ken,” Mom pouted, her voice bordering on whiney.
“I gotta go and get some homework done.” I made a break for it and ran up the stairs before Mom had a fit.
Once in my room, I dumped my food and magazine on the bed and changed quickly into my comfy sweats and an old battered t-shirt. Climbing on my bed, I opened up my chips and popped the tab on my soda, taking a sip. My phone rang just as I was flipping open the magazine. Rummaging through my bag, I pulled it out. I didn’t recognize the number.
I hit the answer button.
“Hello,” I said, tentatively.
“Hey, Amber….this is Jason.”
“Oh, hey,” I said. “How’d you get my number?”
“I looked it up.”
I frowned. “Oh.” I didn’t know my number was listed. “So what’s up?”
“I just wanted to check and see if you needed any help with your homework?”
“Ah…” I took a sip of soda. “I haven’t even looked at it yet. I just got home.”
“Really, what took you so long?” he asked sounding snippy.
“Um, I had to stop at the store.” I turned the page, opened a flap for perfume, and sniffed it. I wrinkled my nose.
“Oh,” he exhaled. The phone crackled, like he was covering it up. I heard muffled voices in the background. “So what are you doing, like right now?”
“Um, drinking a soda and reading a magazine.” I looked at the phone a shiver of unease passing over me.
“So what are you doing tomorrow?”
“Going to school,” I said and turned the page. I ate a chip and moved the phone so I wasn’t chewing in his ear.
“I mean after?”
“Don’t know. I guess coming home to finish my homework.”
He was quiet.
“Why do you ask?” I ran my hand over a picture of a Calvin Klein model with gray eyes, he reminded me of Viktor. I tore the page out.
“You wanna hang out or something?”
“Um…” Crap. “If I can, I have to check with my mom.”
“Oh, that’s cool.” A loud bang sounded in my ear and I jerked the phone away. “Jason?”
“Yeah,” he said.
“What was that?”
“I dropped my phone.”
“Oh.”
“Can you come out tomorrow or not?” he asked again his voice sounding strained, like he was mad.
I pulled my phone away, my brow creasing. “I don’t know,” I said louder, maybe he didn’t hear me the first time. “I have to ask my mom.”
“I’m waiting.” His voice warbled.
“Jason,” I sighed. “I’m not asking now. I will later.”
“Amber,” he breathed. “What am I going to do with you?”
I tensed. He was getting on my nerves. “I’ll let you know tomorrow,” I said just so he wouldn’t ask again. “Listen, I gotta go.”
“Need to eat some more…” he snickered.
I froze. I suddenly felt like I was being watched. Turning, I looked over my shoulder toward the window, half expecting him to be standing on my balcony. No one was there. I let out a pent up breath and lifted back up my phone. “How’d you know I was eating?” I choked.
“I can hear you,” he laughed. It didn’t sound like a nice laugh though. It sounded like a demented person. I shivered and moved my bag of chips to the side. “I better go,” I said, “my mom’s calling me for dinner.”
“Sure…right…” he said. “See you tomorrow. He coughed out… “Liar!”
“What did you say?” I squeezed the phone. The line was quiet so long I thought he hung up.
“Sorry, that wasn’t me,” he said apologetically, his phone crackling.
“Then who was it?” I demanded.
“Kirk was messing around.”
“Right.” I didn’t believe him. “I gotta go.”
“Okay,” he breathed. “Enjoy your Cosmopolitan magazine.” The phone went dead.
A shiver of unease flitted over me. How did he know I was reading Cosmo?