We headed downstairs, where we passed Trip and Wren. They were studying in the dining room. Wren saw us together and didn’t even try to hide a grin. I gave her the evil eye.
Trip was clueless. “What’s up?”
“Raiding the fridge.” I hooked a thumb over my shoulder. “Time to feed the bunny.”
We made leftover chicken sandwiches, and I put away the ingredients while she halved and cored an apple.
“Peanut butter?” I said.
“Yes, please.”
We joined the others in the dining room.
“Hey,” Trip said without preamble, “d’you mind going over this history stuff with me? You know I always get Romanesque and Gothic mixed up.”
“Gothic is prettier,” I said around a mouthful of sandwich. “Describe the characteristics of each.”
“You sound like Joska,” he laughed.
I shrugged and took another bite. Then I impatiently gestured for him to talk while I ate.
“Okay. Romanesque flourished in the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries. It was a revival of the classical elements established by the Romans. It…”
We spent twenty minutes reviewing until he finally knew it cold.
“Thanks,” he said. “You mind if we go over Renaissance and Baroque tomorrow night?”
“Can’t. I’ll be in Atlanta.”
Christy looked up. “Again? Why?”
Wren looked surprised too, and a bit flummoxed.
“I told you all, remember? Kara’s wedding? I’m an usher.”
“Ah,” Trip said, “that’s right.”
“Remind me again,” Christy said, “who’s Kara?”
“Leah’s sister,” Wren said. Then she put two and two together. She looked at me in alarm.
“Oh,” Christy said. She didn’t make the connection, but she sensed Wren’s reaction. She ventured a smile. “Sounds like fun.”
“It should be,” I said, more for Wren’s benefit. Then I suppressed the instinct to tease her. I turned to Christy instead. “Our families have known each other for years. Kara’s like my big sister.”
added to myself.
Wren glared. She knew what I was thinking. The gist of it, at least.
“Anyway,” I said, “I’d better get back to work. I have an Environmental Control quiz in the morning, and I haven’t even started to study for it.”
“You mind if I hang out with you?” Christy asked. “I have to do a figure study for Siobhan. I can call it ‘Man Versus Environmental Control’ or something.”
I laughed. “Sounds good.”
Wren caught my eye and nodded toward the kitchen.
“I’ll take the plates,” I told Christy. “You go on up. I’ll be right behind you.”
“All right.”
Wren followed me into the kitchen. “What’re you doing?”
“I told you,” I said, my voice pitched low, “I don’t need any help in the girlfriend department. Christy’s nice and all, but she isn’t my type.”
“And Gina is?”
“Who said anything about Gina?”
“She dumped you once. Do you really wanna go through all that again?”
“Listen, Gina and I are friends. That’s all.”
“Friends with a history. And with similar… lifestyles.”
“If you mean that I wouldn’t have to explain a million things about my life, then you’re right.” I pointed toward the top floor. “You know what my problem is with Christy? She’s smart, funny, and cute. Totally my type. But she’s a Catholic schoolgirl at heart. A goody-goody. Thanks, but no thanks!”
“What? She isn’t like that. She—”
“Save it,” I said. “I don’t need you to run my life. Okay?”
“Everything all right in there?” Trip called from the dining room.
Wren started to say something bossy but thought better of it.
I looked at her with new respect. “Good for you.”
“Thank you,” she said insincerely. Then she raised her voice,
“Everything’s fine. Paul and I were just having a difference of opinion.”
He appeared in the kitchen doorway. “You mean you were trying to tell him what to do, but he wasn’t having it?”
“That about sums it up,” I said.
Wren rolled her eyes and huffed. “I’m telling you, Paul, you’re wrong about Christy.”
“Seriously, dude,” Trip agreed. “If even
“They’re
“Right,” he said without missing a beat. “As I was saying… Christy’s a lot wilder than you think, man.”
“You too?”
“Hey, I’m just tellin’ ya what I think. Wren might be right. I’d trust her on this one.”
“Yeah?” I shot back. “And what if she isn’t? Which one of us has to move out?”
“What are you talking about?” Wren said.
“You’ve seen how Christy and I are when we fight.”
“I dunno,” Trip said to Wren. “
She opened her mouth to say something dismissive. And again she controlled the urge.
I chuckled and looked at Trip. “Dude, if you ever need proof that she loves you, there it is.”
“What?”
“She’ll tell you.” I stepped around her. Then I leaned back so I could see her face. “Thank you for being a friend. I know you care. But you can’t live my life for me.”
She reluctantly nodded. “Christy’s special,” she said after a moment.
“She really likes you, so don’t lead her on. Okay? Promise me.”
“I promise.”
“I’ll hold you to that. Now go on. She’s waiting for you.”
