by Amy Reece
“Let me get this straight,” said Mat. “You want me to, what, ask her out so I can keep trying to get her to tell me who is placing the personal ads about Ally?”
“Yes, but I have a few rules: no kissing; hand-holding only. And I want to be there.”
“No way! I can’t go on a date with another girl while my girlfriend is watching,” he objected.
“Okay, fine. Then I want Ally to be there. I’ll feel better if she’s there.”
“You want it to be a double date with Ally and Jack? That won’t work because she knows who Jack is,” Mat explained.
“No, not a double date. Ally will already be at the restaurant where you will take this girl—what’s her name, anyway?”
“Teresa.”
“Okay, so you will take this Teresa out to dinner at a restaurant where Ally will be—you can make Rémy go with you—and you will wine and dine her, only holding hands, mind you, and you will get her to tell you who the fuck is placing those goddamn personal ads. Got it?” We all got it. Nobody argued with Tara when she was like this.
“Okay, babe. Got it. Dinner, handholding, and info. I think I can get her to spill; she’s pretty gossipy and I think she’s dying to tell someone. I’m the perfect candidate because I don’t have anything to do with the university.” He pulled her close again. “Are you sure about this, Tara? I don’t want to go out with that girl again. I just want to be with you.”
“I know, sweetie. Just do this for Ally. One last date, okay? You don’t have to enjoy it. In fact, I’d rather you didn’t. I’ll make it up to you later.” She kissed him as she finished saying this.
How did this go from Mat being in deep trouble to Tara promising to make it up to him?
“Why does Tara have to make it up to him? I thought she was mad at him?” Jack whispered in my ear.
That’s just one of the many reasons I love him so much: we think the same. I laughed and pulled him out of the chair and into my arms. “I love you, you know?”
“I know.”
***
So that’s how I ended up at Antiquity, a gorgeous restaurant in Old Town, dressed to the nines and sitting across from Rémy, who was also dressed to the nines. I was enjoying my stuffed mushroom appetizer and trying not to look at Rémy eating his escargot while keeping my eye on the door to see when Mat and Teresa came in. We were ensconced in a cozy, candlelit booth for two, but had a decent view of the entrance; this would be a truly romantic date if I were with my actual boyfriend. This was one of my dad’s favorite places to bring me when he was in town, which was how I knew it would be perfect for this occasion. There were absolutely no vegetarian entrees on the menu, but I knew the chef was happy to put together a plate of veggie sides. Rémy had, of course, ordered an expensive bottle of wine, which he insisted on sharing. I guess a swanky place like this didn’t quibble over little things like underage drinking. Rémy told me I looked at least 22, so it wouldn’t be a problem; he still had a hard time understanding American drinking laws.
“I still don’t understand why I need to be here,” I said as I stuffed another mushroom in my mouth.
“Because Tara can’t be here. And she obviously does not trust Mat to be alone with another girl. Are you sure you don’t want to try one? They are not as good as French escargot, but they will do.” He impaled a snail on his tiny fork and held it out to me.
“A world of no. If I won’t eat a chicken or a cow, I’m not about to eat a bug,” I shuddered. “And she does too trust Mat. God, you’re so curmudgeony! She trusts him, now that she knows he’s not cheating on her,” I explained.
“That makes no sense, even from you.” He poured more wine into my glass as he spoke. “Regardless of why we came here, I am glad we have a chance to be alone.”
“Great. You’re plying me with wine and you want to talk to me alone. This can’t be good.” Nevertheless, I took a rather large sip of fortifying wine.
“Ally, I want to discuss what happens when the semester is over. I’m graduating soon and I need to return to France, at least for a while. Phillipe needs me for the family business. At the same time, I need to protect you. I am torn, chérie. I cannot be in two places at once. I know your life is here, but I am wondering what we are to do.”
“Yeah, I know. I know you need to go home; your life is there in France. My life is here. I don’t know what to do, Rémy. I’m sorry.”
“Have you given any thought to what my grandmother suggested? That you spend a semester in France?”
“I have. I don’t want to leave. I want this all to be over, Rémy. Why can’t it just be over?” I pushed my plate away.
He smiled at me sadly. “I don’t know, chérie. Maybe it will be soon. I don’t want to pressure you, Ally. I just want you to consider it.”
“You know Fionnuala is pressuring me and Mina into spending a semester in Ireland, don’t you?”
“Yes, I know. I also noticed the invitation did not include me. I don’t think I have to tell you how little regard I have for that suggestion. Now, we will talk of it no more tonight. Mat and his date have just arrived and I want you to enjoy this fine meal we are about to have.” He pushed my plate back in front of me.
He was a charming dinner companion for the rest of the evening, making me laugh and telling interesting stories until dessert, when he ordered my all-time favorite chocolate mousse for me. I decided to risk the caffeine in the chocolate just this once. Rémy really was an amazing guy and I wished he and Mina could figure out their differences; I wanted him to be happy and I had a feeling that his happiness depended upon Mina. Sigh. Why did life have to be so complicated?
I watched Mat and Teresa as their ‘date’ progressed. Mat was obviously charming the socks off of her, judging by the rapt look on her face. She was a cute girl, not stunning like Tara, but the kind of girl who would be flattered to have a good-looking guy like Mat paying attention to her. The more they talked and laughed, the worse I felt; both of them were being used just so I could find out who was placing the personal ads. It had seemed like such a great idea when we planned it. Now it just seemed pathetic and mean. The worst part was this innocent girl who thought she was on a real date. My stomach started aching as I deeply regretted the chocolate mousse. And the mushrooms. And the veggie plate.
We were finished with dessert, drinking coffee—why the heck not, as I would probably throw it all up anyway—when I noticed Mat acting a bit strangely. He kept turning around to look at me, without trying to look like he was looking at me. I grabbed my phone and sent him a text.
Me: What are you doing? You’re going to blow it! Did you find out?
Mat: Yes. We’ll be leaving soon. Meet me at the house.
We waited until they left, then Rémy paid our bill and we left. I tried to pay, since I had invited him, but he brushed off my suggestion with a shrug. I had given Mat the money to pay for his and Teresa’s dinner earlier in the day. I couldn’t let the poor guy pay for an expensive date he didn’t even want to go on. His behavior at the end of dinner had been so odd it made me a little afraid of what he was going to tell us. Everyone was waiting in the living room when we got home and Jack was pacing while Tara and Mina looked worried.
“Mat? What did you find out? What is with you all?” A frisson of cold crept down my spine.
“It’s that Michael guy. Michael Conner,” Mat said.
I looked at Jack in horror. “Michael? My friend, Michael? No,” I whispered.
“Oh, God, Ally.” Jack came and folded me into his arms. “I am so sorry, babe.”
***
I was numb with shock. How could he do that to me? I thought we were friends! He knew how much the ads upset me! The feeling of betrayal was so intense I extracted myself from Jack’s hold and ran to the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before barfing epically. Oh, God, stuffed mushrooms, assorted veggies, chocolate mousse, all topped off with red wine was not a pretty sight the second time around. Of course, Jack was right there, holding my hair back until no
thing was left but dry heaves. I finally finished, flushed the toilet, and sank back, exhausted, against the tub.
“Why do you always see me at my absolute worst? Thanks,” I said as I took the cool, wet washcloth from him.
He sat down next to me, leaning against the tub. “This isn’t your worst, Ally. I mean, it was pretty bad, what with that red wine, but definitely not your worst,” he teased.
“Thanks, that makes me feel so much better,” I sighed.
He put his arm around me and pulled me snug against his side. “I’m just kidding. Mina is making you some hot tea. Why don’t you go get some sweats on and meet us back in the kitchen so we can figure out what to do about this.” He stood up and pulled me to my feet.
I entered the kitchen a few minutes later and froze as I heard Jack’s voice.
“I’m going to kill the son of a bitch, that’s what!”
“You can’t literally kill him, Jack,” Mat said. “They put people in jail for that. I’m pretty sure Ally doesn’t want to visit you in the big house.”
I sat down at the table and sipped the tea Mina had thoughtfully prepared for me. I gratefully took the painkiller Jack handed me, along with a glass of water. “Yeah, I’ve heard they can be really stingy about the conjugal visits.” Everyone laughed, which helped diffuse some of the tension in the room.
“Well, I can kick his ass at the very least. He deserves it for what he’s done to Ally. God, I can’t believe he’s behind all the crap Ally’s been going through this year!”
“I don’t think he is,” said Rémy quietly.
“What?” the rest of us exclaimed.
“I believe he is the one responsible for the personal ads, but not the rest.”
“You don’t think he left the roses? Or that he broke into my house and stole my underwear?” I asked.
“No. He’s a sad, confused boy who has a crush on you, but I believe a Seer is behind the roses and the break-in. Remember there was no residual energy trace on the roses. This Michael could not do that.”
“Shit,” Jack muttered.
I just sipped my tea, devastated by the thought that this wasn’t over.
“Okay,” Mat said. “We can at least deal with this little asshole and his personal ads. And no, Ally…” He held up a hand to forestall what I was about to say. “I won’t let Jack hurt him. We’ll just scare him. I guarantee there won’t be any more personal ads.”
***
He was as good as his word: the personal ads stopped. Jack told me they confronted Michael as he was leaving class and pulled him aside for a “word.” Jack swears they didn’t touch him. He also said that Michael swore he only placed the ads and knew nothing about the roses or the break-in. Jack and Mat believed him, which was good enough for Mina, Tara, and Rémy, but I still wondered. The next day in class, I pointedly sat across the room from the seat Michael was saving for me and refused to even look at him. He waited for me after class, but I held up a hand.
“Don’t, Michael. Just…don’t. I have nothing to say to you. Ever.” And I walked away.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“Thunder and lightning. Enter Ariel, like a harpy; claps his wings upon the table, and, with a quaint device, the banquet vanishes.”
—Shakespeare, The Tempest 3.3
Things settled down somewhat as the semester raced to a close. The roses stopped appearing and I hadn’t felt like I was being watched or followed for several weeks, which made me wonder if Rémy was wrong after all, and Michael really had been behind it all. I still avoided him like the plague, but after a few weeks I started to feel guilty as I watched him sit by himself in class. I know, I know! What the little creep had done was pretty awful, but was I any better, the way I had used people to find out who placed the ads? Mat felt terrible about what he had done; he said the scene when he dropped Teresa off at her door was not pleasant. She had clearly been expecting a kiss and the offer of another date. Instead she got the classic “I’ll call soon” line from Mat. We all did stupid things without thinking about the effects on other people’s lives and I wasn’t too sure I had the moral high ground on this one.
I finally sat down with my mom and Grams to talk about what Fionnuala and Kate each wanted me to do with respect to spending a semester abroad. They were understanding and helped me craft a logical pro and con chart so I could weigh my decision. The fact that my stalker seemed to have disappeared helped me decide I would be fine without Rémy as my constant watchdog so he could return to France to begin his career in his family’s import/export business. I sat him and Mina down one evening to let them know my decision. He actually took it fairly well and said we could at least give it a try and that he could be on the next overseas flight should I need him. He looked less pleased that Mina said she had decided to stay in the U.S. and look for a job now that she had her associate’s degree in computer web design. I wondered if they would ever get their relationship sorted out. I felt independent and empowered to have made such a momentous decision and was ready to move on with the next chapter in my life.
Jack was a huge fan of the new plan and I had high hopes that he would see this as an opportunity to move our relationship in a more serious direction. You know, the kind of direction with diamond rings? Not that I needed diamonds, mind you. Any nice gem would do. I was ready to be with him more than just a few evenings per week. I thought he was ready for more too, but all of the unsettled Seer stuff in my life kept us from moving forward. At least I assumed that’s what was holding him back from proposing. Maybe he really didn’t want to marry me. Maybe he was rethinking our relationship. Maybe he was—ahhh! For God’s sake, stop! I took a few deep breaths, realizing I did this to myself regularly. It was time for some of that stress management the doctor had prescribed, and that meant either yoga or ice cream. A quick trip the freezer told me that it was going to be yoga. Maybe I could stop by the grocery store on the way home from yoga. Double stress management. Nice.
***
I had completed all my finals for my education courses and just needed to turn in the paper for the feminist lit class and I would be done with my sophomore year. I had been running late this morning, too late to mess with the shuttle from the distant parking lot where my pass allowed me to park, and had decided to splurge on an expensive spot in the tall parking structure right across from the Fine Arts building. I was glad I had gone with that decision as I walked toward my car much later that afternoon. It had been a very long day with two finals, a meeting with my advisor, and a follow up appointment at the clinic to refill my meds. I had just turned in my final paper and was looking forward to a quiet evening at home with Jack. I walked up the stairs of the parking garage to the fourth floor, where I had been lucky to find a spot earlier that morning. It was still fairly full as I walked the long aisle to the back where I had parked. I passed a bright green Mazda 2 and something about it made me frown. My stomach dropped as I recognized the sound of footsteps behind me. Realizing it was most likely just someone walking to his or her car, I nevertheless turned quickly to look. Nothing. Crap! Was it starting again? I whipped back around and screamed as someone appeared directly in front of me.
“Michael! What the hell? You scared me to death!”
“Sorry. Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He held his hands up in front of himself in surrender.
“What do you want, Michael? If you hadn’t noticed, I’m not speaking to you.”
“I know. Please, Ally. I just want to apologize. Please just give me the chance to explain and apologize,” he begged.
I crossed my arms. “Fine. Go ahead.”
“Oh, okay.” I guess he had been expecting more of a fight. “Listen, I’m really sorry about the personal ads. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just…”
“You just what? You knew they upset me! You knew people were harassing me about them! You knew, Michael! You betrayed me! I trusted you!”
“Ally, I’m so sorry! I just got carried away.”
“What?
What do you mean?” I uncrossed my arms and put my hands on my hips.
“I wrote the first one because, well, I really liked you and I hoped you might realize you liked me back. I wanted to show you I could be romantic.”
“Romantic?” Creepy, yes. Romantic? Not so much. “But you knew I was with Jack.”
“Yeah, I know, I know. I just hoped that you might see that we’re…well, soul mates, I guess.” His shoulders sloped down in defeat. “And then I saw how popular the ads were. Everyone was talking about them, trying to figure out who they were for and who was sending them. It was nice. I liked the feeling. Pretty stupid, I know.”
Well, yeah, but I didn’t need to say it. God, soul mates? I thought he had a little crush on me, but, yikes! “Did you break into my house, Michael?” I demanded.
“No! I swear I didn’t! Just the ads.”
“So, you didn’t leave the roses?”
“No! I told Jack and that other guy it was just the ads. I swear to God, Ally! I would never do anything like that!”
I heard a car accelerating around the corner toward us and I stepped back to get out of the way. I reached out to grab Michael and pull him out of the way, as well. We were close to the corner and the car sounded like it was going too fast; I didn’t want either one of us to get hit. As the vehicle rounded the corner and drove past us, several things happened at once. In a movie, the next few seconds would be in slow motion; in real life it happened blindingly fast. I looked up at the car because it was cutting the corner too close. It was a large, black SUV of some sort and the back passenger window was rolled down. A man sat in the seat, leaning forward and holding something in his hands. I thought I recognized the man from somewhere, but it was such a quick glance I couldn’t be sure. I heard a loud pop and Michael tripped toward me as I reached for him; he fell against me, knocking me into the car behind me. I hit my head on the bumper, hard, and just before I blacked out I heard the SUV tires squeal as it roared away.