Lucky Star

by Allie Everhart

  Lauren's call has me feeling stressed and when I'm stressed, I like to work out. I go in my room and change into my gym clothes, then check on Star in the guest room. She's still asleep so I leave her a note telling her where I am in case she wakes up.

  The gym is on the second floor. My grandfather added it a few years ago as a birthday gift to me but it ended up benefitting him as well. It made the apartment building more attractive to renters so he was able to raise the rent. It's not a large gym but it has all the basic cardio equipment and enough weight machines for a good workout.

  "Sterling." Kent smiles when he sees me walking in. "What are you doing here?"

  Kent's a grad student, working on his PhD. He comes here during the day between classes. Last year he worked out in the mornings, same time as me, which is how we got to know each other.

  "Taking the day off," I tell him.

  "Oh, yeah?" He picks up a towel, a grin on his face. "Lauren let you?"

  I laugh, but it's not funny. It's true. Lauren tried to control my schedule and everything else in my life.

  "Lauren and I aren't dating anymore," I say, going to the treadmill to warm up.

  "Seriously?" he asks, sounding surprised. "When did that happen?"

  "A few days ago. She hasn't moved out yet but she's staying with a friend until she finds something."

  "Are you seeing someone else?"

  "No." I laugh. "It's only been a couple days since I ended things with Lauren. I'm not quite ready to date again."

  "Then who was the girl?"

  "What girl?"

  "I saw you with a girl earlier. She was going up to your apartment."

  "She's just someone I'm helping out. I don't like telling this story but you might as well know. I hit her with my car."

  "The girl I saw?"

  "Yeah. She was on a bike when I hit her."

  "Is she okay?"

  "She has some cuts and bruises and a mild concussion but it could've been a lot worse."

  "Shit, that would mess me up if I hit someone like that."

  "Believe me, I'm still feeling sick about it. Haven't slept since it happened. And then she lost her job and her apartment. I'm trying to help her get back on her feet."

  "Is there anything I can do to help?"

  "Know anyone who needs a roommate?"

  "Actually I do but the rent's $2800. She'd have to pay half. Is that too much?"

  "Yeah. She can't afford that. But if you hear of anyone else, let me know."

  "I will. Hey, now that you're single again, any interest in going out with someone?" He grins.

  "I think it's too soon, but who are we talking about?"

  "Brynn. My cousin. You met her at that party I had last summer."

  He had a party in the garden out back and invited a ton of people. I'm sure he introduced me to her but I don't remember her.

  "Blond hair," he says. "Tall. Thin. She kind of looks like Lauren."

  "Yeah, now I remember. She DID look like Lauren."

  "Is that a bad thing? Because personality-wise, she's nothing like Lauren. I think you'd really like her. And she already likes you. She's still talking about you."

  "She is?"

  "Yeah. She's always asking me about you. What do you think? Want to meet her for coffee sometime?"

  "Sorry, but I have to say no. I'd rather not date a Lauren lookalike."

  "No problem. I totally get it." He wipes down the weight machine he was using. "I'm going to head out."

  "See you later." I up the treadmill speed.

  He walks over to me. "So the girl who's staying with you. Is she seeing someone?"

  I want to smack him for even asking, but why? Why would I be angry about that? Star could date him. He's closer to her age than I am. And he's a nice guy. Smart. Getting his PhD. He's in good shape. But I still don't want him dating her.

  "She's never mentioned a boyfriend," I tell him, "but that doesn't mean she doesn't have one."

  "I'd be surprised if she didn't. She's gorgeous." He smiles. "Guess you're more into blondes but I prefer brunettes, myself."

  I've only dated blondes but that doesn't mean I prefer them. I'm more attracted to Star than I ever was to Lauren, but maybe that's because she's different than what I'm used to. I don't know what's causing this attraction I have to Star but I need to get it under control. I can't be getting aroused every time I'm around her.

  "Maybe when she's feeling better, you could introduce us," Kent says.

  "Yeah, sure," I say, but I have no intention of doing so.

  "Okay, well, have a good workout."

  He leaves and I bump up the treadmill speed until I'm running at an all-out sprint.

  Kent wants to go out with Star. Of course he does. She's gorgeous. Her face. Her body. That smile. Any guy would want to date her. Including me.

  Chapter Eleven

  Star

  I wake up and notice it's dark outside. Checking my phone I see it's after five. I slept the entire afternoon and it was the best sleep I've had in years. The mattress is just the right level of firmness, the sheets are buttery soft, and the pillows are perfect. If I could, I'd buy this bed from Corbin and take it with me when I leave.

  My phone buzzes. I find it on the nightstand and see it's Haley calling. I sent her a text before I fell asleep telling her I was staying with Corbin.

  "Hi, Haley."

  "Hey, I just got home from work. What the hell's going on there? You're seriously hanging out with the guy who put you in the hospital?"

  "Yeah, but it's not as bad as it sounds. He's a doctor and he works at the same hospital they took me to after the accident. He felt horrible about what happened. He stayed by my side the whole time, then took me back to my apartment this morning and that's when I found out my roommates had moved out and taken all my stuff."

  "I told you not to trust people named Moon and Sun."

  "You could say the same thing about people named Star. You can't judge people by their name."

  "You said you got a bad vibe from them when you met them."

  "Yeah, well I didn't have a lot of options and the rent was cheap."

  "So they took everything? What about your car?"

  "I think it was towed. I don't have the money to get it out of the impound lot so I'm just going to leave it. I can't afford to fix everything that's wrong with it so they might as well take it."

  "So you have no place to live, no car, and none of your stuff?"

  "I still have my phone and my wallet. And Corbin took me shopping this morning and got me clothes and shampoo and other stuff I needed."

  "He took you shopping? Doesn't he have to work?"

  "Yeah, but he took today off to help me."

  "And you're staying at his place?"

  "Just for tonight. Or until I find an apartment."

  "Star, this isn't right. Something's going on with this guy."

  "What do you mean? He's just being nice."

  "No guy is that nice. He has a motive. He wants something."

  I roll my eyes. "And what could he possibly want? I don't have anything."

  "Uh, let's see...you're young, hot, vulnerable."

  "You think he's doing all this for sex?"

  "Seems pretty obvious to me."

  "If he wanted sex he could go to a bar and get any girl there. He's really hot. Tall. Muscular. Gorgeous face. Rich. He doesn't need me for sex. He has plenty of options."

  "He's rich? Like how rich?"

  "I don't know. He just made it sound like his family has a lot of money."

  "So some rich doctor hit you with his car and put you in the hospital."

  "I'm not going to sue him if that's what you're thinking."

  "But maybe he thinks you're going to, so to protect himself and his rich family he's playing the Nice Guy role so you won't go after his money."

  "He's not being nice to save himself from a lawsuit. He's just a nice person."

  "I swear, Star, sometimes you're so naive." />
  "I'm not being naive. You don't know him like I do. He feels really bad about what happened and wants to make things right. He's out in the living room right now trying to find me an apartment."

  "Yeah, let's see how hard he tries," she mutters.

  "He can't have me staying here more than a few days. His ex-girlfriend wouldn't allow it."

  "If she's his ex, why would she care?"

  "She hasn't accepted the breakup. And I don't think she wants me here. I overheard them fighting."

  "This is way too much drama. The last thing you need right now is his psycho ex-girlfriend coming after you. You need to get out of there as soon as possible."

  "I have nowhere to go and I don't have money for a hotel."

  "Maybe you could stay with Roy."

  Roy is a friend of hers from college. He parties all the time and sleeps with as many women as possible.

  "Are you kidding? Roy's a total pervert. He'd be trying to crawl into bed with me every night."

  "He's changed. He's more laid back now. Doesn't drink as much. And he has a girlfriend. If I asked, I'm sure he'd let you crash on his couch for a few nights."

  "Forget it. The few times I've met him he couldn't keep his hands off me. Remember when he put his hand up my skirt at your birthday party?"

  "And I totally yelled at him for that. I even yelled at him again the next day when he was sober."

  "I'm not living with Roy. I'll find someone else. How about that girl you roomed with junior year?"

  "Kristy? She got married and moved to Virginia."

  "What about your other roommate? From sophomore year?"

  "Got a job in Texas. She's been there over a year."

  "You don't know anyone else in town I could stay with?"

  "Sorry, but no. Everyone took off after graduation."

  "How am I going to find someone who needs a roommate?"

  "You could forget finding a place and just go home."

  "You know my parents' rule. I already broke the rule once. They're not going to let me do it again."

  "But this is a special situation. You lost everything. You have no place to live."

  "Which I don't want them knowing. If they found out, they'd give me yet another lecture on how I'm irresponsible and immature and need to get my life together."

  "Parents always say shit like that. Just ignore it and hide in your room until you figure out what to do."

  "No way. I'm not going back there. That house is completely dysfunctional. Did I tell you my mom has her boyfriend sleeping over now? With my dad, her husband, just down the hall?"

  "That's messed up. They need to get divorced or at least stop living together."

  "I keep telling them that. Hey, I should go. I've been sleeping all afternoon. I need to look for apartments."

  "Call me if there's anything I can do to help."

  "I will. Thanks."

  "And be careful. This doctor guy could be psycho. Lock your door when you go to sleep."

  "You watch too many of those murder shows."

  "If it happened to those people it can happen to you."

  "Great. Now I'll have nightmares."

  "Bye! Get better soon!"

  As I set my phone down I hear a knock on the door. "Star? Are you awake?"

  "Yeah, come in."

  Corbin opens the door. He has on the hoodie I was wearing earlier. It looks better on him. Then again, he looks good in anything.

  "I assumed you were awake," he says. "It sounded like you were talking but I wasn't sure."

  "My friend, Haley, called to check in. I was asking her if she knew anyone who might need a roommate. She went to college here so she knows a lot of people. Well, she used to. She said everyone she knew doesn't live in Boston anymore, except for Roy."

  "Who's Roy?"

  "This guy she met at college. He's fun to party with but he tries to sleep with every woman he meets."

  "And she thinks you should live with him?"

  "Just until I find a place. I told her I wouldn't do it. But if you need me out of here by tomorrow I guess I could consider it. She said he's changed but I have a hard time believing that."

  "You can stay here as long as you want. There's no hurry to leave."

  "How'd the apartment search go? Any luck?"

  "Not yet. All the ones I found online were too expensive. I called one of my contacts at Harvard to see if he knew anyone but he said all the students he knows already have roommates. He suggested I search through some roommate wanted forums, which I did, but everyone on there sounded even crazier than your last roommates."

  "There's gotta be someone normal out there."

  "I'm sure there is. I just didn't have time to go through all the listings."

  "I'll search after dinner tonight."

  "Speaking of dinner, I was thinking of ordering something in."

  "I thought I was teaching you how to make pasta."

  He smiles. "You don't have to do that. And you shouldn't be cooking after just getting out of the hospital. How are you feeling?"

  "Better after the nap, although my ribs are really sore."

  He comes over to the bed and sits down. "Show me where it hurts."

  I move the covers back and point to the right side of my ribcage. "Right here, but like the doctor said, I can't do anything about it. I just have to let it heal."

  "You landed on your left side. The right shouldn't hurt. Can I see?" He goes to lift up my shirt.

  "Um, yeah, okay."

  When I came in here to sleep I ditched my jeans and sweatshirt along with my bra so I'm only wearing a t-shirt and panties.

  Corbin raises my shirt to just under my breast and lightly presses his hand along my ribcage.

  "Tell me when it hurts."

  My heart is racing at the feel of his hands on my skin. I look up at the ceiling, trying to focus on the light fixture but all I can think about is where his hands will go next. They continue down my ribcage, his fingers pressing just below it.

  "Ow!" I cringe. "Right there."

  He presses lower. "How about there?"

  "That doesn't hurt."

  He moves the sheet down farther and presses along my hip area, and then lower. Heat floods my core, moving between my legs where I'm feeling sensations I shouldn't be feeling. He's just examining me. It's not sexual, but my body doesn't seem to get that.

  His fingers press down near the center of my pelvis and I twitch.

  His brows furrow. "That hurts?"

  "No. Just tickles a little."

  "How about here?" His fingers press on the other side of my pelvis and I stiffen up.

  "It hurts but it's not bad."

  "Huh. It could just be bruising from the accident but you should keep an eye on it." He lifts the sheet back over me, leaving me yearning to feel his hands on me again. "If it doesn't feel better in a few weeks, go see your doctor. When's the last time you saw your gyno?"

  "My what?"

  "Gynecologist," he says casually, as if it's not at all a personal question. He's in doctor mode, which means all that touching was nothing more than a doctor checking a patient. "When was your last appointment?"

  "I don't know. Probably three or four years ago."

  "You haven't been to the doctor in three or four years?"

  "I couldn't afford to. I don't have insurance."

  "You should see a gyno. That pain could be from a cyst or something more serious. I could refer you to one of the women's clinics in town that charge based on what you can afford. It may even be free."

  "Great, now can we stop talking about cysts and gynos?"

  He smiles and sits back. "Sorry. Sometimes I go into doctor mode before I can stop myself. But I would keep an eye on that spot that hurts. And the area below your rib. I'm guessing they're both just bruised, but if the pain doesn't go away you'll need to get it checked out."

  "Yes, Dr. Sterling." I crack a smile.

  He shakes his head. "You're a terrible patient, aren't
you? Never listens to your doctor?"

  "I listen. I just don't want to talk about my lady parts anymore."

  "Lady parts?" He chuckles.

  "I'm not good with medical terms so lady parts it is. Now can we talk about something else? What are you thinking for dinner?"

  "I was going to ask you. After being forced to eat hospital food because of me, I think you should be the one who gets to pick what we have for dinner."

  "Then I pick pizza. Really cheesy pizza with lots of red sauce."

  "That's my favorite kind too but I never have it."

  "Why not?"

  "In the rare times Lauren and I ordered pizza she'd only get the kind with a gluten free crust and olive oil, no sauce."

  "What about toppings?"

  "Usually broccoli and red peppers with goat cheese."

  "Ugh, that sounds disgusting."

  "It's not bad but I do miss having just a basic pepperoni with red sauce."

  "Then let's get that. With extra cheese."

  "Sounds great." He shoots me a smile as he stands up. "I'll call the order in. You get dressed and meet me out in the living room."

  Get dressed. He said it because he knew I was only wearing panties. His hand almost touched them when he was pressing on my pelvis. If he'd gone a few inches lower he would've been to third base!

  I'm still breathless from him touching me. And wet. God, he turns me on. Everything about him is sexy. His smile. The way he carries himself. And his touch. The feel of his hands on my skin, pressing, probing, going lower and lower. I'm getting aroused just thinking about it. And yet he didn't seem affected at all. He just sees me as a patient. Nothing more.

  "Fifteen minutes," I hear Corbin yell from the living room.

  "Okay!" I yell back.

  Damn. Even his voice is sexy.

  When I get to the kitchen, I see him looking in the fridge. "What do you want to drink?"

  "Got a beer?"

  He turns to me and smiles. "No alcohol when you're on those pain meds."

  "How about a soda?"

  "How about sparkling water?" He holds up the bottle.

  "Let me guess. Soda has too much sugar?"

  "Sugar. Fake colors. Fake flavors." He grabs a glass from the cabinet. "I'm a health nut about some things but not everything."