“Huge mixed signals,” Vail said, shaking his head.
“So”—Lor bounced and sat up, crossing his legs—“then this other guy is shown in. He must’ve gotten there a minute after we did, and we’re all standing there gawking at each other. The kids are getting nervous because now they don’t knowwhatto do.” Lor widened his eyes at Vail, as if he was encouraging him to pick up the story.
Vail straightened on the couch and used both hands to adjust his bow tie, which had Lor snickering again. “So, I told them all about Nelson Rockefeller.” When everyone in the room except Lor stared at him without giving the response he’d clearly expected, he rubbed his hands together and smiled. “Dear Nelson was the grandson of the infamous John D. Rockefeller, and also a vice president and New York State governor.”
“What about him?” Rowen asked, plopping down on the couch beside Vail. They looked good together, both in suits, and for a second they knocked the air right out of me, which wasn’t hard to do these days. I couldn’t help myself, I went over and settled down on Vail’s other side because, after all the tension at the meetup, I just wanted his sweet goodness in my life. He’d known how much trouble I’d been having this week, but he was distracted with telling his story, and I was more than happy when he wrapped his arm around my waist. He wasn’t pumped like Aspen, but he was solid, and he didn’t shy away from squeezing me.
Lor laughed so hard he nearly snorted, then leaned back and propped himself up with his hands. One of his elbows gave out so that he landed on his back, still gasping for breath in amusement.
“Oh, don’t you know? He died cheating.” Lor raised his hands and glanced around at everyone. As Vail’s assistant, he probably knew a lot more about history than the rest of us.
There was silence, and then I couldn’t help myself. “How’s that?”
Vail flashed me a smile. “The rumors are fraught with exaggeration, of course, but the man was in bed with his busty blonde mistress, who happened to be an aide in his office, in an apartment his wife reportedly knew nothing about, surrounded by some of the most expensive paintings in the country. He was midafternoon delight when he had what everyone assumes was a massive heart attack. He might have been saved, but since he wascheatinghis mistress was reluctant to call an ambulance.” Vail’s bottom lip jutted and he gave me a half hug and grinned. “No one can verify the validity of any of this.”
“So... what happened?”
“She called a reporter instead.” He shrugged. “More than an hour after Mr. Rockefeller seized up while inside his lover, the ambulance finally arrived, but it was far too late to save him.”
Rowen shook his head. “And the moral, my wee angel, is that a few virtues could’ve saved his sinful life?”
“Exactly.” Vail nodded in his direction.
“Dr. Mifflin talked them into studying instead of cheating.” Lor chuckled again, still splayed out on the floor. “You should’ve seen the look on the face of that guy who was hired to teachcheating. What do you even call your job if it’s to help people cheat?” Lor crowed in outrage. “He was so mad I thought he was going to punch someone.”
Aspen settled at my side and slid over so he could put his arm behind me and lay a hand on Vail’s shoulder. “Were you two okay?” he asked quietly.
Vail nodded and laughed. “Yes, very much. I’m going back every evening this week and next week to help the boys prepare for their test. Apparently there are other tutors. I spoke with the woman who hired me, and she was livid. Her husband will probably go broke.”
“Why’s that?” I asked. “From paying so many tutors?”
He shook his head. “She mentioned a very lengthy list of things he would need to do to get back into her good graces, and none of them seemed cheap.” He shrugged, and I found myself smiling along with him. “Oh, did you eat?” Vail asked as an alarm began to sound. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to poke at it and thankfully the annoying beeping stopped.
“Uh, not yet, why?”
He held up his phone and showed me the name of his alarm—Remind Fallon to Eat.Part of me was irritated, but the way Vail looked at me, with his cheeks slightly flushed and all the happiness he carried around with him directed my way, I couldn’t be anything but grateful to have him in my life. I hugged him, and he carefully put his arms around me, being as gentle as he could, the same way he had since I’d gotten out of the hospital.
“You don’t have to do that.”
He shrugged. “It’s nothing to set another alarm, and I worry about you and mean to ask you, but then I forget to ask....”
“It’s how you show you care?” I whispered in his ear.
He nodded. “Have you ever had a skateboard?” he asked, and everyone in the room glued their attention on him because none of us were sure who he was talking to, but then he swiveled to focus on Lor.
“Uh, yes.”
Vail frowned as if Lor had answered a momentous question, and I had to wonder what was going on in his head, but I knew that even if he did explain I might not really understand the answer, so I just kissed his cheek. He rubbed a hand along my side. “I’ll go grab grub.”
“Oh, I tried to cook.” He winced, then gave Rowen a sheepish smile. “I singed the bottom of one of your pots, I’m sorry. And the macaroni and cheese I made is... edible, but I think I... well, it said to use shortening in the recipe, and I went with Crisco, and then I realized somewhere else it said butter....”
I laughed while Rowen groaned and his hands drifted up to cup the sides of his head. When I went out to the kitchen there were bowls in the sink like maybe Vail and Lor had already eaten, and there wasn’t one butthreepots of macaroni and cheese sitting on the counter... andthenI spotted a handle sticking out of the small trash can near the stove. I ate a bowl of really odd-tasting pasta, and I had the gallon of milk out of the fridge and to my lips when an “Oi, ye better not, yeeejit!” had me rushing to finish chugging.
Rowen came to a stop at my side, eyebrows lowered and arms crossed, but his scowl wasn’t deep enough to mean he was actually pissed.
I laughed, put the lid back on the jug, and shoved it in the fridge. “Sorry.”
“My kitchen,” he muttered as he caught sight of the handle poking out of the top of the trash can. He rushed over and removed the pot, but whatever was in there had him putting a hand over his heart and dropping it right back in. I laughed and went out through the dining room and along the hall. Vail was standing in the front doorway talking to Lor, which was a ritual when he came over—Lor would say he needed to get going, and then they’d stand in the doorway talking about whatever was on Vail’s mind for another forty-five minutes easy, even if it was cold as balls outside. No one would yell at Vail for it, so it wouldn’t ever change. I pecked a kiss on his cheek and waved at Lor as I headed upstairs.
