Eli furiously shook his head. “Have you never heard of discretion? Doctor-patient confidentiality?” he asked her.
She shrugged. “I’m not a doctor.”
“Obviously,” he muttered as the door shut behind her.
“Louise.” Ruby tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Hasn’t she been with Martin, who’s been with Rita? And who you have also been with?”
“You’re thinking of Louise P.,” Hollis told her. “And Louise P. actually died in her sleep two weeks ago, so we should be in the clear.”
“I heard she was a good lay,” Ruby said.
“Put that on my headstone,” I muttered.
Eli grinned to himself and opened the boxes of bulbs. He was so at ease. So comfortable. Like my sudden appearance hadn’t even rattled him.
Meanwhile, being in the same room with him right now was nothing short of a mindfuck.
“Well,” Ruby shouted, so I could hear, “I guess you better get ready for your job interview today. Do you want me to run lines with you?”
I shook my head and started for the bathroom. “It’s not an audition.”
“It sort of is,” Eli said quietly.
From over my shoulder, I gave him the kind of glare that made your lungs freeze. Or at least I hoped so, but something told me I just looked like a feral raccoon.
INT. YOU SCREAM ICE CREAM SHOP—AFTERNOON
She hands him a cone. He forgot his money. Again.
POPPY
Here. Just have it.
ARLO
(tips an imaginary hat)
Milady.
POPPY
Next time you’ll have to pay with something other than charm.
ELIAS BUCKLEY
NINETEEN YEARS AGO
HI, VERA STEIN
Halloween was the goddamn Olympics of the Greek system, and the men of Sigma Chi were the reigning gold medalists. I stood leaning over the balcony of my bedroom, watching the debauchery unfold on the front lawn.
I wasn’t a fraternity guy naturally. My circle of friends back home was more like a triangle. I didn’t like noise. The traditions and unnecessary secrecy felt like playing dress-up. But Sigma Chi was a family tradition. Just like Stanford Med. Just like becoming an interventional cardiologist.
My roommate, Brody, had joined Sigma Chi with pure intentions a year after me. He wanted the family that joining a fraternity could bring you. I chose him as my little brother and roommate because he showed up to rush wearing a jacket and bow tie with no shirt under and it made me laugh. My friendship with Brody was simple and uncomplicated. He needed someone to keep him in line, and I needed someone to remind me to just fuckingbreathe. When alumni came to visit and you’d hear them spouting off about the bonds of brotherhood, the relationship I had with Brody was what they were talking about. Simple and familiar.
Then a mousy girl with riotous brown hair that was neither curly nor straight and glasses as round as her hips showed up on Halloween and ruined everything.
Well, not everything. Just me.
