“27 is the new 20,” I said.
“Okay. I need a drink too because you’re both being ridiculous. I’m glad this is going to be fun. Because I passed on a very sexy date with Josh to hang out with you guys.” Melissa walked over to the kitchen.
“See, she’s always mad at me,” James whispered.
“Well maybe you shouldn’t have broken up with me.”
“I didn’t break up with you. I just said I needed some time.” He smiled at me. “I really wish we were alone right now. He put his hand on my waist and let it slowly slide down to my ass.
“Oh my God, James.” I grabbed his hand and moved it off my ass. “Apparently you get horny when you’re drunk too?”
“No, I just always want you.”
“You know, you’re supposed to be charming Melissa, not me. I mean, not like that obviously. In a gentlemanly way.”
James laughed. “Don’t worry. The only ass I want to touch is yours.” He slapped my ass and walked toward the kitchen.
I loved when he was happy and playful. And I was impressed that he was able to be despite Melissa’s onslaught. He was definitely better at dealing with her than I was. I tended to always just give in. I followed him into the kitchen.
“Were you guys just drinking straight vodka? No chaser or anything?” Melissa asked.
“We both just really needed a drink,” James said and sat down in one of the stools at the counter.
“Gross.” Melissa opened up the fridge. She was always so comfortable everywhere she went. And she had already made herself completely at home in James’ apartment. James and my apartment. I still needed to tell her that I was moving in with him. She poured a can of cherry coke into a glass, topped it off with some vodka, and leaned against the counter. “Why did you both need a drink so badly?”
I looked at James and then back at Melissa. “The cops showed up,” I said and shrugged.
“Wait, what?”
“To interview me for that stupid investigation they’re doing.”
“Did they tell you how the investigation was going?”
I looked at James again.
“Apparently two of my former students said I was asking for sexual favors in exchange for giving them better grades. Or something along those lines.”
“And…”
“And nothing. It isn’t true. Either the girls made it up, or the detectives did to try to get information from Penny.
“You have a history of lying.”
“Here.” James pulled out his phone and set it on the kitchen counter. He pushed it and it slid across the counter to Melissa. “Check my phone. I’m telling the truth.”
I had never looked at James’ phone before. James hadn’t offered his phone as evidence to me. Because I trusted him. And he needed to know that I trusted him. Melissa clearly didn’t trust him though. She needed the proof.
“So I can just look at your phone? At your texts? And contacts? And emails? And pictures?”
“Suit yourself.”
Melissa swiped her finger across the screen. “What’s your password?”
“Oh.” James laughed and ran his hand through his hair. “Actually it’s Penny.”
“I’m your password?” I slid into the seat next to him.
“Yeah, I happen to like thinking about you.” He put his arm around me.
“I hate that I’m mad at you right now, James. Because you two really are adorable,” Melissa said as she looked down at James’ phone.
I leaned my head against James’ shoulder. His cologne seemed to affect me even more when alcohol was coursing through me. I wished we were alone too. I put my hand on his thigh.
“Insatiable,” he whispered.
I gulped.
“Who’s Jennifer?” Melissa asked.
“My sister.”
“Oh.” She looked back down at his phone. “What about Ellen?”
“That would be my housekeeper.”
“Okay, fine, there’s nothing on here.” She placed his phone back down on the counter. “Actually there’s barely anything on here. Which is suspicious all by itself.”
“Sorry to disappoint you.”
“Well I’m adding myself into your phone. Because if Penny winds up in the hospital again, I want to know.”
“You’ll be the first person I call,” James said.
“I’d better be. And her parents. Have you talked to them yet, by the way?”
“We did.” I lifted my head off of James’ shoulder. “It went pretty well actually. My dad was not thrilled about me losing my scholarship, but other than that… it was good.”
“Oh crap, Penny. I didn’t realize you lost your scholarship. What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know why everyone is making such a big deal out of this. You know I have the money to pay for it,” James said.
“The perks of having a loaded boyfriend.” Melissa smiled. “Speaking of which, I’d love a tour.”
“I will let you handle the tour, Penny. I need to get some work done.” James stood up.
“But you’re not a professor anymore,” Melissa said.
“I’m working on some other stuff.” He kissed my cheek. “I’ll be in my office.”
Melissa didn’t say anything. She just watched James disappear. “Oh my God, this place is so cool! Show me everything!”
I laughed and slid off the stool. “Okay, so this is the kitchen.” This whole part of the apartment was open. I didn’t really need to say anything. “And the dining room and living room.”
Melissa walked over to the big box in the living room. “New T. V.?”
“Yeah. James knows that I like to watch T. V. and he didn’t have one. Plus his brother, Rob, is coming to town tomorrow. He wanted something to watch football games on with him.”
“That’s cute. Are you excited to meet him?”
“Yeah, and I’m really curious to see what he’s like. I feel like I’ll know James even better once I meet his brother.”
“And you two are good? I mean, I saw all the news vans outside. It’s kind of ridiculous.”
“We’re good. I’m just trying to ignore everything else. What was class like today? Did you hear anyone talking about it?”