“Tell me about them. Your siblings. I only know Kian.”
“Aiden was first. He lives in New York, with mom, and is working on his masters in Fire Science.”
I nod.
“Then there is Brendan. He’s in the army, so he won’t be coming home.”
“Alexia did mention the Army doesn’t have Spring Break.” I chuckle.
“Finn and Neil are twins and away at school. Then there is me and my younger and biological sister, Rosalyn, who’s a year younger.”
“It’s great the O’Brien’s adopted siblings.”
“I refused to be adopted without my sister.” The smile slips from her face. “We were separated a lot, but at least we weren’t any longer, except when we went off to college.”
I could sit all night talking to Deirdre, but the parking lot at the drive-in is almost empty. “Why don’t you come by for dinner tomorrow night?” I hate that I won’t be able to pick her up or walk her home, but no matter what, I try to keep Cam on a strict schedule. If I hadn’t known he would sleep through tonight, I wouldn’t have left the house.
“Great!” She grins. “What time and what can I bring?”
“Sevenish?” I suggest. “Cam won’t go down until around eight-thirty, so if you want to make it later.”
“Seven is good.”
Inwardly, I breathe a sigh of relief. I was expecting her to either decline or wait until later so there was no interference from my son, but Deirdre doesn’t seem to care that with me you get a nine-month-old child too. This couldn’t be more perfect. “Give me your number so I can check in with you tomorrow.”
She grabs her phone. “What’s yours?”
I give it to her, she adds it to hers then sends me a text. “There you go.”
“Perfect.” I start the car and pull in after the last one leaving the drive in, trying hard not to grin. “Anything you don’t like or allergic to?” I’d hate to make her sick the first time I cook for her.
“I’m a starving college student.” She laughs. “Anything will be delicious to me. What can I bring?”
“Not a thing. Your company is all I desire.” Actually, I desire a hell of a lot more but it might be too early in our relationship, if that is where this is going, to even hope for more.
Seven
I don’t date much. Okay, almost never, and have spent far too much time today, like all day, staring at the clothes in my closet and piled on the bed. Do I wear jeans and a t-shirt? It’s a casual dinner at Jesse’s place. Or, a flirty skirt and top? I’m not exactly the flirty, frilly type of girl, though I have a few outfits to pull from for occasions that call for such apparel. But, it’s not exactly what I’m comfortable in. Besides, in a skirt, I’d be so conscious of how I sit. Since Cam will be awake at first, can I really play with him, maybe even sit on the floor in a skirt?
No. Jeans and cute top. That’s what I’ll wear. If Jesse and I have another date, where we actually go out somewhere like a restaurant, I’ll wear a skirt then.
My phone dings and I grab it from the dresser and glance down at the text. It’s a generic one from a number I don’t recognize. Mass Message to residents. Water damage to a number of rooms. We will keep you updated.
“What the hell?”
They don’t list my complex or apartment, nor is anyone else tagged in the text. Of course, they could be blocking the personal information.
This can’t be happening.
“Don’t panic!” I click on my contacts and tap the number to the complex manager. Instead of anyone answering, it goes to voicemail. It’s three in the afternoon; somebody should be in the office.
Unless they’re dealing with a crisis.
Shit.
Do I drive to Vassar and find out what the hell is going on? I can’t ignore it. What if there’s damage in my apartment? It will have to be dealt with now, not later.
If I do go, I’ll have to cancel on Jesse, which majorly sucks.
I try the complex manager again. This time on her cell. Again, no answer.
Shit!
I really have no choice.
As much as I hate this, I call Jesse. When he answers, I quickly explain.
“Well, you’ve got to go.”
“Yeah, I know, but I was looking forward to tonight.” I want him to know I’m not just trying to get out of the dinner, or dumping on him.
“We can go out Friday.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I already planned on actually taking you to dinner, if you wanted to go. Larry agreed to babysit for me.”
“You don’t need to do that.” I assure him. “We can eat in.”
“I want to go out. I rarely have a chance to. And, I want to take you out.”
I smile into the phone. “Sorry about tonight.”
“Don’t worry about it. It can’t be helped.”
I’m not exactly in the same good mood when I get home as I was before I left for school, but it isn’t Deirdre’s fault. If I got a text like that and couldn’t get ahold of anyone, I’d go check on my apartment too. It just sucks because I was looking forward to spending time with her, and being able to talk to her without interruption.
Larry is upstairs in the apartment and is just carrying Cam from the back. She has him wrapped in a towel.
“I thought I’d bathe Cam so you wouldn’t have to worry about it.” She pauses in the living room. “With your big date and cooking dinner, Cam will already be ready for bed.”
I drop my backpack on the table and take my son. “Thanks, but the plans are cancelled.”
Larry frowns. “Really?”
“There’s been an incident with her apartment and Deirdre needs to go back to Vassar and check on it.”
She smile’s
