if you’d like to join us.”
“In going to the prom?” asked Eran, innocently.
“No, no. I’m…I’m not asking you to the prom.”
Clearly, I thought. She wouldn’t lower herself to break tradition. She was going to wait for him to ask her, and that annoyed me.
“I meant,” she continued, “in planning it.”
“In planning what?” he asked, retaining his oblivious expression.
I glanced at Eran, found that he was playing with her, and had to stifle my laughter.
“In planning the prom.” She seemed flustered. Evidently, she didn’t know her simple question would be so confusing for him. For good measure she added, “Would you like to join our group in planning the prom?”
Eran thought this over for a few seconds, though I’m certain it seemed much longer than that to Bridgette. He finally answered, “No, I don’t think so…but thanks for the offer.”
Her face contorted in to a mixture of confusion and offense. “Oh…all right.” Bridgette was rarely rejected and it showed.
Agitated, she finally turned to me and muttered with downturned lips, “Maggie,” before turning on her heels and headed down the hallway.
“She was flirting with you,” I said, between clenched teeth, trying to contain my anger.
“I believe she was,” Eran replied simply.
We didn’t speak again until we were inside the car, a fair amount of tension lingering between us – which was likely a combination of the looming argument to come and the flirtation I’d just observed. As we slammed the car doors closed, he didn’t move to insert the key into the ignition. The sound of rain hammering the roof enveloped us, giving the false notion of being concealed from the outside world. Eran was watching me, a slight, affectionate smile warming his handsome face. “I didn’t get a chance to say it earlier…” He intentionally waited until I looked at him and then his smile softened. “It’s good to see you too.”
My breath caught as he admitted it and my smile returned.
He started the car and pulled into traffic on the side street outside the school, leading us back to the house.
“If you still refuse to leave the city,” he stopped to sigh in frustration at my decision which he knew remained unchanged. “I have a solution.”
My head snapped towards him, excited that an argument wouldn’t ensue after all. “You do?”
“I do.”
“Well…what is it?”
“Oh…” A smile played on his handsomely curved lips. “You’ll find out shortly…”
My brow creased in curiosity. “When?”
“The moment you get home,” he stated.
From then on, until we reached the back door of our house, my eagerness increased exponentially.
CHAPTER FIVE: ALTERUMS
As Eran parked the car at the back of our driveway, I noticed two things at once: our kitchen light was on, glowing like a beacon against the darkness of the stormy day, and a stranger stood under the eaves against the window, frowning.
The man was tall with a slender build. His closely cropped bold white hair, silky smooth swarthy skin, and clear blue eyes stood out in direct contrast to each other. He would be hard to miss.
I didn’t sense any measure of panic so I determined he wasn’t an enemy. Eran didn’t offer any explanation but simply got out of the car and moved towards the man. I followed.
“Campion,” said Eran, genially.
“Sir,” he replied in a more submissive, respectful tone.
My curiosity was clawing at me from the inside.
“Enjoying the rain?” Eran held back a smile at some private joke.
“Not very much, sir,” Campion grumbled.
“Sir?” I inquired but it wasn’t until we were inside the kitchen with the door closed against the rain did Eran clarify.
“Magdalene, as your memory won’t allow it, I would like to reintroduce you to Campion, my first lieutenant.”
My eyebrows rose. “Your…” I heard
“In going to the prom?” asked Eran, innocently.
“No, no. I’m…I’m not asking you to the prom.”
Clearly, I thought. She wouldn’t lower herself to break tradition. She was going to wait for him to ask her, and that annoyed me.
“I meant,” she continued, “in planning it.”
“In planning what?” he asked, retaining his oblivious expression.
I glanced at Eran, found that he was playing with her, and had to stifle my laughter.
“In planning the prom.” She seemed flustered. Evidently, she didn’t know her simple question would be so confusing for him. For good measure she added, “Would you like to join our group in planning the prom?”
Eran thought this over for a few seconds, though I’m certain it seemed much longer than that to Bridgette. He finally answered, “No, I don’t think so…but thanks for the offer.”
Her face contorted in to a mixture of confusion and offense. “Oh…all right.” Bridgette was rarely rejected and it showed.
Agitated, she finally turned to me and muttered with downturned lips, “Maggie,” before turning on her heels and headed down the hallway.
“She was flirting with you,” I said, between clenched teeth, trying to contain my anger.
“I believe she was,” Eran replied simply.
We didn’t speak again until we were inside the car, a fair amount of tension lingering between us – which was likely a combination of the looming argument to come and the flirtation I’d just observed. As we slammed the car doors closed, he didn’t move to insert the key into the ignition. The sound of rain hammering the roof enveloped us, giving the false notion of being concealed from the outside world. Eran was watching me, a slight, affectionate smile warming his handsome face. “I didn’t get a chance to say it earlier…” He intentionally waited until I looked at him and then his smile softened. “It’s good to see you too.”
My breath caught as he admitted it and my smile returned.
He started the car and pulled into traffic on the side street outside the school, leading us back to the house.
“If you still refuse to leave the city,” he stopped to sigh in frustration at my decision which he knew remained unchanged. “I have a solution.”
My head snapped towards him, excited that an argument wouldn’t ensue after all. “You do?”
“I do.”
“Well…what is it?”
“Oh…” A smile played on his handsomely curved lips. “You’ll find out shortly…”
My brow creased in curiosity. “When?”
“The moment you get home,” he stated.
From then on, until we reached the back door of our house, my eagerness increased exponentially.
CHAPTER FIVE: ALTERUMS
As Eran parked the car at the back of our driveway, I noticed two things at once: our kitchen light was on, glowing like a beacon against the darkness of the stormy day, and a stranger stood under the eaves against the window, frowning.
The man was tall with a slender build. His closely cropped bold white hair, silky smooth swarthy skin, and clear blue eyes stood out in direct contrast to each other. He would be hard to miss.
I didn’t sense any measure of panic so I determined he wasn’t an enemy. Eran didn’t offer any explanation but simply got out of the car and moved towards the man. I followed.
“Campion,” said Eran, genially.
“Sir,” he replied in a more submissive, respectful tone.
My curiosity was clawing at me from the inside.
“Enjoying the rain?” Eran held back a smile at some private joke.
“Not very much, sir,” Campion grumbled.
“Sir?” I inquired but it wasn’t until we were inside the kitchen with the door closed against the rain did Eran clarify.
“Magdalene, as your memory won’t allow it, I would like to reintroduce you to Campion, my first lieutenant.”
My eyebrows rose. “Your…” I heard
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