‘No thanks, sir. Not tonight.’
Zed increased his grip on my shoulder. ‘Would you like me to get you a drink, sir?’
Mr Keneal y did a double take. ‘That’s very kind of you.’ He reassessed our pairing. ‘Glad to see she’s a good influence on you.’
‘Early days yet,’ I murmured.
‘I’l have a soda—a Coke.’
‘Be right back.’ Zed dropped his hold on me and dipped into the crowd to catch a waiter. It was almost funny the way he was trying to impress on me that he could be polite when he put his mind to it.
Mr Keneal y was obviously trying to think of how to broach a difficult subject. He shuffled the music.
‘Settling in OK, Sky?’
‘Yes, thank you.’
‘Everyone looking after you?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘If you have any … er … problems with anyone, you know there’s a school counsel or, don’t you?’
Music Master leaping to my defence—though I don’t think he was quite ready to take on Wolfman directly.
‘Yes, Mr Joe told me. But I’m fine. Real y.’
Zed returned. ‘One Coke, sir. Ready to move on, Sky?’
‘Yes. Bye, sir.’
Mr Keneal y gave me a worried smile. ‘Thanks for the drink, Zed.’ He sat down and began to play Mahler’s funeral march.
‘Message for me?’ whispered Zed.
‘Or me. People can’t work out why we’re together.’
‘Can’t work out why I’ve got the prettiest girl in the room with me? Then they’ve no imagination.’ He laughed when he saw he’d made me blush again.
He brushed a thumb over my cheek. ‘You are the definition of sweet, you know that?’
‘I hope that’s a compliment.’
‘Meant to be. I knew it even when I gave you that warning—you know, about going out after dark. You listened, didn’t you?’
I nodded, not sure what else to do. He seemed so serious about it.
He smiled and tickled my neck with a strand of my own hair. ‘I was ful of resentment that I had to do it because of my dream—I’m stil worried about that—
but even then, it did filter through that you were kinda cute.’
‘You never showed it.’
His lip curled with wry self-knowledge. ‘I do have an image to maintain, you know. I think I might have fal en for you that day in the parking lot. Nothing sexier than an angry woman.’
I so wanted him to be tel ing the truth, but I had my doubts. ‘Cute and sexy? I’m not like that.’
‘Sure you are. If I’m a tuning fork, you’re the perfect A, making me hum.’
I was getting flustered. ‘Zed, ssh!’
‘What, you don’t like compliments?’
‘Of course I do—I just don’t know what to do with them.’
‘You just say, “Why thank you, Zed—that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”’
‘Wil you stop putting on that fake English accent—
it so doesn’t work!’
He threw back his head and laughed, drawing many eyes to us. He swooped on my hand and kissed my palm. ‘You are just great. You know, I can’t understand why I was slow to realize what was going on with you.’
I wasn’t ready to talk about feelings yet; I had to keep this practical. ‘These dreams of yours—do they always come true?’
He frowned. ‘One way or another. Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you. I’m gonna take very good care of you, Sky.’
I didn’t know what else I could say about such a vague threat, but he had me spooked. I changed the subject. ‘You know, Tina doesn’t think you’re my type.’ I gestured across the room to Tina who was chatting with Sal y. She looked striking in her long green dress; Nelson hovered close—he’d not missed the fact that she was attracting many admiring glances tonight.
‘Oh?’ Zed looked amused. ‘And your type would be?’
‘Tina’s opinion or mine?’
‘Yours.’
I smiled down at my new shoes before risking a glimpse of his expression. I was total y nervous, but I said it anyway. ‘Right now my type seems to be tal , arrogant, angry and secretly real y kind.’
‘Nope, nobody I know.’ His eyes glinted.
‘Sky, isn’t it? How are you?’ Mr Benedict interrupted us, taking my hand in his large palm and holding it for a moment. His grip was warm and capable, work-roughened. If he was surprised to see me with his son after our last conversation in his presence, he didn’t show it. Then again, I had the impression his face rarely betrayed his thoughts. By contrast, his wife was a bundle of energy with large dark eyes, face positively radiating her emotions, body held poised like a flamenco dancer. She was the one who had gifted her sons with the Hispanic looks. By the way Mr Benedict’s arm rested on her shoulders, you could tel they had a special energy together, a quiet fizz of delight in each other.
‘Sky.’ Karla broke into my musing; she was smiling as she patted my wrist.
‘Nice to meet you, Mrs Benedict.’
‘Our boy apologized to you yet for how he spoke to you at the river?’
I glanced up at him. ‘In his own way.’
‘I see you understand him. I’m so pleased. It’s difficult for him.’ Mrs Benedict touched my cheek lightly, before her eyes lost focus and she became sort of misty. ‘But you—you’ve seen these things too
—lived them, which is much worse. I’m so sorry.’
My heart missed a beat.
‘Mom,’ warned Zed. ‘Stop it.’
She turned to him. ‘I can’t help but see.’
‘Yes, you can,’ he ground out.
‘So much sadness so young.’
‘Karla, Sky is here to enjoy herself.’ Mr Benedict herded his wife away from me. ‘Come visit us anytime, Sky. You’l always be welcome.’
I wanted to run. These people were making me see things again. I couldn’t. I’d squeezed those feelings—the colours—stuffed them away in a locked box deep inside. What was I doing here with Zed Benedict of al people? Who was I fooling? I couldn’t handle relationships—I shouldn’t have even tried.
‘Sorry about that.’ Zed tugged his col ar awkwardly. ‘Shal we get some air?’
‘She’s like you.’ I could feel the shaking beginning.
‘She was reading me—getting too much like you do.’
‘Hush now.’ He stepped closer to shield me from the rest of the guests. ‘Don’t think about it.’
‘What am I? An open book or something?’
‘It’s not like that. It’s not just you.’
‘I think I’d like to go home now.’
‘I’l drive you back.’
‘No, it’s OK. I’l get Tina to take me.’ Right now I didn’t want to be near any of the Benedicts.
‘It’s not OK. If you want to go, I’m the one who’s going to take you. You’re my responsibility now. I’ve got to keep you safe.’
‘Safe’ was the opposite of what he made me feel.
I backed away. ‘Just leave me alone. Please.’
Tina must’ve been keeping an eye on me al evening because she was at my side in an instant.
‘What’s the matter, Sky?’
‘I … I’m not feeling wel .’
Zed stepped between us. ‘I was just about to drive her home.’
‘I can take her,’ Tina said swiftly.
‘No need. She’s with me. I’l look after her.’ He was angry that I wanted to run from him, I could tel .
‘Sky?’ asked Tina.
I hugged my arms around my waist. It was easier not to argue. I just wanted to get home as quickly as possible, even if it meant a few minutes in the car with Zed.
‘Zed’l take me. I’l just go tel my parents.’
I was feeling real y shaken and some sign of that must have convinced my parents I’d be better off at home. Simon sized Zed up coldly before agreeing.
‘Your dad does that wel ,’ Zed said, starting the ignition in his family’s jeep.
‘What?’ I suddenly felt tired—drained. I let my head flop against the side window.