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David took her in his arms. “You’re wrong; I still want to sleep with you.”
“You’re so exasperating!” But she was glad she could laugh.
It was a good thing that they decided not to have sex because later that night Ava received a call from her father. He had asked Felice to marry him. While she was on the phone with him, David’s cell rang, and he heard the news.
The first thing she said when he got off was, “Eww, I would have had sex with my stepbrother. Thank God we dodged that bullet.”
“I could kick myself for letting you talk me out of it,” he said.
“You’re a jerk.”
“I know. So, sis, where would you like to go tonight?”
She rattled off a bunch of places, from restaurants to bars. They decided to go to her more recent haunt down the street. They had drink specials on Tuesdays, and they could get some decent bar food. They changed and took a cab.
The place was half full, and they were able to get a table in the corner where they could talk without being bumped by others. Ava stuck to seltzer and lime. She was going to stay away from alcohol as long as she could. David ordered one of the craft beers on tap. When the waitress came with their drinks, they placed their food order.
Ava was deep in conversation with David when she heard her name. She turned to see Tim coming towards them with a beer in his hand. What was he doing here? She had once told him that this was a college bar, but really it wasn’t. A lot of people came here after work.
Tim invited himself to sit down and pulled a chair from one of the nearby tables. Ava was annoyed that he would horn in on their conversation. He started questioning David, practically interrogating him. She introduced them and said that David was her stepbrother.
Tim didn’t remember her mentioning that her father had remarried. She better not be lying to me, I already have so many lies that I caught her in. He chattered on dominating the conversation. Ava got quiet hoping that Tim would take the hint and leave but he just kept talking. They had finished their dinner and asked the waitress for the check. Ava explained that David was tired from his flight and wanted to get back early. She shot David a glance to make sure he didn’t ruin her cover.
She went to pull money out her of her purse to pay the check, but Tim was quicker and handed the waitress a fifty dollar bill from a wad of money he took from his pocket. If he thinks all his money is going to impress me, he is wrong. She was annoyed that he would think that. She decided to speak up.
“Tim, you don’t have to pay for everything. It was my treat, and I wanted to pay for it. Where are you getting all this money from?”
She saw Tim’s cheeks turn crimson.
“Is it so bad if I treat my friends? I have been working on some computer projects on the side and recently got paid for one of them.”
She was troubled by his admission since he had never mentioned any side jobs except when he pulled out money. She didn’t believe him just as much as she disbelieved the story about the man in the park.
She rose from her chair, and David shook Tim’s hand to say goodbye. They walked separate ways and David commented on what a strange guy Tim was. She told him that Tim had been there for her when she needed someone. While she wasn’t quite ready to write him off as a friend, she agreed he was getting weird.
It was getting late, and David was dozing off while they watched TV. She nudged him, and he woke up. She asked if he wanted to go to sleep and went to the closet to get a blanket. He got up and changed in the bathroom and when he came out Ava had prepared the couch for him to sleep.
“You can still sleep in my bed if you want?”
Hopefully, he asked, “Will you be in it?”
“No, I will be on the couch, jerk.”
He laughed and shook his head. “The couch is fine.”
She went to her bedroom and left the door open. The cats followed her and jumped up on the bed to snuggle up at the foot of it.
Later that night, she had the same nightmare about Xander. This time, he was in the coffin with blood all over his face. His suit was smeared with dirt and grass. She began screaming until she woke to David shaking her.
“Is there something about me that makes you have nightmares?”
“David, I am so sorry. I don’t know why I have them again.”
“You have had them before these two?”
“Yes, but not this one. This is new, and I don’t know why I’m having it.”
“Can I go back to bed? Will you be alright?”
