The next morning, Dusty didn’t feel nearly ready to get out of bed but the sun was blazing through the window, hollering at him to get up and get the day going. He couldn’t even pry his eyes open yet. They had a lot to do with funeral plans with Courtney’s mother; he was going to lie there until Katie gave the command to wake up. He cuddled up to the body next to him and gave the back of her head a kiss.
She let out a gentle moan and shifted a bit. Dusty jumped when he felt a hand on his crotch. “How’s my Cookie Monster this morning?” the voice asked sleepily. Shit. That wasn’t Katie.
Dusty bolted upright. “Stacey?”
She rolled to her back. “You were expecting someone else?”
Dusty looked around the room. He was in her dorm room. What the hell? He hadn’t been with Stacey for at least two months before he met Katie. She was enough to just about make him swear off women altogether. When the hell was he now?
He quickly slid out of her bed, wrapping the sheet around his waist.
“Uh…no. I remembered I have to pick up a friend. Sorry.” He quickly found his pants and pulled them on. Katie’s going to kill me! What the hell is going on?
Stacey sat up angrily, crossing her arms under her bare breasts. “You going to call me later?”
“Yes. Um, no. I’m sorry, Stacey. I can’t. I’m sorry I let whatever happened last night happen, but I can’t see you anymore.”
“Whatever happened last night? That just happened to be—”
He put his hand up. “Please don’t say it. Look, I’m sorry.” He scrambled around the room looking for his shirt and socks. “It’s not you— it’s me.”
“That old line? I thought you were different, Dusty.”
“I can’t, okay? I’m sorry. School is hell and my dad is on my ass. I don’t have time to treat you the way you deserve to be treated. Okay?”
“You’ll be sorry, Dustin Andrews.”
“I already am,” he mumbled under his breath.
“What was that?”
“Nothing. I can’t find my right boot.”
Stacey climbed out of bed and strolled to the closet, flaunting her naked body. She pushed the door closed and found the boot against the wall. She walked over to him slowly with it, waving it back and forth. “You liked that corner. Are you sure I can’t get one more ride out of you and get you to change your mind?”
He swiped the boot from her hand. “I’m sorry. I really have to go.” He pulled his other boot on and hurried to the door. He said goodbye, but before he closed the door something she said made him step back in. “What was that?”
“Is your friend Dean seeing anyone?”
“No. I mean, yes. He has a pretty steady girl. Why?”
“I thought if you weren’t interested, I’d try him.”
Dusty stepped back in the room. The memories of her came back to him more clearly. He did have a hard time breaking up with her. She never would let it stick. He blamed himself since he gave in too many times after too many drinks. Boys will be boys.
“Look. I know we keep doing this, but I mean it this time.” He hoped he was at a place where that statement made sense. “Don’t go messing with Dean. He has a good thing going.”
She strolled up to him and ran her hand down his chest. “How else can I prove to you what a good thing you’ve let get away if I’m not as close as I can be to you and rub it in?”
He held her hand. “Look. I’m trying to be civil. I’m sorry if I’m coming across like a jerk. Don’t mess with Dean. I mean it. If you’re looking to dig your nails into a law student, there are plenty of us out there.”
“Like who?”
Dusty had to think fast. “Freeman.”
“Freeman? He’s on a scholarship.”
“Yeah, but he’s a good guy.”
She scoffed. “Nice try.”
“He got it on his grades; he has some money. And rumor has it he’s hung like a horse.”
“Really?”
Dusty shook his head in disgust at her reaction to his made up comment. “I have to split. I’m really sorry. You deserve better than me.”
“Ain’t that the truth.”
Dusty hurried out, realizing he had no idea if he drove here or what. After a brief walk down a few side streets, he found his car. It wasn’t locked and his keys were in the visor. Gotta love having a piece of shit that no one would even steal. He started it up and took off without waiting for the heat to kick on. What would be the point?
He dug his watch out of the glove box as he drove. It was almost exactly two months earlier than his previous visit. Why the switch? He knew he had time to save Courtney, yet he was sent back to the present. Was that to show him what happened if he failed? “Nice of you to wrench my heart, asshole.”
“Anytime, puddin’.”
Dusty stomped on the brakes and spun around to the voice in the back of the seat. “I ought to beat the shit out of you!”
“I’d like to see you try.”
Dusty stormed out of the car and slammed the door. Frank followed. Dusty caught him by the shirt and pressed him to the car. He was pissed, but the guy was old. Going easier than he wanted to, he instantly regretted the light hold he had on him.
Frank now had Dusty by the shirt and spun him around so he was now pinned at the vehicle. “You’re farting around and it ain’t helping.”
“I didn’t put me in bed with an ex-girlfriend. What if Katie finds out about it? She’ll have my dick in a jar.”
“Ms. A cups? Please. I have to say that psycho was about the lowest you ever sunk. And F—Y—I, you didn’t cheat on Katie. You haven’t technically met her yet.”
“Yeah, right. Like that’s going to matter.”
“So you saw another woman naked. You didn’t do anything. Hmm… you’re right. You’re screwed, Andrews.” Frank let go of his hold and straightened Dusty’s shirt. “You have a lot of balls grabbin’ a helpless old man like that.”
“Helpless my ass. What gym do you go to?”
“The gym of the love of a good woman.”
Dusty winced at the thought of the geezer having sex. “Too much info, pal.”
“I’m through screwing around with you. Get your shit together. I just gave you a head start.”
“You mean you just screwed up everything I had going.”
“Really? You want me to punch you in the face so you can get caught up with Ronald?”
“I meant Katie. I’m before I ever met her. I finally won her ass over and spilled the beans, now she has no clue who I am or what I’m doing.”
“Do you remember how many times she had to go back to your sorry ass?”
“That was different.”
“Hardly. I think it’s payback time.”
“You’re doing this to punish me?”
“No. I think we needed the clock rewound a smidge. You saw how well your interfering thus far got you.”
He lowered his head to his chest. “Yeah. It made her die even sooner.”
“Right. Try again, numb nuts.”
“You know, I have half a mind to tell Katie how you treated me when this is over.”
“You wouldn’t do that.”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“’Cause that would leave you with nothing.” Frank walked away and Dusty flipped him the bird with both hands. “I know what you’re doing,” Frank said without even turning around.
Dusty decided not to send another retort his way. He got back in his car and headed for home.
As he showered, he cursed for being sent this far back. He hoped he wouldn’t have to deal with his father a third time on the same subject. For now, he had two choices. Skip classes again and either approach the Dean of Students in advance or wait for the wrath of being busted after skipping a few days. He decided to skip a few first. Maybe he could wrap this up quickly, now that he was ahead of the game. He knew where Ronald worked and he knew he had a nice left hook. Dusty needed to come up with another tactic.
His mind roamed to Katie’s stories of all the times she’d met him and had to convince him that she was leaping through time. He was a hard sell, but she eventually convinced him. She had the unfair advantage of being a female. Men generally listened to anything if they had a goal in mind. Listen now, act on the information, sort out the details later. If he blurted out the things she had, there’s no way he would be allowed within fifty feet from her. He wished she had a hidden birthmark to use as leverage, like the one she had used on him, but she didn’t. He could only try a few quirks and facts when the time came. For now, he wanted to try the old fashioned way and “woo” her for a date. As always, wanting to see Katie was on the top of his list in any date and time. He headed over to the coffee shop, hoping to get lucky.
His thoughts went to what Frank had said. He quickly convinced himself that he wasn’t wasting time. With Ronald’s schedule, he had to wait until at least ten to catch him. That was if he had the early shift. Depending on the day, he may not show up till four. “Can’t just sit around with my dick in my hands,” he said, quoting his father. Wise man indeed.
Dusty couldn’t believe his luck in finding Katie and Courtney sitting in the coffee shop. In his and Katie’s original present, they hadn’t met until they were older. It was funny how through all her time leaps and now his, they always ran into each other. Someone or something was really determined to get them together.
After pouring Dusty’s coffee, Art once again gave him hell about his tab. “After this, you’re not getting another damn thing until you pay up, Andrews.”
“I told you, I’d pay you Friday.” He kept his voice low, hoping to lower Art’s. That was his usual line; he hoped it was fitting now. He turned around and saw Katie and Courtney look his way. Crap.
“Today is Friday, butt munch.”
“Oh. Gimme a second.” Dusty walked over to the ATM and checked his balance. He saw that a check had been deposited from his father, so he pulled out enough cash to cover the bill and a nice tip.
“You know,” Art said when he placed his drink in front of him. “You’re the poster child for why I don’t like to run tabs.”
“You love me.” Dusty blew Art a kiss then sat in a chair across from where Katie and Courtney were on the couch. The girls looked his way, he raised his large coffee up in a greeting. They smiled a pleasant hello, but didn’t say anything. He pretended to be interested in his phone. Out of the corner of his eye he caught Katie glance back over at him. She whispered something to Courtney and they laughed. When Courtney walked to the bathroom, Dusty stole the chance to go over and sit next to Katie.
“Good morning. Come here often?”
She at least smiled pleasantly at him. It wasn’t a crash and burn yet.
“Is that really the best you can do?”
“Sorry. I get tongue-tied when I see a strikingly gorgeous woman.”
She shook her head then blew on her coffee before sipping it. He had to hold back from commenting on it. Katie tucked her hair behind her ears. “Look, you’re positively adorable, but I don’t really want to be picked up.”
“I wouldn’t just pick you up. I’d carry you all the way back to my place.” She laughed with a snort then covered her mouth. “I’ll give you points for originality there.”
“Can I trade in those points for a date?”
“Sorry. No.”
“Why not?”
“Honestly, you’re a little younger than anyone I’ve ever dated. I’m pretty sure that includes when I was in high school.”
“I’m not as young as I look.”
“How old are you?”
“Just a few years younger than you.”
“And how do you know how old I am?”
“I’m good as guessing these things.”
“Really? Well, you are aware that you’ll piss off a woman if you guess older than she is, right?”
“Yup. She’s even more pissed if you guess her weight wrong.”
“You’re not stupid enough to try and guess someone’s weight, are you?”
“How about this. I guess your age, height, and weight and you go out with me.”
“Are you crazy?”
“About you, the second I saw you.”
Katie held her face in a serious stare before she took a sip of her coffee. “I overheard your conversation with Art. We go on a date and I have to buy?”
“Hell no. I’ll take you to Chez Pauls. I have money. It’s just a game I like to play with Art. He loves the banter as much as I do. Honest.”
Dusty glanced up. Courtney had returned and was standing behind the couch. Her arms were crossed. “What do we have here?” she asked.
“I’m trying to get a little wager out of your friend.” He turned back to Katie. “I’ll up the stakes. I’m right and you bring your friend along, too. We’ll make it a double date with my best friend.”
“What are you getting me into, Katie?”
“A dinner at Chez Pauls if he guesses my height, age and weight.”
“What? Is he with the traveling circus? I didn’t know there was one in town.”
“Tell you what,” Dusty said. “You both get a shot at my age first. If you aren’t within two years, the deal’s off.”
“You’re on,” Katie said, finally getting interested. “If you are a day over seventeen, I’ll eat escargot while we’re there.”
Courtney let out a chuckle. “That was my vote but since you stole it, I’ll go eighteen.”
Dusty stood up, pretending to be defeated. He turned to walk away then quickly spun back around and pointed at Katie. “You’re one hundred and eight pounds, five foot three, and twenty-five. I’d say you were a Scorpio, even though you probably don’t get into the whole Zodiac thing. And for the record,” he pulled out his wallet and held it up. “I’m twenty-one.”
Katie snatched the license from his hand. “And a half. Shit.”
He took his license back, then bent down and kissed Katie on the cheek. “I’ll pick you two up at six. I assume you’re roommates. What dorm are you at?”
Katie’s mouth was wide open so Courtney answered. “Gunther Hall.”
“It’s cold. Don’t worry about fancy dresses. Wear something comfortable.” He walked over to the bar and picked up a to-go cup then walked out before they had a chance to come up with a reason to cancel.
“Just what the hell was that?” Courtney asked Katie. “I thought you were dating Rex.”
“Well… I sort of am. It’s not a big deal. We’re not even sleeping together. It’s only been a few dates.”
“I’ve never seen you so smitten. What’s with this kid?”
“Honesty? I don’t know. I was curious about him from the second he sat down.”
“Do you know what he does? Is he in school?”
“I don’t have a clue.”
“Way to go, hon. You set me up with a friend of his that’s probably a troll.”
“Oh, come on. He wouldn’t do that. It’s probably someone his age or younger. You’ll be in luck. You’ll be with a boy hitting his sexual peak and actually be able to keep up with you.”
Courtney mussed Katie’s hair.
“Witch,” Katie said with a giggle.
“Dog poop analyzer.”
“Human wiz sniffer.”
Courtney flopped over the back of the couch, laughing hard. Katie plopped her with the pillow in the stomach. “So you’ll go with me?”
“Sure. I guess I can tell Ronald I made other plans if he calls. It’s not like we do anything but boink, anyway. I’ll ride bitch for you and your date.”
“Love you.”
“You’d better.”