“Well, let’s hope so.”
I shook my head. “Let’s say so, and let that be the end of it.” Still processing what this meant, I punched the air with passion.
NormaJean laughed. She’d still been underweight, but the color in her golden bronzed skin had returned some since I’d seen her this summer. I knew she had her last session of chemo before I returned to school, but she never mentioned the assessment her doctors had to do when it was up.
A thought occurred. “So, this is why you flew all the way out here.”
Giggling, she nodded. “Yes, Ashton.” Her arms went into the air, gesturing Mario, the best formal restaurant in my college-town. “This is why I came out here. To give you the news face-to-face. You deserve that courtesy after all the support you’ve shown.”
The waiter returned, handing me the check.
“No.” Her hand pushed into the air. “This was my invite; my treat. I insist.”
“You came all the way out here to share the best news I’ve heard in forever, and you think I won’t get the bill? You must be out your damn mind, girl.”
I handed my American Express to the waiter without glancing at the tab. It was easily over two hundred bucks, but pennies for the company.
“So what are you doing to celebrate?” I asked when the waiter took off.
“Well, I just started, by coming out here to see you. I’m going to head back to the airport and fly out to Paris for a few weeks. GiGi and the crew want to hit the circuit, and that takes time.” Then she rolled her neck, cheekbones highlighted. “And how do you plan to celebrate.” The devilish gleam in her eye clarified her inquiry.
I chuckled. “Go back to my apartment and work on these written interviews before the department’s PR head chews my ass out.”
“A young man your age should have a willing celebratory partner on speed dial.”
My brows lifted, uninspired. “I have a girlfriend. No speed dial feature on either of my phones.”
She spat in the air. “Give me a fucking break. Girlfriend my ass. I swear, I can still strangle her.”
A quiet chortle pushed from my chest. “It wouldn’t help. Aivery’s Aivery.”
“Fuck her,” NormaJean hissed, crossing her arms over her chest. “She doesn’t know how many of those girls on campus would die to be in your bed…your girlfriend, no less. She needs to grow the hell up, and before you’re drafted in the spring. I still don’t think she should have a ticket to your train. Find another girl, one who has a fucking clue.”
“Hey!” I waved my palms in the air. “Don’t kill my vibe by bringing her into this moment with my cougar/bestie/favorite pinup girl.” I laughed, and NormaJean did, too. Sobering, I added, “But this is huge for me. Congrats, baby girl. You’re the toughest woman I know.”
“Why thank you, Ashton Spencer. I’m happy to have this moment with you.”
The waiter returned my card with receipts for me to sign. When I wrapped that up, NormaJean and I left the table. I assisted with her Burberry cape near the front door when a suited man approached us.
“I’m sorry, Spencer.” His smile was goofy. “But Ms. Norma J, do you mind?” He pointed to a waitress who held up a camera.
My questioning gaze met NormaJean’s. I knew how particular she was about her appearance, especially after having just finished chemo recently. “Maybe some other time—”
“It’s okay, Ashton,” NormaJean insisted. “Unless it’s not okay with you...”
“Totally fine.” I backed away to give them room.
After a few clicks and flashes, and seeing a bit of the fire back in her eyes, a weight lifted from my shoulders. I had no idea I’d been carrying the stress of her recurrence and treatment the way I had. She was still here, healthy, and with all the beguiling star magic she’d had since I met her years ago.
As I walked her out to Marv, her travel companion who was pretty much an armed bodyguard, she elbowed me. “You got jealous back there?”
“How?”
“With them asking for a picture?” Her grin was perceptive.
“Hell no. Protective, for sure. I don’t want you feeling like a damn spectacle, especially after what you’ve been through.” I acknowledged Marv, waiting on her.
“Looks like it’s about to rain,” NormaJean surmised out loud, peering into the purple sky.
“Then you need to go.” I motioned her toward Marv as I handed my card to the valet.
NormaJean croaked out a sound begging my pardon. “If you don’t get over here and hug me!” She yanked on the cuff of my jacket sleeve.
“Shit.” I caught myself. “I can now get out of protective mode. We cancer free, baby!” I sang playfully, pulling her into my arms.
She readily received me. “You better act like you know, Spencer.” Her squeeze was tight and sincere. She pulled back and peered up to me. “You better be lucky I respect your little relationship enough not to make you kiss me out here.”
My eyes roved up, left then right on the slow-moving street. It was after eight at night, and not much was popping around here during the week. Across the street, I saw a few people leaving out of nasty ass Applebee’s, but that was the most populated area.
Smiling, I glanced down to her still in my arms. I hadn’t held NormaJean this close in public in years, and especially around or on my campus. Neither one of us was with it. But tonight was different. I could tell she was just as giddy as I was about her recovery. I kissed her forehead again.
“Hit me up soon, and tell GiGi she owe me.”
NormaJean slipped from my hold, giggling. “You have a girlfriend. She can’t make good on shit.”
Laughing, I shook my head. Marv had the car waiting at the corner. Seeing her off reminded me of wilder times. Tonight, the NormaJean flew into BSU land to surprise me with good news of her health. A few years ago, during my freshman year, she’d fly in to fuck.
“Tori!” The shriek snapped my attention across the street. Trisha moved frantically down the street. A tall woman with a masculine build and fade cut looked to have been searching in the opposite direction. “Tori!” she called out again.
At the same time, my truck pulled up in front of me. I sauntered out into the street and spotted the valet a crisp twenty before descending into my car and taking off for campus.
The rain pelted down on me. It began two minutes ago. The droplets so fat, trekking uphill, my sneakers were starting to soak. They were heavy and slowing me down. Worse than that, I had no idea where I was going beyond the bridge I’d just started on.
“Hey, shit brain!” A passing car zipped past with some idiot yelling out. “It’s raining like fuck!”
Their collective laughter faded the farther away they drove. Humans are the most dumb creatures ever. More cars zipped past, their tires spraying me with puddled water, but lights helping me see the next few yards ahead. Sudden beeping scared me and I began to walk faster. I was no punk, but not a fool either. The last thing I wanted was to come all the way out here to become a cold case. I watched that show.
“Tori!” a deep voice barked. Ashton was driving alongside me with his window down. Behind him, cars punched into their horns. One van veered around him, blowing its horn, too. “Hey, Tori!”