Lucky Number Four (6 page)

It seems like forever until the door opens
again. I feel my hands tingling and look down to realize I’ve
fisted them and they are stark white from the pressure. I relax
them and step into the hallway. It’s quiet and kind of spooky. I
walk to the huge front double doors and go to knock, only to
remember the key in my pocket. I quickly insert it and am slightly
surprised when it clicks and I push the door open.

The huge living/dining room is morgue quiet.
All the doors off the room are closed except for one, and I move
forward to peek inside. The room is as big as my mom and dad’s
living room, and that’s pretty big. A familiar queen-size pedestal
bed is centered on one bright white wall, with the other three
walls a light tan color. My feet sink into the rug that matches the
walls as I walk across the room. The rest of my bedroom furniture,
which isn’t much, is dwarfed by the room. I look around, but spy no
boxes.

Off to the side of the bedroom is a sitting
area with a couch, a couple of chairs and a large, closed armoire
that probably hosts a TV. There are two doors in front of me, and I
open the first and inhale deeply at the sight. It’s a bathroom, but
not like any bathroom I’ve ever used. It’s massive and looks like
something out of a high-end magazine. The tub is so huge it could
hold at least four people, maybe more, and the walk-in shower is
amazing.

There’s even a bidet. Yes, I know what that
is. My grandmother has one in each of her bathrooms. But that’s a
story best left for later.

Exiting the luxury bath, I open the other
door and my jaw almost hits the floor. It’s a closet. At least, I
think it is since my clothes are hung up inside of it on two long
metal rods. Built-in drawers and a massive, oval-shaped mirror hang
opposite the door. My shoes are placed in little cubby holes built
into the wall.

“What the hell?” I say to myself while
plopping down on the bed, overwhelmed by it all.

I know the story of Pandora from Greek
mythology very well. She was so curious she opened a box (it was
really a jar) which she was told never to open. Of course she
opened it and allowed evil to fill the world. At the bottom of this
jar was hope. So that’s how we have hope. I’m not saying I’ve
opened Pandora’s box and now have evil in my life, or anything.
It’s more like I’ve opened a freaking can of worms…and I hate
worms, like, really hate them.

I jump as my phone buzzes from my backpack.
Pulling it out, I see it’s Julie.

“Hey,” I say, testing the waters.

“Hey, yourself. So, first, I almost fucking
dropped dead when I opened the door and saw not one, but three of
the hottest guys I’ve ever seen. I swear, Dora, my heart actually
leaped out of my throat,” Julie whispers before her voice picks
back up. “Okay, honey, see you in a few.” She must be talking to
Kevin. “He’s gone. Dora, what the hell? I’m so pissed you didn’t
tell me you were looking to move. We’ve been friends since diapers,
and I had to find out from…three totally fuck-worthy, gorgeous male
specimens,” she blurts. “I swear, I almost wet my pants. And then
they asked about you and told me your little secret, and next thing
I knew, Drew is offering Kevin and me an apartment at a fucking
unbelievable amount a month. I thought I was hearing things. Then
the movers came in and moved all of our shit—I mean, stuff. Kevin
said we moved uptown so I have to watch my fucking cussing, but
hel-lo, I feel like we won the lottery! But you are not off the
hook about this secret, and we will most definitely be having a
little chat about that soon. Now, go take a bath in that ginormous
fucking tub, and I’ll see you at dinner.”

“Dinner?” I say.

“Yes, dinner! Drew invited us to come over at
seven. I’ll have to have a snack before then, or I’ll pass out from
hunger. Did I tell you how the movers did everything? There must
have been ten of them, and they were finished in no time at
all.”

Moving to lay on the bed, I prop up the phone
so I can listen to her ramblings. After a lengthy description of
where she had the movers put everything in my room, and then how
they went down to hers and did the same thing, she finally comes to
an end with a “see you later” and hangs up.

I feel like a hamster on a wheel and I can’t
get off! My eyes feel gritty, so I rub them and attempt to get some
shut-eye.

“She looks like a sleeping princess,” I hear
a familiar voice say.

“What princess have you seen wearing jeans
and an old sweatshirt? I admit, the hair could pass,” a dry
Australian accent replies.

“Should we be in here? We might scare her,
standing at the end of her bed staring at her like this,” a proper
English accent whispers.

“What part of privacy do guys not
understand?” I blurt out, opening one eye, and I’m so satisfied
when I see them jump a little.

“Ah, well, we just wanted to let you know
it’s almost seven and dinner is ready,” Drew says loudly, as if I’m
deaf.

“Sorry, Dora, I tried to stop them, but—”
Colin shrugs his shoulders, looking apologetic. Liam just stands
there with his arms crossed, rolling his eyes. Without a word, he
walks out of the room. I close my eye again, wishing the others
currently in the room would take the hint.

“Okay, I’m getting up, so you two can leave
now,” I say when I realize they’re not budging.

“Great,” Drew says. “You can come as you are,
no need to change.”

“Good, because I’m not planning on it,” I
snap, opening my eyes again and watching as Colin pushes Drew out
the door.

I punch my pillow. I hate feeling angry. The
last time before today I was truly angry was when I found my
so-called madly-in-love boyfriend in bed with a bleached
blonde.

Now is not the time to relive that. I need to
calm down and go eat, but arrive fashionably late. Yes, I’ll be
late, as it’s ten minutes past seven.

I open my door to find the dining room table
full of people who all, as if on cue, turn to look at me. I wish I
had changed. At least my hair is decent, I guess. It’s still a mass
of curls, but these curls are as tame as I can make them. I spy an
empty chair and slide into it, not meeting anyone’s eyes. Everyone
starts chatting again, and I take a peek at Julie, who is sitting
opposite me. She grins and takes a bite out of a chicken leg. To my
right is Colin, and I meet his eyes to find them smiling back at
me. My heart does a little flip as I quickly grab the dish he’s
holding, thanking him and plopping a spoonful of heavenly-looking
mashed potatoes on my plate.

Throughout the meal, I look around the table
and notice that beside the three models, everyone looks
average(ish). I thought models only hung out with other model
types, but it seems that might not always be the case. I’m enjoying
the convos around me. Every time Colin’s dreamy British accent hits
my ears, my heart skips a beat.

Drew sits at the head of the table, and when
I look his way, he winks at me. My heart only does a half-flip,
thank goodness, as I know he’s a party boy from all the stuff I
found out about him, and the others, when I Googled them this
afternoon.

My eyes finally land on Liam. He nods, sans
smile, and no heart skip/flip happens. So why only Colin and Drew?
What the hell am I thinking? These guys are my roommates. Also,
they are way out of my league. Most importantly, I’m not looking
for a relationship right now anyway. My focus is on finishing
school and working. That’s ALL.

Nothing else.

So, heart, I’m warning you, stop it now.

Dammit, cheeks, don’t blush.

Geez, for the love of cauliflower
.

“So, Dora, what do you think of your room?”
Julie’s voice interrupts my inner thoughts and I look up.

“It’s okay,” I say before putting a forkful
of mashed potatoes in my mouth. Hopefully she’ll get the hint that
I don’t want to talk. She raises her eyebrow at me and goes back to
eating. Thank you, gods, I can eat in silence.

I have to admit, I’m enjoying this evening.
The girl sitting to the left of me is in college and works too. She
tells me her name is Tess and she’s known Drew since they were in
elementary school. I keep talking to Tess, partly because Colin is
causing my blood pressure to rise. His leg is so close to mine, I
can feel the heat radiating from it. What is up with my internal
thermostat? I think it’s broken.

“Tess, is it hot in here to you?” She shakes
her head, so it’s just me.

How will I survive?