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"What do you mean by that?
"You're thinking with the wrong head." She looks at Trip again. "It will pass."
"She says as she stares at the guy and drools all over the table."
"Hey, it doesn't matter where I work up my appetite as long as I have dinner at home."
"I'm sure Jake would appreciate knowing that. Meanwhile, I need to talk to Trip."
Her eyes widen. "Are you out of your mind? You're only gonna make things worse. What if Ryan walks in?"
"He's got class right now. Rox, I need to know what really happened, I need his point of view. What I remember and what Ryan saw when he read my mind are two very different things. I need to know why there are two different memories in my head of the same event. I promise, this will be the last time I ever talk to him."
"I'm tellin' ya, you're playing with fire."
"I'll be fine."
Roxanne finishes her bagel, wipes her mouth with a napkin and stands up. "Okay, but I gotta get to class in five minutes, so I can't keep an eye on you."
"Really, I'll be okay."
"Well, if you're gonna do this at least take me over and introduce me."
"Working up that appetite?"
"I want an up close and personal look at Mister Universe. I'm attached, but I'm not dead."
I get up and lead her over to Trip's table. He's engrossed in his book as we approach. He looks up and his eyes widen and fill with a touch of concern. "Uh…Jillian. Hi. You sure this is a good idea?"
"We need to talk, Trip. Oh, this is my best friend, Roxanne."
He stands up and extends his hand. Rox does all she can to keep her jaw from hanging open as she looks up at him but is unsuccessful. This is one of the few guys who's taller than her in her heels. "Hi, Trip Logan."
She shakes his hand. "Uh-huh."
She doesn't say anything else as he sits down. I give her a gentle elbow in the ribs. "You've got class, right?"
"Whuh?" Her eyes are still locked on him. "Class, right. Nice to meet ya."
"My pleasure," he says. Rox turns and walks right into a chair, nearly falls, then continues out of the coffee bar. I grab a chair opposite Trip and sit down.
"Look, Trip, what happened the other night—"
He puts up his hands. "I promise, it won't happen again. You don't have to worry about me coming between you and your boyfriend. I'll keep my distance."
"It's not that. I wasn't myself and…Well, I need to know what I said."
"You don't remember?"
"I can't handle my liquor." I've never even had alcohol, but it's the best excuse I can come up with.
"Okay. Well, I went out in the hall to use my cell, and just as I finished the call I saw you, so I shouted out to you."
"I remember that. What happened next?"
"You asked me what I was doing there, which I thought was an odd question. I told you I'd come to the dance."
"You didn't say anything about dreams?"
His brow tightens. "Dreams? What dreams?"
"Not important. So then what did I say?"
"You said you'd been thinking about me, and I said I'd been thinking about you too but it was really frustrating since you had a boyfriend. You started to laugh and I asked you what was so funny. Then you said you were unattached, that you always told guys you just met you had a boyfriend. Until you got to know them better. Just to be safe. And then you said you wanted to get to know me better, that I seemed like a good guy after saving you from getting hit by the cab."
"I said that?"
"Yeah. So now I'm thinking I have a shot with you so I got excited. Jillian, I was very interested from the moment I met you. I hadn't stopped thinking about you."
"Me? I would think a guy who looks like you would have women beating down your door."
He actually blushes a bit. "There's something about you, Jillian. I'm mean, you're gorgeous and all but you have this incredible life force thing going that takes it to another level. Anyway, when you almost got hit by the car and I got to spend a little time with you, it made things worse. I'll admit I got turned on carrying you down the street when you put your arms around me. It was driving me crazy that you had a boyfriend because I desperately wanted a chance with you."
I must say I'm getting really flattered at this point, and now I'm beginning to blush, but I need to stick to the task at hand. "Okay, so what happened next?"
"Well, you started talking about how I saved your life and how you felt protected when I carried you to the infirmary. How you hadn't properly thanked me and wanted to do it in private. You started sliding your hands up my arms, then around my neck and you gave me this look that went right into my soul. Then you jumped into my arms, wrapped your legs around me and started kissing me. Then you asked me to take you back to my place. That's when your boyfriend showed up."
"You didn't make the first move? You didn't pick me up?"
He shakes his head. "No, you took the initiative. And you certainly weren't shy about it."
"And I asked you to take me to your place?"
He nods. "Yeah."
"Were you going to?"
"A guy doesn't pass up an invitation like that from a girl like you. But then your boyfriend showed up. Talk about a disappointing end to an evening." He looks around, leans forward and lowers his voice. "Look, Jillian, I'm sorry you got in trouble with your boyfriend, but I never would have let it happen if you hadn't said you were unattached. I don't want you to think of me as one of those guys who breaks up relationships."
"I don't. And I want to thank you for the way you handled it. That was quick thinking on your part. It would have ended up much worse."
"Well, I understand how he feels, and I'd feel the same way. He obviously cares for you a great deal. Lucky bastard."
"Actually, I'm the lucky one."
"So how are things with your boyfriend? He looked pretty angry."
I shrug. "He's hurt, but he's tough. He'll get over it."
"Good. Not sure I will."
"Excuse me?"
He leans forward and locks eyes with me. "Jillian, I know we were only kissing for a minute or two, but what I felt with you is something I've never felt before."
Jake and I are riding to The Summit on this Saturday morning. Mom's backed up on her clients, so she isn't tagging along. Sebastien only wanted to see the two of us since we're the ones who have been affected. Roxanne and Ryan are patiently waiting at home, both of whom hoping for something that will explain why the people they love suddenly seem interested in others. But them being left behind is fine since I wanted a chance to talk with Jake and bring him into the loop. While I know I've been affected, he doesn't think anything is different.
"Trust me, Jake, you've changed."
"I changed last year, remember? In a good way."
"I know. But you're doing stuff you wouldn't normally do. And I've been meaning to talk to you about it since Roxanne hasn't."
He turns to me as I drive and keep my eyes on the road. "What's up with Rox?"
I exhale deeply, knowing she didn't want me to talk about it, but I can't let this go on. It's hurting her too much. "Jake, you've been talking about another woman when you're out with her."
"No I haven't. I would never do that."
"You've been doing it. You just don't realize it."
"Well, then, who am I talking about?"
"Your teacher, Ms. Cruise."
"That's different, Jillian. I was just talking about a teacher I like, that's all."
"Yeah, but the way it comes out, it sounds like you're interested in her. Romantically."
"That's ridiculous. Cruise is old enough to be my mother. And I love Roxanne."
"I know you do, and she knows you do. But your teacher has seriously screwed with your mind." I can tell he doesn't believe me, so I decide to tell him about seeing him in a reading. "Okay, you have to pinky swear with me that you will not tell Roxanne what I'm about to tell you."
His face tightens. "What?"
"Pinky swear." I stick out my pinky.
He shakes it with his. "Yeah, sure. So what's the big secret?"
"I saw you in my crystal ball the other night."
"You did a reading for Roxanne?"
"No, Jake. It was a reading for someone else who is a student at our college, but you were in it. You were kissing Ms. Cruise. And it looked like you were going to go a lot further."
We're both propped up on a couple of hospital beds with electrodes attached to our heads. Jake is noticeably upset about what's been going on with Cruise, especially after talking with Sebastien about her. After two hours of testing, I'm ready for answers.
But when Sebastien walks in with a worried look, I know I'm not getting the answers I want.
"You can remove the wires now," he says. Jake and I quickly pull the sticky connectors from our foreheads.
"So, what's the verdict?' I ask.
Sebastien looks down at a printout. "Both of you have been affected in the same way."
"How so?" asks Jake.
"Your brain waves have been altered."
My eyes widen. "Altered?"
"The patterns have changed slightly. In the Delta waves."
"The subconscious ones," says Jake. "The ones her father wanted to access in her."
"Correct," says Sebastien. "Jake, I know you would like to drop this class, but if we are to study this situation we need you to remain close."
"I understand," he says. "Not sure Roxanne will, though."
"And Jillian, I need you to monitor her class, but only using your alter ego. Remember, she cannot access your brain waves when you are a projection. We will need to compare what Jake takes from the class to what she is actually saying."
"Okay. So…what does this mean?" I ask. "Can we be, you know, fixed?"
Sebastien looks at the floor. "I'm told it's like a virus in your brain waves. Right now we have no idea how to deal with it, but at least we have isolated the problems."
"So how do I know when I'm dreaming and when I'm not?" I ask.
He shakes his head. "Unfortunately, I cannot answer that question. You will simply have to be very careful."
"If it's a virus, like the computer virus we gave to Jillian's father, will we get sick?" asks Jake.
"It's not physical, it's mental," says Sebastien. "But when you take that into account with the things you both have been experiencing, it serves to confirm our suspicions."
"And those suspicions would be?" I ask.
"That the dream weaver exists."
It's a beautiful fall day, late in the afternoon, temperatures in the seventies and low humidity. The leaves will be changing soon, the maples bringing color to my favorite month, October, which is just around the corner. It's a perfect day for a walk to clear my head, which currently has all sorts of problems bouncing around like bingo balls. When I shove one concern to the back burner, another moves to the front.
The streets are surprisingly quiet, the only sounds coming from the dribbling of a basketball at a nearby court. I look ahead and see there's only one guy shooting hoops. Maybe I'll join him. I've got a pretty decent jump shot and I could use some exercise.
The guy has his back to me, but he's shirtless and what I can see is impressive. His well-defined shoulder muscles twitch with every shot. Each time the ball swishes through the hoop, nothing but net, and comes right back to him. He starts to dribble a bit, tries a bank shot, misses. The ball rolls toward me and he gives chase as I bend down to pick it up.
When I stand back up I'm face to face with Trip Logan. "Oh, Trip, it's you."
"Hi Jillian." He reaches down to a bench, grabs a towel, and begins to mop his brow. His chiseled body is glistening with sweat. The sight of him in just a pair of shorts makes me gulp. My original assessment of him as a Greek god was correct.
"I was, uh, out for a walk."
