Page 79 of Frat House Fling

“Everything’s fine, Ian. I’m glad you got the stipend. I’m not mad. Well, nice talking to you, see you later.”

“Hailey,” he scolded, catching my arm as I tried to slip past him.

I sighed. “Really, Ian, I’m okay. I’m not mad. All is well in the world. Let’s just move on, okay?”

“That’s not even what I wanted to talk to you about.”

His face was earnest, but I was suspicious. “It’s not?”

“No. It’s about John,” he sighed.

Crap, had his advisor taken a turn for the worse? “Is he okay?”

“He’s just depressed, spending all that time alone in the nursing home. I think he’d like you to visit.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. He likes you. You’re friendly, you’re kind, and let’s face it, you’re pretty. Men appreciate that even when they’re old and sick.”

I was torn. On the one hand, it wouldn’t hurt me to go cheer up a sick old man. On the other hand, well, yeah, it kind of would hurt me. “I just can’t go to that kind of place anymore. It makes me miss my grandfather.”

He looked genuinely distressed. “I’m sorry, I forgot about that.” He paused, and it seemed like he was debating something internally. “But just this once? Please?”

I finally said yes. Not as much for John as for Ian. Things had been a little strained between Ian and me lately, and I hated that that was the case. “All right. Let me go change.”

“Thanks, Hailey.”

I hadn’t been in Ian’s SUV since the night his advisor had the stroke in the first place. I tried not to think about that as Ian drove down the road to Haverford nursing home.

And then right past it.

Wait, what? “You forgot to turn.”

He chuckled. “I did, didn’t I? You must’ve been like, what the hell, is this guy trying to kidnap me?’”

I laughed, even though it wasn’t all that funny.

He looked over at me and smiled. “Yes, I am.”

My forehead wrinkled. “Yes, you are what?”

“Kidnapping you,” he said cheerfully. But then he switched tasks before I could even say what the hell. “I’m sure John really would like a visit from you, but I understand why you’d prefer not to go.”

“Thanks. Can we get back to the kidnapping thing?”

He avoided the question. “Have you eaten lunch?”

“No.” I’d just gotten back to the frat house.

“Good. Then I’m going to take you to the best restaurant in the world.”

Ian was acting so strange. Was he having a manic episode? Or actually kidnapping me. I wasn’t too worried about the latter, but I was beginning to wonder about the former.

And then I really questioned his sanity when he turned into the parking lot and pulled up to the speaker.

Had he really just brought me to the drive through at a chicken fast food restaurant?

My mouth hung open in surprise as he ordered two meals and two sodas. And he never drank soda, though that was hardly the most pressing matter at the moment.

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