Page 18 of Written in the Stars

Once he’s back outside and I’m back to reality, Lissa says, “Explain to me why you get the title ‘Miss’ and I get the title ‘Ma’am.’ Do I look that old?” She folds her arms across her chest, giving me a lopsided grin.

I can’t help but chuckle. My sister doesn’t look old at all. Her hair is still naturally golden blonde, and no wrinkles have formed on the sides of her mouth and eyes. She just has that look that lets people know she’s the boss. And, of course, she looks a bit older than me.

“No, sis. You don’t. I guess people can just tell you’re in charge.”

“Hmph. I hope you’re right,” she says. Then, looking at the elderly man, she asks, “Mr. Hovinger, are you alright?”

“It’s just Earl. Fine, dear, fine. Elaine Bronston from apartment 102 tends to forget the stove on. All the damn time! Now let’s get this blanket off of me!” He throws the wool-woven blanket to the side, which lands on the floor.

My eyes widen, and my mouth falls open. “Has this happened before?” I ask, looking between the both of them.

Lissa chuckles. “How d’you guess?”

My eyes widen. “Geez! So it has?”

Lissa nods. “Not to this extent, but yes.”

“So that’s why you didn’t freak out like I did,” I answer as the realization hits.

She gives me a wide grin without saying another word.

After a few moments, she gets Earl a cup of tea, and once he’s comfortable and content, she comes up to me and out of nowhere, she asks, “So how about that hunky fireman?”

I furrow my brows. “What are you talking about, Lissa?”

“Pfft. Don’t even try to tell me you didn’t notice how he was gawking at you when he waltzed in here. Plus, I saw you looking at him, unable to peel your eyes away.”

I shake my head fiercely, denying such allegations. “Nope, not happening. I was only looking because I recognized him from when I first got here. I saw him walking down the block one day and realized I had seen him before. That’s all.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Oh, that’s all, huh?” She gently nudges my shoulder. She won’t let this new thought of hers go.

“He’s single, ya know,” Earl adds from his side of the room, chiming in on our conversation. It’s funny because I didn’t even realize he had been paying attention to us. I thought he was busy sipping his tea, minding his own business. Figures.

“You hear that, sis? He’s single,” she says, winking at me. “They’re still out there, you know? The good guys who won’t cheat on you and break your heart. You should go over and see if he’d like to get a cup of coffee with you or something.”

“Lissa, are you nuts?! I am done with the male species… done! I refuse to get cheated on again.”

“Like I said, there are still good ones left in this world.” She stares at me, waiting for me to say something more.

Instead, Earl is next to speak, adding his own two cents. “Uff… done with men? What a waste of a nice piece of—”

“Thank you, Earl!” My sister cuts him off before he can finish his most likely inappropriate remark and then bursts out laughing.

She comes over and grabs me, turning me away from him. “Sis, you can’t let one jerk ruin your whole insight on love. I know how much it has always meant to you. You have forever been the romantic one in the family, reading your Jane Austen and William Shakespeare books. You, of all people, cannot give up because of that poor excuse of a man.”

“What about you? You haven’t dated a single person since Michael,” I add, eyeing her dubiously.

She shrugs. “My situation was a bit different. We went through a nasty divorce, and it seems a lot of the guys out there don’t like divorced women, even if they don’t have children. And by the way, I have dated a little.”

My eyebrows hit my hairline. “Why have you never mentioned it to me?”

“Because, little sis, it meant nothing.”

I think over her response for a moment and understand what she’s saying.

She adds, “Maybe if one day it ends up meaning something, I’ll tell you all about it.” She winks at me.

“You’d better!”

She smiles. “I will, but back to you, why not give love another chance. I’m not saying you have to marry the fireman, even though it wouldn’t be such a bad thing, but he’s obviously got the hots for you.”

“What?!” I place a hand on my hip. “How can you even know that? He didn’t say anything, indicating he has the hots for me. He definitely does not!”

She rolls her eyes and giggles. “Oh, little sis. Words were not needed. That look he gave you said it all.”

I think over the brief incident between me and fire-hottie, but it was definitely nothing out of the ordinary. My sister is obviously wrong.

Oh, Jesus. Now she’s got me calling him fire-hottie. I’m fucked. So fucked.

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