Page 36 of Prelude To You

Felix was waiting in his car, and when he saw us he got out to open the passenger door. But Meg opened the back door,shoving me into the seat like she was afraid I might change my mind and bolt.

“Why can’t I sit up front?” I asked.

Meg rolled her eyes like someone dealing with an inordinate amount of ignorance. “It’s classier to sit in the back. Just fits in better with the whole scene at the Belmont, okay.”

Felix laughed. “It’s a Honda Civic, Meg. No one’s going to be fooled, but I love how you think they might be.”

Meg leaned over me and pushed empty fast food bags and soda cups from the back seat onto the floor. “And Felix here is going to look after you like the precious jewel you are… Right Felix?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Felix said. “So how about I bring some wine back and we hang out ‘til I have to pick Isabel up?”

“You read my mind,” Meg answered with a salacious grin. “And if you’re feeling generous, bring a jumbo box wine. We’re running low on booze in this joint.”

Meg swung her attention back to me. “Isabel, you’d better text me and let me know how things are going, okay? If I don’t get a text, I’m just going to assume we made a horrendous mistake and that this gorgeous psycho has you tied up in a musty cold basement somewhere, torturing you.”

I grimaced at the thought. “Okay, that escalated quickly. He’s not a psycho, and he doesn’t strike me as the type who wants to tie a woman up.”

Meg cocked her head at me. “Oh you sweet innocent girl, you have so much to learn. But for now, just go get your man. From this moment forward, your fate is in your hands. My work here is done.”

I smiled hesitantly. “Okay, here by the grace of God go I.”

Meg grinned triumphantly. “Like a goddamn fairy tale. And to think I had a part in all this. Although the garlic pizza was a bit of a slip.”

I shrugged with a calming smile. “Don’t worry, I was on top of it. I took a couple of Tic Tacs I found in your makeup drawer.”

Meg opened her mouth and closed it again, and the color drained from her cheeks. There was a long pregnant pause before she spoke. “When you say Tic Tacs, what do you mean?”

“Little pills to freshen your breath?” I replied.

“Did they taste like mint?”

“No, now that you mention it,” I said. “I just figured they were a bit stale.”

Felix looked at me nervously. “Oh, classic,” he said.

Meg ducked her head inside the car. “Keep out of this Felix, I’m not kidding. This is serious stuff.”

Felix shrugged. “Okay, but you’ve got to admit it’s almost kinda funny.”

By now I was catching on that those small white thingies were not Tic Tacs. “Oh my God, tell me I didn’t take drugs!”

“Okay listen,” Meg said. “They’re not drugs. I forget the name. It’s just a little pick-me-up. A mood-tickler, if you will.”

“Who puts drugs in a Tic Tac box!??”

“How many did you take?”

“I don’t know, one or two?”

Psychosomatic symptoms immediately crept up on me. At this point it was hard to figure out whether the sudden lightheaded anticipation I felt was because I might be seeing Stranger, or because the unspecified pharmaceuticals were having their way with me.

I closed my eyes to assess the situation, but had to admit that apart from my nerves going haywire, I felt fine.

So far.

Meg looked me over. “Maybe you shouldn’t go.”

I shrugged. “I’m not feeling anything. Actually I feel okay.”

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