Kim Harrison - Dates From Hell

“Just wait here a minute until our eyes adjust,” Kyle suggested. They waited several minutes, listening to someone giving a speech in the gymnasium itself. From the alcove, the voice was really just a low incomprehensible drone occasionally punctuated by clapping or laughter from the reunion attendees, but it was soothing in its tenor.

“Okay,” Kyle said after several useless moments had passed and their vision didn’t improve. “I guess this is as good as it gets. I’ll lead the way. Claire, you take my hand. Jill, you hold on to Claire.”

Claire almost protested that she couldn’t hold the jacket closed if both her hands were occupied, but then let the matter drop. After all, it was so dark, no one would be able to see if the coat hung open. She’d just retrieve her hand before they slipped out through the door on the opposite side.

Kyle moved very slowly up the stairs to the stage. Claire followed just as slowly, carefully feeling out each step as she drew Jill behind her. Once on the stage itself, it was less difficult; the flat floor was easier to negotiate. It was also easier to hear the speech being given on the other side of the curtain up here, though Claire was too tense to listen as she blindly followed Kyle’s firm hand.

Claire never considered that there might be anything on the stage itself to trip them up. Presumably, Kyle didn’t either, for he moved a bit more quickly as they crossed the floor, trading caution for speed. When he suddenly came to a halt with a grunt of surprise, Claire crashed into his back, then stumbled to the side, their handhold briefly broken. Before she could tumble to the stage floor to alert those beyond the curtains that someone was onstage, she crashed into Kyle and his hands closed around her waist, steadying her.

“Sorry,” Claire whispered, relaxing against him.

“What happened?” Jill hissed, tightening her hold on her hand.

“We ran into something.”

“What?”

“I don’t know,” Claire whispered.

“Who is that?” a baritone voice asked over her head and Claire stiffened. That wasn’t Kyle’s voice. The hands around her tightened as if sensing she would try to break free, and Claire began to struggle in earnest, then stilled and blinked as she realized it was growing lighter…Fast.

“I give you your Prom King and Prom Queen from 19—” The voice died mid-year and Claire whirled around as the hands holding her suddenly dropped away.

“Oh God,” Claire heard Jill breathe as the stage lights suddenly went on, blinding them to the sight of the people staring at them…but highlighting them on the stage.

“You’re not Claire!”

Claire’s hands had gone up to shield her eyes the minute the lights blinked on. Now she turned her head toward that startled comment from Kyle and saw him almost off the stage with Magda by the hand. The blond was wearing a long red robe over her dress and a tiara on her head. She also had a furious expression on her face that said she wasn’t pleased.

“Claire?”

She glanced over her shoulder at the man who had caught her when she’d stumbled and found herself staring at Jack McCarthy, the football player she’d dated in high school. He, too, wore a robe over his suit, but his head was topped by a crown.

Prom King and Prom Queen, Claire recalled the speaker saying. Magda and Jack had been the Prom King and Prom Queen the year they’d all graduated. Obviously they’d been waiting back here in their robes and crowns to be presented to their cograduates. Kyle must have stumbled into one of them, and the moment their hands had broken apart, confusion had set in. He’d ended up dragging Magda offstage, and she’d ended in Jack’s arms.

The silence that had gripped the gymnasium suddenly gave way to the roar of shouts and clapping. It was so loud, Claire almost didn’t hear Jill’s shout. She did however, notice the way she was trying to pull the lapels of Kyle’s suit coat closed over her nakedness.

Squealing in horror, Claire finished the task herself and turned her back to the pandemonium in the gymnasium, only to find herself staring at a leering Jack.

“You aged well, babe. Are you still single?” Jack asked, reaching for her.

“No, she isn’t,” Kyle snarled, suddenly at their side. Snatching her hand, he dragged her quickly offstage, leaving Jill to rush along behind them.

“Well, I’d say that’s a reunion no one will forget,” Jill gasped as they ran out of the school and hurried across the parking lot.

Claire groaned and felt her already flushed face darken a bit more. She would really rather not think about what had just happened.

“Did you see Magda’s face?” Jill added. “She was furious we stole her moment.”

Claire groaned again, then sighed as they reached Kyle’s car and leaned weakly against the side of it.

“Cheer up, Claire,” Jill said, rubbing her back. “This might have been the double date from hell, but Magda had it worse.”

“Worse?” Claire asked with disbelief.

“Well sure. First she finds out her fiancé’s been cheating on her from Kyle and that she’s dating my castoff, then Ted goes and asks me to see him again, then Brad Cruise says she’s a lousy kisser and drops her in the toilet, then her crowning moment as the Prom Queen revisited is spoiled when she’s dragged offstage. At least you got a standing ovation for your figure. You were a hit.”

Claire groaned and dropped her head.

“I don’t think that helped, Jill,” Kyle said archly. “Get in the car.”

“No thanks. You two go on. I’ll wait for you at home,” Jill announced.

“But—” Claire straightened abruptly, feeling as if she was being abandoned.

“I have my car here and you two need to talk,” Jill said firmly as she moved off.

Claire blew a breath out and glanced at Kyle. He didn’t say anything, but merely unlocked and opened the passenger door of his car for her to get in, then closed it behind her. Biting her lip, she watched him move around to the driver’s side to slide behind the wheel.

A moment of silence filled the dark interior and then Kyle gave a short laugh.

“What?” Claire asked warily.

“I was just thinking that you were two-timing me tonight with my own sister.”

Claire grimaced. “It was more like a double date where I was both Brad and Claire.”

“This night would have gone much easier if you’d just told me what was going on,” Kyle pointed out.

“I know.” Claire bowed her head.

“But you didn’t trust me not to immediately rush you back to the lab and treat you like Thumper,” he said quietly.

“No,” Claire said quickly. “I mean, not really. I was just afraid you’d think I was a freak, or that you’d…”

“See you as an experimental subject rather than as yourself,” he finished quietly.

Claire sighed, unable to deny it.

“That would never happen, Claire,” Kyle said solemnly. “We’ve known each other too long for me to think of you as anything but the beautiful, intelligent young woman you are.”

Claire felt tears well in her eyes, but forced them away, and quickly changed the subject to one she’d been wondering about all night. “You said you’d tell me why you didn’t ask me out when we were in high school,” she reminded him.

Kyle grimaced, then admitted, “Actually, it’s because your father had a talk with me and asked me not to.”

“My father ?” Claire asked with surprise.

Kyle nodded. “He said it was obvious the two of us liked each other and that we were very compatible and would probably make a good team, but he cautioned me that I might want to wait until we were both out of school to start up anything with you. That we already knew we liked each other, so if we found we had passion together, we might do something unfortunate and become pregnant, or marry impulsively and destroy the possibility of two promising careers. He also wanted you to gain some independence and learn you could stand on your own two feet rather than move from living with your parents to living with a husband.”