"Is that so? I didn't know you made a habit out of becoming friends with the hired help." Abigail folded her arms across her chest, a slight smirk crossing her face as she glanced over at Drusylla.

"Everyone's hired help." Justin shrugged, coming to Drusylla's defense in the only way he could.

"I better go. It was nice seeing you again, Justin." Dru mumbled, pulling the car door open. Before Justin could utter another work, she pulled the car door shut and started the engine. Moments later, she was on her way to the house.

Justin shook his head, bemused at the situation that had just happened. Anyone who spent more than a second with the two young women could tell they could barely tolerate one another, and he doubted it was all on Drusylla's part. He glanced over at Abigail, who looked smugly satisfied she had run off the other.

"I better get going, too. The guys are waiting on me." the lie came easily to his lips as he turned to walk back into the coffee shop in search of a pay phone.

"You need a lift?" Abigail nodded toward her little sports car parked a few feet away.

"No, thanks. I'll take a cab." Justin shook his head, giving her a smile as he strolled to the front door of the coffee shop, hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans. Abigail stared after him, mouth open slightly in shock. It had been the first time in her life she had ever been rejected so blatantly.

Justin rubbed a hand over his face as he wandered to the rear of the coffee shop, searching his pockets for change to call the taxi service with. Moments later, he was standing outside, waiting for the cab. Inanely, part of him wished Drusylla hadn't left so abruptly. Finally, the cab pulled into the parking lot. He climbed into the orange-yellow car and gave the driver the address. Once he made it home, he made his way silently to his room and flopped down onto his bed, face pressed into the pillow. He groaned loudly, laughing softly at himself. He hadn't been this confused since he'd started dating, though women often confused him, but normally not this much. He turned onto his back, folding an arm beneath his head as he gazed up at the ceiling. Dru was definitely the girl who would give him a run for his money, no pun intended. He nearly jumped out of his skin when the phone beside him rang suddenly.

"Hello?"

"So, what happened?"

"Jace, I don't even know."

"What do you mean, you don't know? You were there, weren't you?"

"Yeah, I was there, dumbass. Things happened too fast for me to remember it all."

"Uh huh."

"You remember that girl, Abigail? The one I have a date with tomorrow night."

"The snob who asked you out just after the game?"

"Yeah."

"Well, obviously I remember her."

"Dru works for her family as a nanny for her younger brother and sister."

"Whoops."

"Yeah, you could say that."

"What'd Dru do when she found out about the date?"

"She got really quiet and stranded me at the coffee shop."

"Doesn't sound too promising. What are you going to do about it?"

"I was kind of hoping you'd have some suggestions."

"What makes you think I know more than you do?"

"You're older, and you've been in a relationship for a while."

"Didn't we have this conversation earlier tonight?"

"Come on, Jace. Help me out?"

"I don't know, Justin. Make it a point to talk to her, try to spend as much time with her as you can."

"What if I want to try to romance her?"

"One step at a time, kid. First become her friend, then her lover."

"Where does a person find the patience for this kind of thing?"

"Can't answer you on that one. Don't have much patience myself."

"You don't? And you're dating Mike?"

"Hush, boy. You're the one who asked."

"I know. Are women always this confusing? She doesn't want more than to pay me back for the loan, then nothing."

"Always. Women are always confusing. No one ever understands them. Or, no man will ever understand them."

"Would you have Mike talk to her?"

"What?"

"Mike, talk to Dru. Pump her for information, see if Dru says anything about me."

"Your paranoid, you know that? And if you want Mike to talk to Dru for you, ask her yourself. I'm not getting in the middle of this. I know what you'll do to me if things don't turn out the way you want them to."

"Fine. Wuss. I'm calling Mike." Justin snorted, hanging up the phone. He waited a moment, then roll his eyes, the realization of Mike being at JC's apartment hitting him in the face. He shrugged, dialing the number to her apartment anyway just to make sure she wasn't home.

"Hello?"

"You're home."

"Yeah. That would be why I answered the phone. What's up Justin?"

"I have a favor to ask you."

"Oh, Lord. Here we go. What is it you think you want?"

"Could you talk to Dru?"

"What would I be talking to Dru about?"

"I don't know. Life? Liberty? The pursuit of happiness?"

"That's kind of vague, don't you think?"

"Mainly, I want to know what she thinks of me."

"Ah, you want me to pump information out of her. What for? You know she likes you."

"No, I don't know. Come on, Mike. I'm paranoid about this."

"Justin, what makes you think she's going to talk to me about you, of all things?"

"Because you're both women. You understand each other."

"Good Lord, Justin. That's not a reason."

"Come on, Mike. Please? Have a heart."

"I do have a heart, J. Fine. I'll talk to her, but I'm not promising any good information. I'm not going to just pump her. If you come up, you come up. I'm not going to force the issue."

"Thank you. You're the best."

"Yeah, well, don't let it get out. I have an image to uphold."

"Heaven forbid anyone find out you're actually a sweetheart."

"Shut your pie hole, Justin. Night."

"Night, Mike." Justin grinned as he hung up the phone, settling back against the pillows with a content sigh. Hopefully, Mike would talk to Dru soon.

Dru sat on the couch, an open book resting in her lap and an afghan draped around her shoulders as a small fire glowed merrily in the small fireplace set into the wall opposite the couch. When she had first seen the fireplace, she wondered why in the world anyone would need one in the middle of Florida. After debating with herself for months on this thought, she came to the conclusion it was a more beautiful way of throwing light into the room. Her eyes drifted to the clock sitting on the fireplace mantle, mentally chiding herself for caring about the time. The Walkers had taken their two youngest children on a mini vacation to Colorado, leaving Abigail behind to attend to her own life, which is what the young woman was doing. Abigail had left nearly three hours earlier on the arm of Justin, and though she hated to admit it, Dru was green with envy. She shook her head, forcing her eyes back down to the book she was trying to read. She glanced up, making a face when a soft knock sounded on the front door to the guest house, wondering who it could be. She climbed to her feet, tossing the afghan onto the couch, leaving her book on the low coffee table. She pulled open the front door, eyebrows raised in blatant surprise.

"Justin? What are you doing here?" Dru demanded, delighted shock coursing through her body.

"I just dropped Abby off, thought I'd come down here and visit for a few minutes." Justin shrugged, raking a hand through his curls, his leather jacket unzipped enough to show a dark blue dress shirt.

"What happened? Abigail not a good conversationalist?" Dru inquired, walking back over to the couch, leaving him standing in the doorway. Justin groaned softly, stepping inside and closed the door behind him. This would be harder than he thought.

"When she's not talking about herself." he nodded, smiling ruefully with a shake of his head.

"I'm so sorry to hear that. Maybe she should take some classes or something. But then again, in some cases, beauty doesn't leave enough room for intelligence." she waved a flippant hand in the air, her ire with the situation climbing drastically.

"Drusylla." Justin admonished loudly with a laugh, wagging his index finger at her. "For shame, talking about your employer's eldest daughter in such a way."

"My mistake. I was unaware you felt as if Abigail deserved some form of respect from me." she wandered from the room, stepping into the kitchen both to distance herself from him and to grab something to drink from the refrigerator.

"Is that a slight case of jealousy I hear?" Justin inquired, resting a shoulder against the doorjamb of the kitchen.

"Most certainly not. Why would I care if you ruin your reputation with a woman who is notorious for her indiscretions with other people." she shrugged her shoulders, pouring herself a glass of orange juice.

"Someone has her panties in a twist." he commented, folding his arms across his chest.

"Don't think for one second you or Abigail had any affect on my panties whatsoever." Dru snorted, eyes flashing slightly with amused anger.

"I never said anything of the sort. Just making an observation, that's all." he mumbled, giving her a boyish smile.

"Yeah, I'll bet." Dru snorted, walking briskly back to the living room where she plopped down on the couch once again, reaching for her forgotten book. His hand beat her to it, taking it from the table to read the title.

"Is my company far more boring than the words of Dean Koontz?" Justin arched an eyebrow, taking a seat on the coffee table.

"No. I was just in the middle of something when you showed up here unannounced." she flushed slightly, rolling her eyes heavenward.

"Come out with me." he stated suddenly, setting the book aside.

"Are you mad? It's nearly one in the morning." she exclaimed incredulously, eyes widening slightly.

"Details. There's plenty to do at this time of night." he waved a dismissive hand in the air.

"Such as?" Dru lifted an eyebrow, curiosity gaining her better judgment.

"We could go for a walk, or a drive. There are dozens of dance clubs open. Maybe even head over to the beach. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it." he shrugged, his gaze and voice turning hopeful.

"And what about Abigail?" she continued, folding her arms across her chest.

"At the moment, I couldn't care less what she thinks." he shook his head.

"Not tonight, Justin." she sighed with a regretful shake of her head.

"When?" he persisted, unwilling to give up at the moment.

"When?" she mumbled, a slow blush climbing her cheeks, giving them a rosy tint.

"When." he nodded, voice firm and uncompromising.

"Tomorrow night. The kids are gone on vacation with their parents, so I've found I have quite a bit of free time on my hands." a slow smile curved the corners of her lips upward.

"Tomorrow morning, then." Justin nodded, climbing to his feet.

"Justin, I said night." Dru pointed out, following him to the front door.

"I'll pick you up at ten." he turned to her, a cajoling smile lighting his entire face.

"You're incorrigible." she muttered, groaning a laugh.

"I know, but that's what makes me so entertaining." he laughed, fingertip caressing her chin softly.

"All right. Tomorrow morning at ten." Dru finally agreed.

"Good." Justin nodded. "Goodnight, Drusylla."

"Night, Justin."

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