A Storm Named Zach
by Flip McHooter
Chapter 19
I let my boyfriend cry it out. Zach needed to let it go if he was going to make a rational decision he could live with. Once he started hiccupping, I reached up and grabbed a washcloth off the towel rack above us, dipped it in the warm water and asked him, "Permission to wipe off your face? Because I can't see you, I wanted to make sure that was okay." We were still front to back in the warm, soapy tub, my arms around him, holding him tight.
"Yeah, hic. I think I let it all, hic, go now. I'm glad you can't see me. I bet I look like a hot mess."
"I would be too if I was the one going through this, so no worries. Let me know if I'm suffocating you." Surprisingly, that got a laugh out of him and stopped his hiccups.
Once he seemed like he was cleaned up, he asked me quietly, "Is this ever going to stop, Jeremy? First, my dumbass dad. Then Mother killing herself. Next came the reporters, and then we find my brother and hear about my birth mother who's been dead for almost three years. And now, now! This. It turns out one of the dumbass reporters is my grandmother. It's almost too much. Too much for anybody…"
"I know it is, buddy. It really is overwhelming. But you have to know you have great friends who are going to be right there with you, getting you through all of this. And I'll be standing there front and center holding and defending you through all of this. You know that. You're not doing this by yourself. Plus, you have a cool brother that's going to be at your side too."
"I know you will, and he'll be there when he can. And I appreciate all of that." He got quiet again, so I let him have his space. He must have a million things swirling around in his head.
Finally, he said, "We're going to have to tell Isaac. Not only because he's related to her too, but more importantly so he can watch out for her. I really don't trust her, and I have no idea what she'll do. We'll have to tell Sally as well because we won't be there to protect him."
"You're absolutely right. I think we should wait until tomorrow when we're all together for lunch. I bet we can get Steven and Antione to check in on him once in a while until we get this all sorted out."
"Perfect. That's a great idea. Yeah, we'll get through this, with everybody's help. I know it. Thanks, Jeremy. Geez! How many times have I said that to you lately?"
"I think you're about to reach your limit for the week. Unfortunately, there is one more part to this story, and I need to tell you about it before we get out of the tub and dry off."
"Aw, shit. What now?"
"Um, I'm not sure how to say this. I guess I'll start by saying this is the part I hated the most, and if she wasn't a woman, I would have punched her in the nose. Ready?"
"Oh, shit. Yeah, I guess. As much as I'll ever be. Bring it on."
"Okay, here goes. She said, and I quote, that if you agree to the test – whether it comes out positive or negative for a match – she'd pay you a million dollars –"
"You have got to be fucking kidding me! No way. What a fucking slimeball."
"I know. But wait! There's more," I tried to joke, but it fell flat. "She said that if you are a match, and you do the transplant, she'd make you the sole beneficiary of her estate. Guess she has plenty of money."
"I don't know much about those kinds of things, but I do know that she can change her will anytime she wants. Does she really think paying me off would get me to say yes? Shit! I'd rather work in a cockroach-infested restaurant making minimum wage and live in a tent on the sidewalk than take her scummy money. Jeremy, I'm back to saying no. No way. What a fucking bitch! I can't believe it."
"I get that, but hear me out before you make a final decision. I think the first thing we need to do before we go further with this is a DNA test for everyone. For both you and Isaac, ASAP. His would have to be top secret of course. And she needs to get one too, to prove you're related. How that would work, I have no idea. I guess she could have her doctor send it to our attorney, or maybe Doctor Clapp, or both of them. Anyway, there's no sense entertaining this idea if she's blowing smoke up our asses for some nefarious reason."
"But why would she? Make this up, I mean? I don't get it."
"I don't either. At least now all of it is out there, and you know about it. There's no rush to make a decision. We can take a few days, see what's involved. The small amount I read says that sometimes, very rarely, there are complications. To both the donor or the recipient. You need to be fully informed and make a rational decision. You can't do that without more information."
"But there really is a rush! That old hag has put me in a horrible position. I don't think I could live with myself if I said no, and she croaked when I could have helped her. But on the other hand, I feel like I'm being played."
"I get that. And it's easy for me to say what to do because it's not happening to me. That's why I'm trying my best to be impartial. She's you're grandmother. Maybe. But there are risks involved too. You can't discount that. Plus, she's in her seventies. What's her outcome? Is she going to have complications, and then it would have been a waste of time? I don't know. At a minimum, we need to talk to Dr. Clapp. As weird as he is, I trust him to give us the straight answers."
"Shit. This is almost too much."
"I wish Wolfie and Fi were here. He's always the voice of reason, and once Fi blows her top, she'd put her two-cents in, too. The minute she cools off, she always has a good answer as well. So, let's do this."
"What?"
"Let's get out and dry off, get dressed, and forget about all of this for tonight. It's our engagement dinner for shit's sake! Let's get out of here and have some fun and eat like Kings. Or pigs. Or both. It's still early enough we might be able to get some shopping done at the Forum Shops before we head on over to The Paris for dinner. We need to find you some new Vans, and we need to get Isaac some stuff too. That sound like a plan?"
"It does. But what if someone recognizes you?"
"They won't. There's probably some other news item that's front and center now. Besides, I'll just say it wasn't me if someone asks. I can blame it on my imaginary twin, Jedidiah."
"You had an imaginary twin? Seriously?"
"I did. He was a better version of me. That was when my parents had been killed, and my life went upside down. But then I met Fi and Wolfie, and I didn't need my fake twin anymore. Fi and Wolfie were my brother and sister. Are. I still think of them like that. Remember, family isn't defined by blood. It's who you chose to be your family."
"I'm starting to get that," Zach said, turning around to face me again. His eyes were red from crying, but he seemed his usual happy self. "I want to be part of that family, an honest to goodness loving family for a change, where people take real care of one another for whatever goes down, good or bad. And you're right. You don't choose who your parents are, but you can choose your family, the ones you want to be with and love and nurture. I love you so much, Jeremy. Thank you for always being there for me and making me understand that. I mean it."
"No thanks needed. I love you so much too, and I promise we'll always get each other through tough times like this. C'mon. Let's get moving. The water's starting to get cold, and my junk's all shriveled up."
"Can't let that happen," Zach joked, "Princess tiny meat."
"Oh, you're going to get it big time. You just wait, Richard Cranium."
"Looking forward to it. Hope we don't get too loud and scare the kid."
"Don't worry. He won't. He's been warned."
After getting dressed in our new clothes – Isaac looking a bit baggy but still cute – the three of us headed out of our suite, waving goodbye to our security dude stationed at our door. Poor guy. He looked like he was about to fall asleep. I ran back into the room and got him a Starbuck's Chilled Latte out of the mini-fridge which he seemed happy to get. Man, I sure hoped they paid him well for one of the most tedious jobs ever.
We had some time before our reservation at the restaurant, so we wandered over to the Forum Shops at Caesars. It was across the street, so we didn't need to jump in my sister's SUV to take us there.
Surprisingly, it wasn't too crowded, and when we made it inside and after looking at the directory, everyone decided that the only store that was remotely interesting was Abercrombie and Fitch. Isaac seemed totally excited, but after we found the store and he saw the prices, his enthusiasm fell. Zach didn't seem too thrilled either, and as for me, I detested shopping and this stuff seemed way overpriced and not something I'd wear. Plus, everything looked black and gray. Like A.I. designed it and robots made it. Generic and boring.
"I can't ask you guys to buy me this stuff. It's too expensive. Look! Eighteen dollars for one pair of teeny-tiny underwear? That's nuts," Isaac said. Then he started to laugh. "Hey, I just made another funny. Get it? Nuts and underwear? No? Nobody?" It did get a snort out of a pretty salesperson nearby, which totally embarrassed the kid.
"I have an idea. How about before Zach and I head out tomorrow for home, we'll get some Visa gift cards for you and your foster brother and sisters. That way, Sally can take all you guys shopping so you can go to whatever store you want, and get the stuff you guys really need. Does that sound like a plan? Zach and I are pretty sure you guys don't get new clothes very often."
"That's so cool. And you're right, we don't. We can probably get three times as much at Target. Super-yay to that idea, Jeremy. Thanks. You guys are awesome."
"I agree," said Zach. "But I'm still paying for Isaac's."
"I know you are. C'mon, let's get out of here. All this fancy-schmancy stuff is making me nervous."
The guys were ahead of me, being not so subtle whispering to each other, looking at their phones. They certainly were up to something, and it made me laugh. Brothers for sure, but they really needed to work on their technique. Zach broke off and said to me, "It's still kinda early. Is there something else we can do for twenty minutes or so?"
I smiled. "No problem. There's a water show at the other end of the shops. That will kill some time."
"Good!" Isaac yelled and then instantly covered his mouth. "What I meant was, I've heard of that. Everyone says it's cool."
"Sure, sure."
It took us probably thirty minutes to get across Las Vegas Boulevard and inside the Paris after we left the lame-ass Neptune thingy that had to be older than Isaac. The three of us lost interest after a minute or so and just wandered around, looking at people and the fancy stores.
Gordon Ramsey's Steak was one of the top ten restaurants in Vegas, and it was super crowded. Zach went straight to the reception desk and said, "We have a reservation. It's for Farnsworth." Funny how he used my name.
"Your table's waiting, sir," the attractive host said. "Is this your first time here?"
"It is! We're excited because we've heard such great things about it. And this is a special day for us."
"May I ask what it is?"
"My boyfriend proposed to me, and then I proposed to him. And we both said yes! It was super-epic."
"Congratulations, guys! That's fantastic. I promise you'll have a great time with us. You won't be disappointed. Not only is the food terrific, but this is a great place to work, and all the employees show it and give top-notch service. I promise your party will love it and you're going to have a wonderful celebration to remember."
We followed her across the lower floor, and then up the stairs to the second level. It really was an impressive restaurant, all 60's London Mod, and everyone at the packed tables seemed like they were enjoying some awesome looking food. You could tell everyone was having a great time judging by the level of noise. I couldn't see Zach or Isaac, but I'm sure their eyes were bugged out at all the good eats. They even had carts with thick cuts of raw steak so the folks could pick out the one they wanted. That seemed kinda weird to me, but whatever.
We rounded a corner, and the host showed us to a booth tucked away and somewhat private from the rest of the boisterous restaurant. Somehow, when I wasn't paying attention, Isaac had pulled out his phone and started filming me. Shit! What have these little monsters done?
But when I saw what their surprise was, I couldn't be mad. There was just no freaking way. It almost blew my mind.
"Fi! What the hell are you doing here?" Before she could answer, I spotted someone else, my heart skipping a few beats, and I immediately started to tear up – something I never, ever do – when I saw my other best bud smiling at me. "Oh, God. Wolfie! No way. Am I dreaming, or are you really here?"
They both got up and charged, hugging the daylights out of me, and I'm sure all eyes in the restaurant were on us. But I didn't care. It felt so good to have my two best friends with me, to share this magical day. Fi was crying too, and even the ever-stoic Wolfie was sniffing – not at all his usual demeanor.
"C'mon and sit down. You're making a scene, Jerry," Fi finally said when we broke apart. "We can't have that."
"Hey, Nacho. I didn't see you there. Thanks for joining us," I said, wiping off my eyes with the sleeve of my shirt and giving him a fist bump. Then I gave Fi a sly look. She just winked, and I instantly knew she liked this guy, big time. That made me happy since she rarely ever had a steady thing.
After introductions all around and then settling into our booth, I asked, "How in the holy hell did all you guys get here so quickly?"
Wolfie went first when he said in his deep, bass-baritone, "I was in Nanaimo early this morning seeing off some of our kids back to their rez's. My phone started to blow up when I finally got a signal and when I saw what was going on with you, I told my partners I had to get to Las Vegas pronto. Let me tell you, it took forever. A seaplane to Seattle, then customs and finally an Uber to the airport. I got the last seat on Alaska Air to Vegas, but then they had a mechanical problem just as we were pulling away from the gate. We finally touched down here an hour and a half ago. I barely had time to check-in and then run over here. If I stink, that's why. I have to say though, your boys and Fi really helped me out. Big time. I wouldn't have been able to afford last-minute tickets. So here I am, thanks to them."
"I'm so glad you're here. I've missed you so much these last few months, Wolfie. You have no idea. But wait, hold on a second. Did you steal my credit card to expedite all of this?" I said, turning to Zach.
"Don't be mad. You really shouldn't leave your wallet out –"
"Don't blame him, Jerry. It was all my idea," Fiona said. "After what happened with the shooting, you left your phone with Puppy –"
"Puppy? Who's the hell is that?" Isaac asked, laughing. "What kind of name is Puppy? Shit. That's hilarious."
"I gave your brother the name Puppy. It's an endearment and special only between Zach and myself. And now you're Puppy Junior," she said, leaning over and enveloping him in a giant hug, then kissing him on the top of his head just like she does to Zach and my twin nephews. "Hey! I'm going to call you PJ. I like that name for you. You, my new friend, are going to love me, and hate me. So, you better get used to it. Strap yourself in, little man. And don't fucking swear. You're not old enough for that shit, PJ."
"Seriously?" he asked.
"I am always serious. The sooner you learn that, the better."
"It's true," Zach said. "I hated her at first, and I won't tell you what I wanted to call her there at the beginning. But she's one of Jeremy's best friends, but now…"
"Be nice, Puppy."
"But now, I love her like she's the older sister I never had. She really helped me out when we were going through the mansion."
"So anyway…if you'd let me finish, boys, I finally got through to Wolfie, with Nacho's and Bella's help too, I might add," Fi said.
"Were all you guys in on this?" I couldn't believe they pulled this off so quickly without me knowing. "Plus, Bella, too?"
"That's right. I love that woman, Jerry. I'm so, so glad she's coming to work for you. I'm thinking I'm going to move in with you guys in old man Johnson's house. Bella's got contacts all over the place. Anyway, between the five of us, we all made it here in time, and we're staying the night, thanks to your fancy Black credit card. Also, we have to thank Big Daddy for getting his firm's corporate jet for Nacho and myself."
"That. Was. Killer," Nacho said with a huge smile. "I've never been so terrified and so excited in my entire life."
"Wow. I can't even believe it. But you two," I looked over to Zach and Isaac, "I should be pissed, but what you did was awesome. Thanks, Zach and Laughing Coyote. You learned a great life lesson today. I love you both so much, and I'm glad you're in our pack."
"Wait," Wolfie said, plopping his beer on the table and putting his hand up. "Did I miss out on something? Sounds serious."
"You did!" Isaac said. He was so excited he was squirming all around. "It was way cool."
"We were headed to the glass bridge on the side of the Grand Canyon this morning because after the shooting we couldn't do a tour around the strip like I had planned. When we got there, it was packed, and we couldn't get a landing spot. So our pilot set us down on this remote field on this grassy bluff, kinda in the middle of nowhere. And out of the blue, this older guy shows up, climbing out of the bushes. You know Tom Gray Eagle, right? He knows you."
"Of course I do. He's a great guy. You met him? That's f'n crazy. Sometimes it's hard for me to believe how small our world is."
"We did. He said the spirits told him to go there to meet us. And I'm glad he did. The minute we landed, he comes out of the brush along with his grandson. He told me you never say no to the spirits."
"That's true. I've told you that a million times, Jer. But his grandson Bryce? Poor kid's torn between two worlds."
"We're going to be friends when I move in with my brother and Jeremy. Bryce lives nearby, right, guys? Plus, he loves Fortnite just like I do."
"That's right."
"That's so great! And Bryce could sure use a good friend. But you need to know he's been through a lot. Are you up for that?"
"Of course I am. We'll have plenty in common to talk about."
"That's great, Laughing Coyote."
"Gray Eagle took us back to this ancient medicine wheel, cleansed us with some sage smoke, and after a couple of prayers, gave us all totems. It was so amazing."
"I love my name, Laughing Coyote," Isaac pipped up. "Isn't that a cool totem?"
"It is. From the short while I've known you, that's the perfect animal totem for you, little man. It totally fits. Jeremy, what's yours? And dude, it's about time you finally got yours. I have no idea why it took you so long."
"I don't know either. I guess I wasn't ready, or maybe this was finally my time. He named me Watching Owl. What do you think?"
Wolfie didn't say anything at first, but then leaned over and kissed me hard on the side of my head. "I knew sooner or later you'd find your totem. And to have Gray Eagle give it to you is monstrous. I was born with mine, but you guys! From a Tribal Elder is about as good as it gets. And it's perfect. He had to sense you guys were special, especially since none of you are native. Wow. I owe him big. I wish I was there."
"I wished you were there too. Next time, don't stay away so long, okay?"
"Promise. Jer and Fi, my family, I've missed you so much, and think of you all the time. I'm going to make a pledge that I'll come back home every month no matter where I am. You guys, well, you're my anchor, and I can't stay away that long anymore. We're too important to each other."
Everybody toasted to that since it was so out of character for Wolfie to be so sentimental.
Wolfie asked, "Zach, what's yours? No, wait. Let me guess. Since you're Jer's mate and protector now, it must be a mountain lion or buffalo or a bear or something strong like that. Am I close?"
"You are! Gray Eagle named me Little Bear. But how'd you know that?"
"Jeremy wouldn't be marrying anything less ferocious than an alpha animal. It suits you. And I have to say, I am so happy you two have found each other. I can see the love between you just oozing out all over the place. That's not common, Little Bear, and not like the Jer we all know and love. Thank you for being Jer's one and only and making him so happy. You proved yourself today, with Fi's and your younger brother's help, plus Nacho and his Grandmother, to get us all here together on this special day. I couldn't have imagined a better partner for my brother than you."
"Geez. Thanks for that. That means a lot coming from you because I know how tight the three of you are. I hope I can live up to your expectations," Zach said shyly.
"Puppy," Fi said, grabbing his hands, "don't doubt yourself. Jerry hasn't been this happy in a long, long time. Just look at him. He's practically radioactive! Plus, even though you and I didn't start off so good, you proved yourself with your awesome food, and by pushing that reporter in the deep end of your scummy pool. And then you found your brother! Sweetie, there's something inside of you that's brave. Don't doubt me on this. Everyone here loves you. We're your real family now."
"Okay, I won't." I could tell Zach was relieved, getting both my best friends' approval so quickly. I squeezed his thigh under the table to bring that point home.
"Wait a second. I'm confused here," Wolfie said. "Why would you push a reporter in a pool? And you just met your brother? This mini-me version of you that you didn't know you had? I really have been away for way too long."
"Yeah, all that happened. Our dad is Ziggy Dumont, the movie producer –"
"The one that had sex with all those actresses against their will just for parts in his movies and plays?" Wolfie asked, dumbfounded. "And isn't that considered rape?"
"Yep. He's the biggest slimeball in the history of slimeballs," Zach said. "Because of that, the reporters have been all over us for the past few weeks, ever since he skipped the country to avoid arrest. Jeremy and Fi were helping me get my stuff from my house before it went into foreclosure. There's this one reporter, Padula Danghardt – maybe you've seen her – that's been hounding us like crazy, wanting an interview with me. There's a whole lot more to it, but we don't have time for that now. So short story: On our way out of the house for the last time, she and her cameraman were trespassing and ambushed me. I'd had enough, so I grabbed her mic, and well, dropped a bunch of F-bombs on live TV, then pushed her in the pool."
"It was so freaking bitchin', Wolfie. You should have seen it," Fi said.
"Actually, he can. Here," Nacho said after he pulled up the video and handed Wolfie his phone.
"Holy shit, Little Bear. You're one fierce dude. Next summer, I'm going to be after you and Jeremy and maybe little Itchy Coyote over there to spend a week in the woods with our group of at-risk kids. Zach, you've obviously have had a crappy life, and yet, you've come out the other side all the better and stronger for it. That's what our kids need to hear. Jeremy? You are a lucky, lucky man to be marrying such a great dude."
"I know I am. And I thank the spirts almost every minute for bringing us together."
"As well you should. But Zach, I have another question. How is that you just found your younger brother? No one ever told you had had a sibling? And wow, you guys look like you could almost be twins."
"No one ever told me. My dad is my real dad, and Isaac's too, but he basically raped our birth mother, and when she realized she was pregnant with me, she wouldn't have an abortion. So, they made an agreement, and he paid her off with the understanding that he and Mother would be my parents. I didn't know anything about it until Mother committed suicide recently, and we came out here looking for my birth mother after we found my birth certificate. Unfortunately, our birth mother had passed away a few years ago. But the good part is this cabana boy named Steven thought I was Isaac because we look so similar, and well, everything just came together after that. We owe Steven big."
"We do," I agreed. "Steven's part of our pack. He was with us at the medicine wheel."
"That's great and all, but it brings up another question. Actually, I have about a million questions. Why would your birth mother have another child with him after all she went through the first time? That part, I just don't get."
"Mommy told me when she was dying that she did it for the money," Isaac said. "She had been trying to keep open her dance studio, and couldn't get any financing, so I guess she kinda blackmailed him into giving her money or else she would go to the press and tell her story. She said she didn't have a lot to lose back then. She had to pay a huge price by having sex with him again. I didn't know she was raped before and that I had a brother until after she died and told me all about it in a couple of letters to me. When I read that I felt so terrible for her, but she said I wouldn't be here if that didn't happen. But still…"
"We found each other, and that's all that matters. Right, little brother?"
"Right!"
"Another question. This cabana boy, Steven? How did he wind up on your helicopter?" Wolfie asked. "And how is he part of your pack?"
"After the shooting, we had to get out of the hotel," I said. "The press was everywhere, and we didn't want to get Zach and Isaac pulled into this mess since we'd been through so much already. I had made arrangements with a director of the hotel, and he facilitated getting us out the back so we could go on our helicopter trip. The director suggested taking a couple of security people, but I thought Steven and this other guy named Antione that we had become friendly with would be more suitable. Since they both worked for the hotel, he agreed. The guys were great and even filmed our proposals. We've become great friends. Gray Eagle even gave them totem's and made them part of our pack. They really are great guys. I hope you and Fi are staying long enough tomorrow to meet them."
"Oh, man. I've missed out on so much. You have totem's and are getting married and have a pack now? That's huge Jer."
"I know. It all happened so fast. But I wouldn't change a bit of it. Well, I could do without that shithead reporter, and the shooting, of course."
We had to pause our conversation when our appetizers arrived. The six of us dug in with gusto. I don't know about everyone else, but Zach, Isaac and I were famished. In addition to everything else, I had ordered a plate of oysters, basically just to mess with the kid. When Fi spotted them, she practically squealed with delight and slurped one up, gave one to Nacho and then quickly scarfed down another. I looked at the kid and thought he was going to barf.
"Hey, pussycat. Slow down on those. I might not be able to keep up with you tonight," Nacho said. "I heard these things are aphrodisiacs."
"You'll find out soon enough, baby, soon enough." That got a big laugh out of everybody but Isaac.
"Eww, yuck. That's disgusting. I'm not sure I want to move in with you guys now. That looks like snot!" Isaac said after he watched Fi slam a third one down. "Is that what we're gonna eat all the time when I move in with you guys? Fish guts, and who knows what?"
"Settle down, buddy. Remember? We had this discussion earlier. You don't have to eat any, but you should at least try one so you can say you gave it a whirl. Who knows? You might like it," I said.
"You know, Laughing Coyote, we teach our native kids to fend for themselves and live off the land. In late summer, oysters are part of that. You should open your mind to new things because you'll never know if you're missing out on something delicious."
"Here, I'll show you how to eat them," Zach said. "Our dumbass dad used to love these things, and I grew up on them. Bet he's not getting these in prison."
"Okay, I'll try it. I doubt I'll like it, but you guys talked me into it." Isaac took one off the plate, held it up to his nose, sniffed it, then watched as Zach slurped his down. The kid followed his brother's lead and downed one too. It took him a minute to decide if he liked it or not, but then he pronounced, "Not bad. Tastes kinda like salty meat."
"These are really good, Jeremy. I like the briny taste. Way better than the ones my dad used to get. Reminds me of the ocean."
"Do you guys live by the beach?" Isaac asked. "I've never been to the ocean before."
"Are you serious?" Zach asked.
"I am. Mommy never had much money, and everything went into her studio. We never went on any vacations. The only trip we took was one time when a friend of hers got married at Lake Havasu. But I was little, and I don't really remember it other than it was hot outside, but the water was ball-shrinking freezing."
"I love this kid, Jerry. He has the nastiest mouth. You and me, PJ, are going to be fast friends."
"Awesome, Auntie Fiona."
"Potty mouth aside, that's all going to change, buddy. When you move in with us were going to take you to all kinds of great places, right, Zach?"
"Absolutely."
"Can we go to Disneyland?"
"Of course. I haven't been there in a long time," I said. "And we'll check out Universal Studios for that new Harry Potter thing."
"Super-yay to that!"
"Can I come too?" Fi asked. "I love that place."
"Of course, you can. We'll all go."
We had just finished up our appetizers when a sommelier showed up with an ice bucket and set it next to our table. "Mr. Farnsworth, I have a bottle of champagne for your party, compliments of a guest, but before I open it, I need to look at your I.D.'s. Some of you look a bit underage."
"No problem. We're all over twenty-one except for the kid," I said, pulling out my wallet. "Maybe you can bring us a bottle of some sparkling water for him. Who is the guest?"
"I'm not sure because I didn't see them, but they left this card for you."
There was a lot of commotion as everyone flashed their ID's, Zach's passing without a second glance. When I finally looked at the small, pink envelope, a chill went up my spine. Stamped in gold letters on the front were the initials P.D.
"Shit! She's stalking us!"
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