Seven Days

Chapter Three

December 4th

Saturday

All afternoon, Syd second guessed the wisdom of telling Frerin she'd go out with him. It was just Darcy's and they were only going to shoot some pool, but still... was she setting herself up for absolute and utter disappointment again?

Or was Frerin really sincere?

And how did she know whether or not she could trust him?

She looked over at Teddy, who sat at Gram's desk in the office, thumbing through the most recent issue of People magazine, absently twirling a lock of jet black hair around her index finger. "Teddy?"

"Hmm?"

"You got a minute?"

Teddy peered over her shoulder at Syd, who stood in the doorway. "What's up, Syd?"

"I wanted your opinion on something."

Teddy flipped the magazine closed. "About what?"

"A guy."

"Oh, no problem. Charlie on the floor?"

"Yeah. She was over by the books, recommending a few titles to someone."

"Then come on in and sit down."

Syd skirted Gram's desk, to move to the one Alex usually worked at. Unlike the rest of them, Alex had no psychic abilities at all. Teddy's gifts were the strongest, while Syd and Charlie fell somewhere between Teddy and Alex. Syd knew it bothered Alex from time to time, and no matter how hard Syd tried to convince her they didn't care, that it didn't make her any less a Prescott, Syd wasn't so sure Alex believed them.

"So, what's your guy question?"

"What I'm about to tell you does not leave this room, got that?"

Teddy's green eyes went wide. "Whoa... so serious."

Syd made a face at her sister. "I mean it, Teddy. Not a word."

Teddy nodded. "Not a word, I promise."

"Good." Syd drew Alex's chair from the desk to sink into it and sighed softly. Teddy was always the one they all went to for advice in dealing with men, because she was the one who was never without a date, almost never without a boyfriend, and Syd was pretty sure just about every guy in Cranford Falls had, at one time or another, a crush on the perfect Prescott.

"Uh, Syd," Teddy tapped her fingernails lightly against the desktop. "If you want my advice, you have to tell me what's wrong."

"You know Frerin Durin, right?"

"Yeah. Thorin's younger brother. I mean, I don't know him, but I know of him."

"Okay, well, back in August, I bumped into him out at Darcy's. He and his friends were there, I was out with a few of mine and he came over to our table, bought me a drink and one thing led to another and then I—"

Teddy's eyes widened, a grin stretching across her face. "Did you fuck Frerin?"

"Shhh!" Syd hissed, glancing toward the open door. "I don't want everyone hearing this, remember?"

"Oh, sorry." Teddy lowered her voice. "Did you?"

"Yeah. I did. And then he vanished. No phone call. No pop in here. No nothing."

"Typical guy. What a prick."

"Yeah, that's not why I need advice." Syd glanced down at the organized chaos that made up the surface of Alex's desk, and picked up a pen that lay half under a small sheaf of order forms. "He came in here yesterday and asked me out again. Said he wanted make it up to me."