“We’re fine with grace. In fact, we go to church every Sunday and say our prayers at night.”

Julie has tears freely flowing down her now purple-looking face, which she quickly hides in her hands. Kevin is trying hard to keep a straight face—get it? Straight. Mike is grinning. The other men, my dad and granddad, are looking at the two grandmothers like they can’t believe their ears.

“Well then, Dora, please say grace.” My mom looks at me and mouths the word “help.” Feeling sorry for her, I comply.

The prayer seems to calm the table. At least Julie is getting her old color back and has quit her silent, laughing fit. Bridget hasn’t said a word and is still in her star-struck world. Mike is grinning and shoveling in his food, and the rest of us are just eating.

“It must be exciting being models and traveling all over the world,” my mom says to the three across from me.

“It’s a lot of hard work and not as glamorous as everyone thinks,” Colin replies. I so love his voice. “Sometimes we’re on set for hours at a time. We’re all lucky to be free until after the first of the year. This is the first break we’ve had in more than a year. It’s nice to relax and do what we want.”

I’m surprised at his revelation that they’re all going to be hanging around for the next few months. My classes end the second week of December, and I was hoping I would have the whole apartment to myself. They’ll probably have wild parties every night, and though I like parties just as much as the next person, there’s no way I’ll fit in. Yes, I enjoyed the first night at the apartment and was shocked at the normal people they had over, but a party … I’m sure that will be different.

“Earth to Dora,” Grandma says loudly, and I cringe at being in the spotlight, knowing anything could come out of her mouth. “Great, now that I have your attention. I was a little upset when I heard you’d moved in with three men. I don’t believe in single people of the opposite sex sharing a space together. But when I realized they were, how do you say? I heard it on a talk show the other day. Batter up? No, that’s not it. It has something to do with bats though. Now, what was it?”

“There you go again. Do you even think before you talk, Alice? I swear. I, for one, don’t approve of her living with these…men. Even though they’re different. It’s not what a proper young lady should do.” Grandmother is on a roll.

“I know what it was!” Grandma yells, ignoring Grandmother. “It’s called ‘bat for the other team,’” she says smugly, as if she’s just answered the final Jeopardy question and won all the money.

Mike and the three hot stuffs can’t hold back their laughter. Suddenly, we’re all laughing, except for Mom and the Grands’. Poor Mom. What did she expect? Having the minister from our church over wasn’t even enough to stop the Grands’, so why would she think this time would be any different?

“Okay, that’s enough, Mom and Beatrice. Let’s eat,” my mom demands, and of course the two elders act so innocent. The food is delicious, and I finally start relaxing, hoping the worst is over.

I spend most of my time after dinner doing the dishes. I don’t want to hear the conversation in our living room. God only knows what’s being discussed. A reluctant Bridget and Julie join me—after I grab their arms and drag them into the kitchen.

“Gosh, D, how the heck did you end up with them? I mean, really, do you know who they are? They’re famous!” Bridget takes the dish from my hand and absently begins drying it, a dreamy look on her face. “They’re not gay, are they? Tell the truth. I swear I won’t tell.” She rambles on and Julie just stands there smiling.

“No, they’re not,” I say, handing Julie a dish to dry.

“Oh, wow. Wait until I tell the posse. It’s not fair Dad took my phone. I mean, geez, did he think I’d call all of them and have them come over and share this with me? Well, I might have. I mean, who’s going to believe they were here? I need a phone, D, please?” Bridget’s blue eyes plead with mine.

“We don’t need any more drama, but maybe I can take a picture of you with them. Okay?” I say, taking pity on my poor sis.

“OMG that would be so awesome!” Bridget’s smile can’t get any larger.

“I wish I smoked or drank,” my mom’s voice startles us.

“Mom, is that appropriate to say to your daughters?” I say, including Julie because she is my sister in every way, but in blood.

“Those two would make anyone go over to the dark side, I swear. I can’t believe your dad and I are so normal,” she says, opening the fridge and grabbing a soda and gulping it down like it’s a shot. “Dora, I almost forgot. Henry wants me to tell you something about Jeff. His grandmother says he needs to study more for his exams. He’s not prepared,” Mom says before belching loudly.

“He knows, Mom. We’re going to be study buddies for the next few weeks, but I’ll tell him anyway.”

Jeff is a guy I met the first week of school, and we hit it off. No, not that way. He’s gay, not that you’d know it unless you really got to know him. He’s been there for me through troubled times, especially when Brian and I broke up after I found the jerk in bed with that bimbo.

Oh, and remember Henry is Mom’s spirit guide. He’s her channel to the other side. Medium stuff.

We finally finish the dishes and join the others. The rest of the evening is fairly uneventful. Bridget got her picture, Mike stayed and hung out instead of trying to escape, and the ‘three’ captivated everyone. Even Grandmother and Grandma behaved for once.

How frustrating! I haven’t seen Dora since the dinner with her family, and it’s driving me crazy. She must be using her private entrance to her room. How can one little bundle of energy and fire cause such chaos within me? Several times I’ve knocked on her door, a made-up excuse to why, but she isn’t there. Where is she? School is on break and, wait, the coffee shop. She works mornings. I could just happen to go by. Boy, I sound like a lovesick stalker, and maybe I am, but she brings out feelings in me I thought were dead. She makes me feel alive.

7

“Yes, I want a caramel latte with soy milk, whipped cream—no, wait, I want—no, that is what I want,” the man standing before me rambles on. I wait, knowing he’ll probably change his mind again. Ben comes in every few days, and it’s always the same old indecisiveness. He’s an accountant down the street, and even if I didn’t know that, it would be my first guess, with his black old-school glasses and ultraconservative black suits and black tie. I wait patiently because I know he has a stressful job, and the line isn’t too long right now.

“Oh my goodness, Sally, look! It’s them!” a voice from a nearby table loudly whispers, causing me to look around my customer. I immediately groan at the sight of my three roommates standing in line.

“I’m sorry, Dora. I just had an awful meeting, and I’m mentally beat.” Ben’s voice causes me to whip my eyes back to meet his apologetic ones.

“Oh, Ben, I wasn’t groaning at you. Take your time. It’s what’s behind you that caused it,” I reassure him. Voices are getting louder, as the majority of the female customers have recognized the trio. Darn. If I desert Ben right now, he’ll think I lied to him, but I want to know what brings the Modelteers to my coffee shop.

Ben finally gives me his order, and I pass it to June and ask Stephen if he’ll take over for me. He does and I make my way to the side of the shop and watch as Larry, Curly, and Moe—yes, I watched The Three Stooges with my dad as a kid—get out of line and move across the room to me. I roll my eyes at the looks on the faces of the female audience. Colin’s eyes meet mine, and my heart squeezes. I get a warmth that is so unnatural to me I don’t think a thousand fans could cool me off. I drag my eyes away from his and meet Drew’s laughing ones, but there’s also a strange warmth in them.