“Hey, Dora.” Drew’s grin holds me spellbound for a second, and then Colin draws my attention by patting the empty seat next to him on the couch. I plop down, gracefully, of course, and listen to them banter. Apparently, tomorrow is the last day Liam and Colin will be here before departing for home, and they want to go out tonight and celebrate Christmas early.

“What do you two think? Are you up for an evening with us poor unfortunate souls?” Drew glances at me then Jeff.

“We just ate and are stuffed. Frankly, we were going to take some antacids and have a nap. Our last exam was today, and it was brutal.”

“Well, that’s okay. You guys rest, and we’ll leave about seven. We’ll make it a ‘last exam and farewell until New Year’s’ celebration.” I start to shake my head, but Drew raises his hand and shakes his head first. “Not going to take no for an answer. We’ll go to my club so it won’t be crowded, and we’ll just hang out and have a few drinks.” He smiles at my grimace at the word “drinks.” “Or not, and dance, so be ready by around six-thirty, okay? We’ll take my car.”

He stands up and so does his silent partners as they leave without another word.

“Well, I guess we’re going out tonight,” Jeff says as he makes his way to the bathroom.

I lie down on the bed and close my eyes. I feel the bed dip as Jeff joins me. I snuggle up to him and sigh. “I guess we have to go.”

“Yep, we do.”

Drew’s club is exactly the same as it was the last time we were here. The same girl is checking coats and her bright, white smile greets him and then encompasses all of us in her cheerful hello. Its cozy feel is still there, and the music isn’t blaring.

Drew leads us to the farthest booth in the back, where we can actually talk without having to yell at each other. The booth is a semicircle, and somehow I end up between Drew and Jeff, with Liam and Colin opposite us. Can I say I’m disappointed? Well, I am. Colin keeps looking at his phone and Liam is brooding. Yeah, I can feel it. Remember, empath.

A waiter arrives at our table and takes our orders. I move a little in my seat and I feel a thigh pressing against mine. Drew is a little too close for comfort. In fact, I feel a little claustrophobic, or maybe it’s something else. I look over at Colin and catch his eye, and his smile should make me forget the thigh, but no dice. My leg is warm and so are other regions of my body, really warm, in fact. I must be coming down with the flu, that’s it. It is flu season, and I didn’t have the shot. Drew shifts his body so that his whole side presses against mine.

Damn flu.

“Jeff, I need to go to the ladies’ room,” I whisper to him.

He quickly gets up and I scoot over and out, nearly colliding with our waiter, who is bringing our drinks. I find the bathroom and make a beeline for the sink, grabbing a paper towel along the way. I wet it with ice-cold water and pat my neck and forehead. My eyes don’t look feverish, and I don’t look pale, or feel clammy, so maybe it’s not the flu. Maybe it’s early menopause hot flashes, or maybe I’m starting my period several days before it’s due.

Or maybe it’s being too close to a hot guy? I’m going out there to see if it happens when I sit next to Colin. I did have butterflies before.

Arriving back at the table, I lean over and whisper in Liam’s ear and I move back as he gets up and lets me slide in next to Colin. Jeff raises an eyebrow and Drew looks puzzled.

“I want to look at your handsome faces.”

Jeff looks skeptical and Drew flashes an Earth-shattering smile. What the heck … Earth-shattering? What am I thinking?

“I’m too ugly for you to look at?” Liam asks with a straight face.

“Well, you aren’t all that handsome when you frown all the time, so yes, it’s hard to look at you,” I quip and then giggle when he turns to gives me the most beautiful smile.

Me? Giggle? Go figure. Wonders never cease. These three have really done a number on me.

“So I’m ugly too?” Colin’s proper English accent makes the butterflies flutter in the old stomach, or maybe it’s gas, but I’ll go with butterflies.

“No, you’re too handsome for me to stare at for any length of time.”

Before I can finish, he reaches for my left hand that is resting on the table and kisses the back of it. I can feel my face turning beet red, and I hope none of them can see it in this light? I have to act normal and not like some awkward teenager.

“Why, thank you, kind sir. You’re definitely the only gentleman of this group.” Yep, the laughter stops and I feel so smug. “Jeff, would you be a love and pass me my drink?”

He does, and Colin reaches over to grab it in order to place it in front of me. His arm and thigh are glued to mine, and I begin to feel overheated. Hot guys do funny things to me. Maybe I should call it lust. I just need a normal guy to give me WOW, that’s all.

“Care for a dance, sweet thing?”

What the F? Oh, lord, I almost said it, but it’s Liam who’s asking for a dance. I nod my head and he pulls me out of the booth and out onto the dance floor. It’s a slow song, so we move close together and even though my heels are high, he still towers over me.

He bends down and whispers in my ear. “Is something wrong?”

“Well, first of all I feel like dwarf compared to you, even in my heels. And second, I’m kind of trying to figure out how I’m supposed help you.”

“Help me?” He pulls back, looking at me intently.

“Yeah. My mom says I’m supposed to help you. Well, really Henry told her and then she told me,” I ramble, not wanting to start this conversation, but when I talked to my mom this morning, she told me Liam needed my help sooner than later.

“Maybe we should go outside for a minute.”

I nod my head. He grabs my arm and we head out the nearest exit. The cold stings me in the face like a dozen icicles, and I start to shiver. Liam guides me to a little alcove, which keeps most of the frigid wind away from us. He stands in front of me, blocking the rest.

“So, what exactly do I need help with?” he asks.

I look up at his face. It’s semi-illuminated by a weak yellow light attached the building above us. “I know about your secret, and I know it must be so hard for you to conceal it from everybody you love.”

He runs his right hand through his hair and sighs. “How did you find out?”

“I’m what they call an empath, which means I feel people’s emotions. You don’t give off the signals, but I felt your sadness, which most people view as being aloof. There were other signs too, like for instance the way you always look at Jeff.”

He looks at me with a sad smile, which makes me want to hug him, but I need to wait for him to reply.

“Yes, it’s hard,” he admits. “I think Drew and Colin know, but they just don’t know what to say. It’s not easy being me. I know that sounds trite, but it’s true. I’m from a small town, and being gay isn’t an accepted lifestyle there, no matter who you are. God that sounded good to finally say it out loud.” Gone is his sad smile. He actually looks part happy and part amazed.

“Henry wants me to help you, and my gut feeling tells me that you’re supposed to tell your family when you go home tomorrow. No, wait …” I take his hands in mine when he starts to object, and then look deep into his eyes. “I don’t say this lightly. I feel it will turn out that some of them already know. They’re just waiting for you to say something. Trust me, Liam. Everything will be good. Now, we better get back inside before we catch pneumonia. My family will kill me if I’m sick over Christmas.”

“Thank you, Dora. I’m so glad you’re our lucky number four. Thank your mom and Henry too.” He leans down and wraps his arms around me, pulling me in close for a hug.