"Annie?" I called in warning. Despite my insistence, Panther had come with me, saying it had forever since he'd seen a college dorm, upon which I had to stop and demand to know his age. He was thirty, he had said with a laugh, can I see it now? We'd left his jaguar parked in visitor parking, and walked across the empty campus – well, empty besides those people not going on spring break, who were either too poor to go, or people who had no life.

"Annie, I'm coming in!" I pounded the door one more time, glanced at Panther, and shoved open the door.

"Patricia," Annie launched herself on me, almost knocking me over. The smell of alcohol was on her breath, as she staggered against me, giggling. "How goop – good to see you ag – who's the guy?" I shoved me alcoholic roommate off me, and she landed in Panther's arms. "H-Hey," she muttered, stroking his chest. "I'm Annie."

"Is there somewhere I could…put her?" Panther asked uncertainly.

I glanced at him, not feeling one bit sorry for him. "I warned you. Shove her there – that's her bed," I walked over to the balcony and opened the door, showing a scantily clad Jack into the room. "Good to see you again, Jack."

"G-good ta see yah too, Claire," he mumbled, flushing bright red at the sight of Panther. "Hey, man, who are yah?"

"Panther Owens," he said, untangling Annie's arms from around his neck and letting her slide down onto her bed. "And you are?"

"Jack Campbell. Annie's boyfriend." He said possessively.

I snorted and rummaged through my dresser, "more like her fuck buddy."

"Pa-Patricia," Annie whined, "don't be so crud."

"Crude," I corrected absently, digging for my black tank top and a bra. "So how do you like our room? It's very chic, isn't it?" My sarcasm cut into Annie, who whined again.

Panther looked at Annie's side, mussed up and strewn with articles of clothing, to my side. Neat, contained and a complete juxtaposition. "How did you two get paired together?"

"Oh, she forgot to put raging alcoholic and spasmodic freak on her application. Other than that, we 'match'," I sharpened my words bitterly and shoved my clothes into my school bag, as well as my toothbrush, hairbrush, deodorant, shampoo, soap, washcloth and a few more items for personal use. "I hope you don't mind, but I plan on showering at your house."

"Shower? I don't have a shower."

I turned on him, "what?"

"Well, I never use the shower, so I had them remove it, since the shower head was pretty old anyways." Panther shrugged, "why does it matter?"

"How do you get clean," I almost shrieked.

"I take a bath." Panther lifted an eyebrow. "You really think I didn't wash? Miss Clara, please be realistic."

"Well, I've never heard of anyone removing their shower head! Extremist!" I accused hotly.

Panther just laughed. "I suppose so. Are you finished?"

I nodded and looked over to Annie and Jack – who had already started sucking face, and Annie was trying to discreetly slip her hand down his boxers. "Bye, fuck buddies," I shouted before I slammed the door, feeling better when Jack yelled a muffled response back.

"So, that was my dorm room. A little slice of hell on campus."

Panther laughed. "It's a cry for help."

"If help is getting someone to get in her pants, she's got all the help she needs."

Panther just shook his head and led me back to the car.

"What time is it?"

"The time is…four o'clock."

"Exactly," I asked, opening my eyes to peer at the green clock in his pretty jaguar. "It is four o'clock and two minuets," I corrected. "What are we going to do for the rest of the night?"

"I have no idea." Panther admitted, stopping at a red light. "We could go out to dinner."

"I have no money."

"I do."

I heaved a sigh. "God, this sounds familiar. How about renting a movie? Oh, never mind, you don't have a TV, do you?"

"Yes, I do." Panther said softly, "it's just in my bedroom."

"Ah."

"We have six hours to waste until ten, Miss Clara, what should we do?" The light changed and his car glided forward.

"Hm. I don't know." I said tiredly, glancing out the window. Suddenly my cell phone went off, and I hated the thing for the moment. It was what got me into this mess. "Hello?"

"Hey, baby," my older sister's voice soothed my ears.

"Tracey," I said warmly, "what's up?"

"Mom's over at my apartment, and since you were on spring break, we thought you should come over and hang out with us, have an early dinner. Y'know, just us girls." I mentally took a step back and then slapped myself. I could have stayed the night at my sister's!

"Sorry, Trace, I got a guy with me."

I could feel the intensity of Tracey's attention over the line. I squirmed a bit in my seat, waiting for it. "Bring him too."

"Tracey," I started.

"Mom, Pat has a guy with her." Tracey said, getting a muffled gasp. "Mom wants to talk to you."

"No, that's fine! I'll see you two in a couple of minuets, alright? Let me brief him on proper behavior first, okay?" Like Panther needed lessons in manners. I could almost see him raising his eyebrows. "Yes, I'll see you then. Bye."

I snapped my phone shut and glared at it, willing it to burst into flames.

"Who was that?" Panther asked carefully.

"My older sister, Tracey," I said softly, "she invited us over for an early dinner."

"What's her address?" Panther asked, peering absently at the street name as he stopped at another light.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" I practically cried, "my mother's there, too. I think it would be safer to forget it…"

"I'm sure it will be fine. It's not like we have anything more pressing."

'We.' He said we.

"Ah," I managed, slouching my seat. What luck I have. I rattled off the address before turning my attention to the window and sulking until Panther pulled up in a visitor's slot in front of my sister's apartment building.

"I'm sure it will be fine," Panther said, giving me an odd look at the pained expression on my face.

"Oh, it will be hilarious, up until the point where my mother starts talking about how I used to never go out on dates, and how she thought I was a lesbian," we got a strange look from the person in the desk downstairs, and I quickened my pace towards the elevator. "And how she's so happy I've found 'someone,' and then I'll break her heart and tell her we are not going out." I crossed my arms over my chest and dared him to argue with me about how ferocious my mother could be. I loved her to death, but sometimes I wanted to scream.

"So lie."

I think I died right there.

"What?"

"So lie," Panther repeated, following me into the elevator. Luckily no one else was there. "Tell her I am going out with you. I don't mind."

"I will not lie to my mother!" My tone said, again! I learned my lesson!

Panther sighed, "I see. Then Miss Clara, will you 'go out' with me? For tonight," he added carefully.

I think my eyeballs slipped out of my head, because I was seeing black. Maybe the world had come to an end.

"Open your eyes, Miss Clara," Panther said quietly, "it only has to be for tonight. And I asked, so doesn't that count?" His tone was gentle.

I opened my eyes and stared at him sternly. "You know what you are getting yourself into, right?"

"No," Panther said softly, dark eyes smiling. "But I will."

"Alright, I accept. FOR TONIGHT." I pinned him to the wall with a glare.

"Of course, Miss Clara." Was all he said.

The elevator doors slid open and we walked out and down to my sister's apartment in silence. I knocked on the door and my breath whistled out between my clenched teeth.

Tracey opened the door and swept me into a monster hug. "Little sister!" She cried, pulling me inside. I managed to reach back and catch Panther's hand, dragging him in with me. When I felt like my lungs were beginning to burst and wondering why I was still being choked, I realized Tracey had stopped moving. I wrenched away and went to run my fingers through my hair, but then I remembered it was still in a French braid.

So I dropped my hand to my side and watched my sister stare at Panther.

Finally Panther held out his hand, "Panther Owens."

"Tracey Williams," Trace said breathlessly, gripping his hand. Then her blue eyes snapped to me. "So, little sister, you have some explaining to do. Mother! She's here with her eye candy!" Panther blushed and I elbowed him in the ribs, a little, I told you so, and was surprised when he took my hand, cutting off my 'I told you so.' I was not happy about being stopped before I could nonverbally reprimand him, but I pulled him forward into the small apartment anyway, passing the kitchen, small bathroom, and entering the living room.

Tracey, a spitting image of my mother when she was her age, was crouched next to my mom gleefully. My mom had the same fair blonde hair as Tracey, with subtle lines of grey, which was pulled back into a bun. It wasn't a severe bun, which looks like it was giving the person a headache, it was a relaxed one with several strands of loose hair in her face. Her skin was pale and fine, with the beginnings of lines around her eyes and mouth. The women in our family always seemed to age pretty well, considering, and my mom looked fantastic for fifty-five.

"Hey, mom," I said shyly, letting Panther take his place at my side. My mother raised her eyebrows and smiled at Panther; he smiled back. I gave his hand a sharp squeeze, as if telling him not to encourage her. "This is Panther Owens."

"Katherine Williams," she returned, getting slowly to her feet and shaking his hand. "A pleasure to meet you." Her vibrant green eyes, the only thing we shared in the physical department, trained on me. "Tell me how you managed to catch him, Patricia."

Panther let out a soft laugh, "on a very rainy day."

My mom let out a dazzling smile, and motioned us to sit on the couch. She took one of Tracey's leather chairs and crossed her legs. "It's good to see you again, Patricia. You look so grown up!"

I looked down at myself, almost ready to tell her I look the same, when I realized I was still in Panther's clothes. "Oh, my God, I have to change," I said suddenly, jerking to my feet. My clothes were still in his jaguar. Turning on him, I asked for his keys.

Tracey looked at me sharply. "Why do you need to change, you look fine."

"Fine for wearing men's clothing!" I snapped, immediately regretting it when my mom's eyes narrowed and her lips twitched into a smile.

"You're wearing his clothes?" Tracey demanded, "really? Your waist is that small?"

"Who are you talking to," I ground out.

"Panther, of course, I knew you were Miss Tiny, but I didn't know guys could be that slender. Do you ever eat?" Tracey demanded in her usual direct way.

"I do eat, Miss." Panther said, having the grace to blush at her comment.

Tracey saw the light red color on his cheeks and sighed, "Sorry. I always embarrass people. Come on, Pat, you can wear some of my clothes, okay?"

I mumbled a thank you and followed her to her room, sitting down on her flower patterned bed and waiting for her to start.

Tracey showed a lot of self-restraint. She went through her closet and got a pair of jeans, a nice V-neck blue shirt and didn't say anything when I asked for a bra. We were the same size, so it wasn't like it was that weird…

Then she silently motioned for me to go get changed, face turning red.

"Trace," I started before she swept me up into another bone crushing hug.

"Oh my goodness, he's so adorable, Pat! I'm so glad you've found someone, sweetie!"

More like he found me.

"Thanks, sis," I managed.

Tracey shoves me away to survey my pink face. "So have you two…you know, had sex yet?" She waggled her eyebrows.

"TRACEY," I moan, pulling away and dashing into the bathroom, shutting the door shut in her face. "You and Annie, I swear!" I hissed through the door, stripping off my shirts with an angry mutter.

"What," She shouted, "it is an innocent question."

"Is not," I hissed, hoping she heard me. I adjusted the bra a bit and pulled the shirt on. It was a tight fitting shirt and the V-neck stopped just above the curve of my breasts, so a lot of skin was exposed. "T-R-A-C-E-Y," I drawled, yanking open the door, "you know I don't wear this kind of stuff," I snapped. "Get me another shirt!"

"No can do, little sis," Tracey said with a vulpine smile. "Hurry, hurry, mom's interrogating your boyfriend."

I slammed the door rather loudly. Wrenching off Panther's jeans, I realized I didn't have any underwear. Ah, well, I liked his boxers anyway. And damned if he was getting them back, either. I shimmied into Tracey's jeans and surveyed myself critically in the mirror. You couldn't even tell I was wearing boxers.

Sighing, I opened the door and stood under Tracey's eye, and allowed myself to be practically carried back to the living room. Panther was laughing with my mother, and they both looked at me innocently when we came back into the room.

My eyes narrowed, "what?"

"I'm so glad you aren't a lesbian, darling, Panther has assured me…you two have…"

HOW CAN HE BE SO EVIL?

I'm sure my face was turning a shade of cherry. I settled on clearing my throat harshly, sitting beside Panther and pinching his hand HARD. Panther's smile twitched and he grabbed my fingers, restraining them, and returned my mother's smile.

THIS IS IT, THIS IS HELL…

"That was fun," Panther said, buckling his seat belt. "Your mother and sister are very sweet."

I glared at him forcefully. "Why the hell did you say we had sex?"

"I didn't, your mother assumed," Panther said softly, "I told her I'd been seeing you for sometime and she automatically assumed I'd been having sex with you. I'm sorry, I didn't get a chance to correct her without being rude before you and your sister came back into the room. I really hadn't meant for that to happen." His black eyes were sad.

I wilted, anger melting away. "Whatever, I just want to go to bed." I slouched low in the leather passenger's seat and glared at Panther. "Let's go."

Panther drove back to his apartment in silence, eyes flickering to the clock every now and then. Ten thirty. I frowned slightly. He had said we had six hours until ten, right? Was there something he had planned at ten o'clock at night?

But Jesus, we did overstay our welcome.

HEY, wait a minuet. Since when did it become 'our,' and, 'we?'

Shaking my head, I resolved to set him straight tomorrow morning, I was just worn out right now. My mother is something else. I don't know how we get along, actually, with our separate personalities. It's a fucking miracle we didn't kill each other when I was a teenager.

Panther parked the car, which I had come to love – it had the softest leather seats, and he led me back to his apartment. The thought had crossed my mind to just stay at my sister's tonight anyway, but whenever I thought that, Panther would catch my eye and give me a gentle smile…

Whoa, come back from la-la-land, dearie. Think straight. I clutched my bag to my chest and smiled slightly as Panther unlocked his door, holding it open for me.

"All right," he muttered, flicking on the lights. "Let me show you the lay of this place, Miss Clara. You know where the half-bathroom is, where you changed earlier. This is my bedroom, with a connecting bathroom – with the only bath."

He held open the black door and flicked on the light, letting me look inside curiously.

He had a king size bed with deep red sheets and a rich purple comforter, falling to trail along the wood floors. The room was neat and prim, with no discarded clothes, they were all firmly put away in his closet – he had no dresser, just a closet. With lion head doorknobs, I might add. Silver. He had a small black wood bedside table with a silver lamp, a small vase with the same nameless red flowers and a digital clock whose numbers glowed green. A tan door off to the right side of the room marked the second bathroom.

Panther went to the bed and pulled back the sheets for me, grabbed a pillow (in red slips) and turned to his closet. I cautiously walked forward and looked into his closet. Neat and prim, as I suspected. All his clothes were hung and ironed it seemed, with all his shoes lined below on the wood floor. There was a shelf up above that held extra blankets, which he pulled down.

"Feel free to lock the door, Miss Clara," Panther said with a soft smile. "I'll see you in the morning." And he left. As soon as he did I jumped the door handle, locking it immediately.

A sigh escaped my lips.

Sleep.

I went through the motions of preparing for sleep: brushing my teeth, changing into pajamas, climbing into bed – but before my head hit the pillow I was up again, unlocking the door. Why, I wasn't sure, but it seemed right to leave it unlocked. And my sleep was deep and peaceful.