“I think I’ve discovered my superpower. I’m invisible.” I winked at Xavier and he chuckled, which made me start laughing again.
I was still laughing when Muriel and Drew sat down. “What’s so funny?” Muriel asked, shoving her gigantic purse next to her.
“The waitress has a thing for Xavier,” I answered.
“Who doesn’t?”
“Sitting right here, you know.” Drew raised his hand over his head and pointed down at himself.
“Not me.” She reached over and pulled his lips to hers for a quick kiss before telling him, “Everyone else.”
Xavier eyed the huge, flowered bag Muriel was still shoving into the space between the seat and table. “What do you keep in that thing?”
“Just the essentials.”
“Wow.” Xavier scratched his bottom lip with his thumb. “You have a lot of essentials.”
Muriel and Drew ordered their drinks. Somehow, Amy was able to tear her gaze away from Xavier long enough to take their orders. She came back with their Cokes and asked if we were ready to order. Of course, she looked to Xavier first.
“I’ll have the steak.”
She wrote his order on her notepad, never looking away from him. I wondered if she’d even be able to read it when she turned the order in.
She’ll screw it up.
“I’ll have the… Hello? I’m over here,” I said, snapping my fingers in the air. She rolled her eyes but looked at me while I gave my order, her gaze flitting to Xavier every few seconds.
There goes your tip, honey.
Finally, we’d all placed our orders and gotten our food. Poor Amy didn’t have a reason to come to the table, so she stood by the bar in the back of the restaurant and watched him eat. I shook my head and smiled.
We were having a nice dinner, laughing and talking, when my stomach heaved. Afraid I was going to be sick, I stood up so fast I knocked my Coke over, spilling it across the table and onto Drew’s lap.
“I’m sorry. I gotta… excuse me.” I put one hand over my mouth and tried to push my way out of the booth with the other.
Xavier stood and let me out. I tripped over my feet and grabbed the tabletop to steady myself, sending Xavier’s plate of food flying. It hit the floor with a crash, shards of glass scattering across the floor.
“Milayna?” Xavier’s forehead creased.
“She’s okay. It’s a vision.” I heard Muriel tell Xavier.
I stumbled into the bathroom like I’d just downed three margaritas. I was sure that was what people were thinking. Finding an empty stall, I went inside, locking the door after me.
“Milayna? Open the door,” Muriel called to me. Her voice was amplified in the small space and bounced around in my already-pounding head.
I reached out and slid the lock open. She opened the door and walked into the stall, locking the door behind her.
“What is it?”
“I don’t know yet.” I squeezed my eyes shut against the stabbing pain in my head, waiting for the images to appear. My vision was gone. The bathroom had disappeared. I couldn’t see Muriel. I only saw black. All around me. Just black.
But the smell was overpowering.
Burning. Smoke.
Coughing against the smell of the smoke, I couldn’t get a breath. It was as if the smoke was billowing around us in the stall. I covered my nose and mouth with my hand to staunch the smell. Slowly, the blackness lifted and images took its place.
The room is smoky. It’s like a haze filling the space. I can’t see through it.
“There’s going to be a fire,” I whispered to Muriel.
“Where? Here?”
“I don’t know. I can’t see through the smoke.”
Photographs. Flowered-covered couches.
I shook my head and concentrated harder on the images, trying to ignore the smell of smoke filling my nose.
Hot. Crackling. Glass shattering.
“It’s so hot. I can hear the fire burning, glass breaking.”
“Where are you, Milayna? Look around.”
“I’m trying to,” I snapped. She acted like I’d never had a vision before.
We’re driving. I’m not in the fire anymore. A man is cursing. The city lights are speeding by the window.
“I’m in a car. We just turned down my street.”
Lights flashing. A hazy glow surrounds a house.
I grabbed Muriel’s arm, squeezing so hard she flinched. “The fire… I think it’s my house.”
“Let’s go.” She ushered me out of the stall. A lady watched, raising a perfectly plucked eyebrow at us.
We ran through the crowded restaurant to our booth.
“Everything okay?” Xavier asked when he saw us.
“No, we have to go,” Muriel said quickly. Drew stood without a word, threw a wad of bills on the table to cover our food, and started toward the door. “Now!” Muriel whispered through clenched teeth when Xavier hesitated.
On the way to our cars, Muriel briefly told the guys what my vision showed. I was still seeing images. My head pounded like an army of miners were tunneling through my skull. My breathing was labored, fighting the effects of the smoke.
“We’ll meet you there.” Drew climbed into his car and gunned the engine before backing out and speeding out of the parking lot, tires squealing as he turned onto the road.