“Something like that,” Stacey said. “Hey, what’s up with Emily? She hasn’t been in for four days, and she hasn’t called in either. She isn’t answering her cell phone. Since you two are you know . . . kind of an item, I thought maybe you might know what’s going on. Do you?” she asked bluntly.

Jason swallowed hard. He shook his head. “I haven’t seen her. I tried calling yesterday, but the call went to voice mail. And we’re not an item, we’re just friends,” he lied. Who is that young guy checking out the clay pot planters? He looks familiar. He almost missed the look the two women shot his way and the young guy’s almost imperceptible nod. The muscles in his stomach tied themselves into a knot. They were together, he was sure of it. And they were checking him out. Shit, shit, shit! He could feel the panic starting to build in his stomach inch its way up to his chest, causing him to gasp for breath. He broke out into a cold sweat.

“Can you take a break, Jason? I’m on mine. Let’s go get a cold soda or something. I’m worried about Emily.”

Not half as worried as I am, Jason wanted to say, but he didn’t. Instead, he waved to his supervisor and said he was taking his break. He followed Stacey to the back of the store to the employee kitchen or what they called the break room, where he popped two bottles of cola and offered Stacey one. He gulped at his, his mind racing a hundred miles a minute. What to say, what not to say, how to look, how not to look. Stop sweating, he cautioned himself. Like that was possible.

Stacey Copeland eyeballed her friend, concern etched on her face. “You look funny, Jason, is anything wrong? By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask, did you register yet for fall classes? I was thinking of going over to CU after I got off work. Want a ride?”

“I’m okay. Haven’t been sleeping well these past few nights. Our A/C is out,” he lied with a straight face. “I’m working till four. That’s if I hold out that long. My stomach is kicking up. I might leave in a little while. I need the hours, but if I’m going to be puking my guts out, I’m no good to anyone here.”

Stacey gave him a look that said she wasn’t buying anything he’d said. “Hey, Jason, this is me. We’ve been friends since our first day at CU. You can talk to me. I even got you this job. If something is wrong, maybe I can help. C’mon, Jason, open up.”

“You sound just like my mother does. I told you, nothing is wrong. I’m not feeling 100 percent, so ease up, okay?”

“Sure, no problem. You’d tell me if Emily dumped you, right?”

“Emily did not dump me,” Jason said through clenched teeth. “I told you, we’re just friends.”