Part 31 (2/2)

Or did she give up even more? He had a sudden, awful image of Anica trading places with him. What if her contract wasn't about losing her magic? What if she'd agreed to a.s.sume his twelve hours of being a cat?

He had to go over there. Trying to control the shakes that had come on at the idea of Anica turning into a cat, he pulled clothes out of a drawer. In record time he was dressed in a pair of gray sweats and an old T-s.h.i.+rt, along with his running shoes.

Then he grabbed a Bulls jacket out of the closet and crammed a Cubs baseball cap over his uncombed hair. At the last minute he strapped on his watch. If something had gone wacko with the spell and he changed at a different hour, he'd want to know when that was.

He hoped to h.e.l.l that wouldn't happen. He could be left in a very dicey position if it did. But he'd risk it. He had to get over to Anica's and find out what had happened to her at six this morning.

No doubt looking like a vagrant, he left his condo. A bus that would take him to her street sat at the bus stop a block away. He had to run, but he made it.

The bus was almost empty. Only three other pa.s.sengers shared the ride with him, but he remained standing and held on to the overhead rail, as if sitting would slow the bus. It seemed to take freaking forever, anyway. He kept leaning down and looking out the window, because it had been days since he'd seen the city at this hour of the morning.

Come to think of it, he'd almost never seen the streets of the city at this hour on a Sunday morning. That was his day to sleep in, read the Sunday Trib, meander down to the corner deli for some Danish and coffee, although the coffee there had lost its appeal once he'd tasted Anica's coffee at Wicked Brew.

All those activities seemed too precious and innocent now. He'd been such an arrogant smart-a.s.s, thinking it was just fine for him to manipulate a woman's feelings. When Anica had called him on it, he'd tried to make light of it. He'd even-and this really made him wince-tried to minimize her anger by thinking it could be solved with a kiss.

As the bus neared the stop closest to her building, he pulled the cord to signal the driver and waited impatiently for the bus to slow and the back door to open. Then he leaped down and jogged along the sidewalk. He wanted to run, but that might draw too much attention, especially before dawn. Jogging was normal in the city. Flat-out running usually meant you'd committed a crime.

No lights gleamed in any of the apartment windows. Everyone was probably sound asleep at this hour on a Sunday morning. Too bad. He had to find out for himself what was going on.

Taking the steps at a jog, he leaned on the buzzer. As he waited for her to answer, he ran a hand over his jaw. Man, he needed a shave. What a concept, considering that he hadn't picked up a razor since Monday night.

When she didn't answer his anxiety level hit the roof. He pressed the buzzer again, longer this time, and tried not to imagine a delicate female cat sitting up in her apartment, a cat who couldn't answer the bell.

When she still didn't open the street door or speak into the intercom, he started punching the buzzer in a staccato rhythm. If she didn't come soon, he was calling the police. He'd make up some story that would justify breaking in.

Then he heard her sleepy voice on the intercom and he sagged in delirious relief. She was human.

”Anica, I need to talk to you.”

She gasped. ”Go away, Jasper! Please, just go away!”

”Anica, I need to see you.”

”No! Please leave!”

He couldn't understand the panic in her voice, unless something awful had happened as a result of what she'd signed. He had to get in there somehow. ”Listen, did you sign something that said you'd give up your magic?”

No answer. Which was an answer, wasn't it?

”What are you so afraid of, Anica?”

”I . . . just go away. I can't have any contact with you or you might . . . change back!”

That gave him pause, but he was willing to risk anything to see her again and find out what she'd signed.

”I'm not leaving until you open this door and let me come up to talk with you.”

”You can't!” She seemed terrified. And she also sounded as if she might be crying.

s.h.i.+tfire. He leaned against the wall next to the row of buzzers and tried to think. The door was st.u.r.dy and the lock strong. Not much chance he could break it down. He'd have to use his wits to get inside.

Or Julie. Pus.h.i.+ng away from the wall, he studied the list of tenants. Only one Julie. He buzzed her apartment.

Once again, it took three tries before he roused her. ”Who is it?” she called through the intercom.

”Julie, it's me, Jasper.”

”The cat?”

”I'm a man now, and I'm worried about Anica. I think she gave up her magical powers, or worse, in exchange for me permanently becoming a man. But she won't let me in, so I don't know what's happening. And she sounds scared.”

The lock clicked open and Jasper took the stairs two at a time. By the time he got to Julie's door, she'd already opened it. She stood there wearing gla.s.ses, kitten-patterned pajamas, and fuzzy pink slippers. ”You think she gave up her magic for you?”

”Yes. Would you go down there and see if she'll let you in? I just need to know she's okay. And if you could, please tell her I paid a lot for her to get her magic back. See if you can get her to test her wand.”

”Where will you be?”

”Right down the hall.”

”Okay. Let me get my key.” She disappeared for a minute and returned carrying a cat-shaped key ring. ”Let's go.”

Jasper made himself walk at her pace, which in her fuzzy slippers was about twice as slow as he'd prefer. Along the way he decided to fill her in. ”See, I signed a contract that I'd stay a cat from six in the morning to six at night, so that she'd get her magic back. If that contract's in effect, I should have changed into a cat at six. I didn't, so I'm worried that the reverse happened and she lost her magic so I could be a man twenty-four/seven. I don't want Anica making that kind of sacrifice.”

Julie glanced at him. ”Maybe she doesn't want you making one, either.”

Jasper blew out an impatient breath. ”Right now, I just want to get to the bottom of this. Promises were made, and I want to know if-”

”Gotcha.” Julie pointed to a spot by the stairs. ”Stay here. I'll signal if you should come in or not.”

Jasper wished he didn't have the distinct impression Julie was enjoying this. She probably lived for drama, whereas he wouldn't care if he never had another dramatic thing happen to him. Still, he was grateful that she was willing to help. He propped himself against the wall next to the stairs and prepared to wait.

He couldn't hear what Julie said through the door, but Anica opened it and let her in. He resisted the urge to charge down there and brace the door open before Anica could close it again. That would be another case of the ends justifying the means, and he hoped he'd learned that lesson.

Time stretched out endlessly as he watched the doorway. He clenched and unclenched his hands, resettled his cap on his head about twenty times, and retied the laces on both of his shoes.

After about a hundred years, the door opened and Julie came out. Although the door closed after her, she beckoned him closer.

Julie's eyes were bright with excitement. ”Her magic works!”

”It does?” Jasper stared at her. ”Then how come I haven't changed into a cat?”

” 'Gift of the Magi.'”

”I don't get it.”

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