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“Eh,” Zoe shrugged. “They’re okay.”
“They’re manly hands,” I argued. “Real men have hands like this.”
“Right, but they’re not covered in grease. I’m sure if you slathered some on, you’d get a few nibbles.”
She turned and flounced off without another word. My mouth gaped at her words. “A few nibbles?”
Laura was laughing now, drinking her own martini. “You’d get more than a few nibbles. She’s just drunk.”
“Still, it’s insulting. I have rough hands. They’re just as good as any mechanic’s hands.”
“They definitely are. Construction workers have great hands.”
Yeah, there was still that little secret between us. I sort of felt like I should tell her the truth, but given the fact that this was the first time we’d seen each other in a week, I wasn’t sure where we stood.
“So, how long do we have to stay at this thing?” I wondered aloud.
Laura looked behind her and grimaced as she watched Edith shove her tongue down Bowie’s throat. “I think we’re good to go.”
“So…you want to come back to my place and check out that bed?”
“Definitely.”
If only she meant it in the same way I did, which was filled with dirty innuendos and hopes for things that would never happen. By the time we got back to the house, I was already feeling the usual chubby that accompanied me wherever I went when Laura was with me. And as I led her into the house, that chubby only grew ten sizes too big—the opposite of the Grinch’s heart.
I led her upstairs to my room and watched as she gasped at the new bed. I could tell she wanted to run and jump on it, so I held out my hand and watched with a smile as she did just that. She rolled around on it, groaning as she settled in and got comfortable. I could almost imagine she was making those noises for me, but then reality kicked in as she sat up and bit her lower lip.
“Are you going to show me the features?”
“Of course,” I said, ambling over to my side of the bed and picking up the remote. We both settled in on our sides as I fiddled with the different ways to raise the bed. I turned on the heater on her side as Ifound the perfect number for her to sleep with. She settled in, sighing in content as she stared at the ceiling.
“This is amazing.”
“You’re welcome to it any time you want.”
“Really?”
She looked over at me with those sparkly eyes and I knew I would always be a goner for this woman. “Really.”
She rolled into me, wrapping her arms around my body just like she used to. Her leg hitched over mine and in a matter of minutes, we were both asleep.
“Aren’t you gonna tell her?”Rae asked, swiping my leg out from under me.
I hit the mat with a thump, the air whooshing from my lungs as I struggled to get up. I was still recovering from the gunshot wound to my leg, but it wouldn’t get any better sitting around. I had to get back on the horse, and since Rae had no problems taking her anger out on me, she was the perfect sparring partner.
Wincing, I rolled to my side, taking a moment to let the pain recede before I pushed to my feet. “What exactly would I tell her?”
“Oh, I don’t know. That you aren’t really a construction worker and your job is actually quite dangerous?”
I rolled my eyes at her. “My job isn’t that dangerous.”
“Right, because when I get shot, it’s usually with flowers. But you’re right, keep that from her.” She ran hard at me, knocking me off balance before I could get my footing. She slid between my legs, then jumped to her feet before I could fully turn. Then I got a fist to the nose and fell back on my ass. Man, I was so out of the game.
“Then again,” she grinned. “Maybe you don’t need to tell her anything. If you keep fighting like that, Cash won’t allow you in the field.”
I laid panting on my back as I stared up at the ceiling. It had only been two weeks since I was shot. I was mostly walking fine, but my muscles hadn’t gotten on board with getting back to full strength.
“You know, I realize now why Duke was such a bastard after he nearly lost his leg.”