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"Ah." I smirked while turning over the engine. "The fallacy of the phallus."

She chuckled while fastening her seatbelt, then turned in her seat to face me. I dialed up the heat, then sat there with her for a few moments in silence. Despite her thoughtful smile, her eyes remained glassy, and she gazed distantly at the illuminated buttons on the radio.

"Is your heart still racing, baby?"

She shook her head, her gaze flickering to mine. "I'm okay. Left with anxiety. I hate panic attacks."

"I have to tell you, you're a damn pro at hiding it," I said, brushing my knuckle down her cheek. "I almost missed it."

"You didn't." She leaned into my touch. "You noticed when it started."

"Maybe. Still, Nor. When you feel that way, please tell me. Okay? You never have to feel trapped or uncomfortable enough to get to that point." I held my hand to her, and she accepted it.

"I know." She squeezed my hand and dropped her head against the seat. "But I am starving."

"I thought so." I laughed and kissed her hand. "You tell me what you want, and I'll get it for you. Whatever you want."

"McDonald's sounds like the best decision right now." Her smile broadened. "Like forty things from there."

I laughed and leaned over to kiss her quickly. "You got it."

"I love you, Car," she said, her voice soft as she curled up in the seat, her knees to her chest.

"I love you, too, Kitten. Too bad this car isn't self-driving. I want to cuddle the fuck out of you right now."

She laughed and leaned across the console to drop her head on my shoulder. "How's this?"

"Better." I draped my arm around her shoulders and smooched her forehead. "C'mon. Let's go get fat then go see our friends."

"Huzzah."

***

"What are they doing?" I asked Sali while Maggie and Nora fussed around with something in the bathroom.

"Getting nail polish." Sali frowned, her arms folded over her chest while scowling. "Better not fucking try to paint mine like last time."

I laughed at her. "You know you love freshly waxed lady bits and French manicures on your wife, so don't even."

"On my wife! Not me." She flailed her arms, thwapping them down at her sides. "They roped Harper into it."

"I see this."

The three of them scurried down the hall into the living room, toting their supplies while chattering about nothing and everything. I leaned back against the cabinets in the kitchen, gripping the countertop while staring down at the scuffs on my boots.

"So…leather vest over a collared shirt with a tie. Where'd you go?" Sali motioned up and down my front. "This does not look like hanging out with the lesbosat home gear, Beast. Why so dapper?"

I smirked and rolled my eyes at her. "Nora and I went out for a while."

"Uh huh. And you toted your sad-faced girlfriend up the stairs just for a ride here?" She shoved my shoulder. "Spill."

"Knock it off, twerp."

In typical Sali fashion she, in fact, did not knock it off. She kept poking at me, shoving and nudging until I grabbed her around the shoulders and pulled her into a headlock. Her cackling laughter rang out, and she pretended to punch me in the gut.

"Why are you so tall?" She pretended to choke out.

"Why are you so short?" I rolled her back up standing then thrust her away from me. "Beat it."