Page 11

Doc

I quickly put a fist to my mouth to keep from spitting out my food. The raucous laughter that’s just erupted from me has gotten the attention of almost everyone in the restaurant, but I can’t help it.

I hiccup as I pick up my cloth napkin and wipe my mouth, nodding at Jesse, who grins back at me.

What quite possibly could turn out to be one of his nastier ideas actually piques my interest to the point that I have to try it.

Calla might be pissed by the time we’re done, though something tells me that she’ll let bygones be bygones.

Her usual boys will be boys bullshit excuse she likes to hand out to us when we’ve gone a little too far.

Not that she ever seems to have much of an issue when she feels that we’ve crossed the line. Calla believes whole-heartedly that she can walk away from us at any time.

She believes it, but it’s not true. However, I don’t like to piss on her parade, so I’ll let her have her little fantasies so long as she keeps fulfilling ours.

I clear my throat as I pick up my sandwich again and take another bite. I stare at Jesse until he feels my eyes on him, then mouth a question— when?

He holds up one finger, and I nod in understanding.

We all have one hour to finish our meals, convince Calla to get back upstairs instead of going out and seeing the city, and have some fun.

I shove the last bit of sandwich into my mouth, then snap my fingers at Clyde, who’s monopolizing Calla’s attention. He gives me an annoyed grunt as he glares at me with a dangerously arched eyebrow, and I push back my chair, getting to my feet. “Got a sec?”

“I’m having a conversation,” he barks, motioning toward her, and I smirk. “I can see that, thanks. But I really need to talk to you about something.”

The aggression drops away from his face, his tense body, his everything almost immediately. Clyde knows that something is up now, and I’m taking him away from his precious time with Calla. He’s put two and two together, and realizes now that it’s about her.

“I’ll be back in a sec,” he tells Calla as he pushes his chair back.

I roll my eyes and laugh as I cross my arms over my chest, then start walking away from the table.

It amazes me how in control of this arrangement he thinks he is.

He bullied Billy out of the top spot, which was rightfully his considering this entire thing was his idea, and has latched onto the theory of Calla with his goddamned teeth.

Clyde catches up to me as I step outside of the restaurant doors and into the enormous hotel lobby.

“What’s the big deal, Doc?” he snarls, and I drop my arms to my side with a sigh.

He pretends so much to be a feral dog when it comes to being away from Calla; maybe it’s finally time for a distemper shot.

“Relax,” I shoot back with an even stare. “Jesse wants to set something up, and while it should be all of us, I’m not above shoving you down a ski hill until you learn to stop acting like she only belongs to you.”

Clyde grunts as he shifts from one foot to the other, his impatience growing by the second, and I’m actually kind of enjoying it. Maybe he’ll implode and finally see reason when it comes to everything.

“He wants to build a snowman,” I finally say after a few more tense moments of watching his neck turn crimson.

“Are you seriously telling me that you pulled me away from breakfast over a snowman?” Clyde asks incredulously.

“Yeah, but not just any kind of snowman.” I pause for a moment to glance around us, then motion for him to watch my hands. “ A snowman. ”

He wrinkles his nose for a split second, then bursts into laughter. I smirk at his reaction because it’s nice to see him not feeling so high-strung now over being dragged away from “his” precious Calla Hunt.

“I’m in for this,” he finally says, rubbing his hands together. The devious way he confirms his participation… I know we’re going to have to fight to all do our part, but whatever. It’s never been too difficult to get Clyde out of the way once he comes.

“Jesse wants to get this going in an hour, so we have to finish eating, then figure out a way to get her to stay in the hotel,” I inform him as we start walking back toward the restaurant doors.

“Leave it to me,” he states with a smug smile. “I’m pretty sure I can persuade her to follow me upstairs.”

I roll my eyes at the back of his head as he walks in and heads back toward the table.

Clyde’s always been as difficult a friend to have as he’s been a good one.

Not to say that he doesn’t have his uses from time to time.

I just wish he’d stop thinking that she only sees him , when she clearly sees us all equally.

Whatever.

It’ll all work out.