Chapter 16 #2
She’d been doing an admirable job of not thinking about getting on a plane to Germany in barely over a month.
Canceling her tickets would make her look like a chicken.
Coming down with a horrific case of the flu complicated by pneumonia, psoriasis, and an antibiotic-resistant strain of staph two hours before she was supposed to board her plane would be much better.
Surely she could fake being medically quarantined for a week. Couldn’t she?
“Do you know what I put him through while he was trying to help me?” Kaci said. “The man deserves a medal. The least I can do is take him out to dinner.”
Even Miss Higgs snorted.
“Your date plan is to take him out to dinner?” Tara said.
Of course not. “That’s what normal people do on dates, isn’t it?”
“Normal people, Kaci. Not you.”
“Hush on up. The point is, I owe him one last show of gratitude. Are you gonna help me figure out how to stay detached, or do I have to do this all on my own?”
Tara’s bright eyes narrowed. “That’s not fair.
If I say I won’t help you, I’m a bad friend.
If I say I will help you, we’re taking on a doomed mission.
You can’t detach. Not if you’re already attached.
And you are definitely attached. Kaci! You bought new underwear, didn’t you? Tell me you didn’t buy new underwear.”
“I—”
“You did.”
“Online. I didn’t go to the store or anything. Click-and-buy doesn’t count as shopping. It might not even look good.”
Tara gasped. “You bought lots of new underwear! Oh, honey. You’re going to do this, aren’t you?”
Kaci’s phone dinged. She checked the display and didn’t even care that she knew a dopey smile was spreading over her face.
So we’re clear—what exactly should I plan on wearing next weekend? Lance’s text said.
Nothing you wouldn’t mind getting dirty, she replied.
His answer came back almost immediately. So if I don’t mind getting my nothing dirty, I can wear that?
Tara, who was snooping, growled. “This is not good, Kaci.”
“You’re right.” Kaci typed an answer quickly. You sure you want to risk that?
Knowing you? Probably not. Rather not get my nuts taken off with a potato gun.
“Not fair that he knows me so well,” Kaci said.
Tara took Kaci’s latte and helped herself to a big gulp. “You need to walk away.”
“Will you watch Miss Higgs for me on Saturday?”
Her friend’s dark curls bounced when she nodded. “You know I will. And I’ll stock more chocolate. And if you change your mind, I’ll still be there. And I’ll still have chocolate.”
“Might need some tequila too.”
“Try to grab one of his socks. Or maybe something out of his wallet. So you have something to blow up when it’s over.”
“Good thinking.”
But Kaci had a feeling blowing up anything of Lance’s wouldn’t bring her any satisfaction.
Because she didn’t want to let him go.
Friday night Lance strolled into his house with a smile in his heart, whistling a tune. He sidestepped Juice Box’s pile of crap in the laundry room, and even the scent of burnt meat didn’t kill his buzz.
He’d had a two-day mission out to Seattle this week, and tomorrow he would finally get to find out what kind of date a woman like Kaci Boudreaux would plan.
Juice Box was waving a hot pad over a smoking Crock-Pot. “Dude, how old’s this thing? My mom never burns beef like this.”
Lance glanced in the pot. “You put water in it?”
“Natural juices, Thumper. It’s supposed to have natural juices.”
He sucked in a grin. “Thought we talked about you saying natural juices.”
“Shove it, old man. Nikki’s coming over tonight.”
“Same girl three weeks in a row? Reputation’s gonna take a hit if word gets out.”
“Different Nikki. Easier to remember their names if they’re all the same.”
Lance grabbed a can of peanuts from the cabinet and ignored the plush buzzard sitting on top of the mail on the counter.
Juicy had been bringing buzzards of various sizes and softness into the house the past two weeks. Kept saying someone at the squadron asked him to drop it off, but Lance knew better.
Just like he knew Devon was lying about this being a different Nikki.
The kid was trying to fit in.
“It’s not the same as homemade, but Publix makes a damn good fried chicken,” he said.
Juice Box grunted.
“Chicks dig it when you make brownies. Could get a box mix at the store. Already have eggs and oil here.” And Lance would be spending the night at Pony’s house so he wouldn’t have to know what Juicy did with his girl tonight.
“We’re just grabbing a bite before we head out to party. No big deal. You taking brownies to Dr. Blondie?” Juicy asked.
“She’d rather have a spring-loaded slingshot and a bag of vegetables to fling.”
Juice Box dropped the whole Crock-Pot in the sink and turned to face him. “You sure you know what you’re doing with this girl? She’s…not all there. You know?”
Lance tossed back a handful of peanuts and let his silence speak for itself.
Juice Box didn’t flinch. “I’m all about having fun with a girl for fun’s sake, but you seem to be getting attached. You just got dumped, man. Seeing this chick? Not a good idea.”
“Appreciate the concern.” The kid was trying to be a good wingman. Lance got it. But his relationship with Kaci wasn’t anyone else’s business. This was for fun. A distraction. Not serious. “But you’ll do better worrying over what you’re going to feed your date tonight.”
He left the peanut can on the counter, snagged the mail and the buzzard, and headed to the master bedroom.
Juicy was wrong. Lance had this under control. Tomorrow was about fun. Curiosity.
Hanging out with a woman who was more than she seemed, but who knew this wasn’t serious.
That was his story, and he was sticking to it.