She started nodding and he didn’t know why.
Then she said, “This is okay. This is fine.” She straightened her shoulders and asked in a falsely bright voice, “It had to happen sooner or later, right?”
“Baby –”
He stopped talking because now she was shaking her head.
Then she said, “No, no, you’re right. You were right to do this. You should be in control. It shouldn’t be a surprise. Not like with Gabrielle. This is better. It was shorter and there were a lot less witnesses.”
“He needs to get some of his own back,” Layne told her and she started nodding again.
“Yes, of course. You’re right about that too. And you were right not to tell me. I wouldn’t have come.”
He sat back in his seat and took a sip of his beer, his eyes on her watching her eyes move anywhere but to him.
He put his beer down and asked, “So, if I’m right, why do I feel like I’m standin’ on a sidewalk lookin’ at your bloody mangled body after I shoved you under a bus?”
Finally, her eyes darted to him. She stared at him a second before her face cracked and her mouth twitched up into a smile.
“I’m fine,” she said softly. “Seriously, you did the right thing. It’s over.”
“It isn’t,” he contradicted her. “We gotta go over there tomorrow.”
“No, I’ll do that. I don’t have much to pick up. Just some things I didn’t get before because… well, I didn’t have a place so I didn’t have anywhere to put them. It won’t take me long.”
“No way in hell I’m lettin’ you go over there with him and his girl there, Roc.”
“Honestly, Layne, it won’t take long.”
“Good, then with two of us, it’ll take half the time.”
She stared at him and Layne could tell she was thinking.
Then she decided, “I’ll take Merry.”
“Merry’s at the lake this weekend.”
“Oh right, I forgot.” She chewed her lip then said, “Dad’ll help.”
“Your Dad can’t lift boxes.”
“I’ll make them light.”
“Sweetcheeks, it’s been rainin’ three days and the rain isn’t supposed to clear until Wednesday. Your Dad probably isn’t feelin’ great about now.”
He knew he had her when her eyes started to flash.
“I’ll take Josie then,” she was beginning to sound desperate.
“I’m going.”
“Layne –”
Layne leaned forward. “Why are you so desperate for me not to go?” She opened her mouth to speak but he asked another question. “And what was his parting shot all about?”
She closed her mouth with a snap and her eyes scanned the ceiling and if she started whistling a tune, he wouldn’t have been surprised.
He leaned in further. “Sweetcheeks, you know I’m stubborn and you know I’ll get what I want and I’ll go at it all night until I get it, so spill. What’s goin’ on?”
She glared at him.
Then she said, “He knows about you.”
Layne nodded. “Yes, I would guess if you spent ten years livin’ with a guy you’d share history. So?” Her eyes shifted over his shoulder. “Rocky,” he warned.
Her eyes shifted back.
“Let’s just say you’re a hard act to follow.”
Fuck.
Bullet to the gut. Agony.
Layne sat back and changed his mind. “Maybe we should stop talkin’ about this.”
“Good idea,” Rocky agreed instantly, picking up her menu and snapping it open. “So… the steaks are good here but you have to get a sauce on top. They’re killer. They turn the steaks into heaven but in meat form. Béarnaise is good. They also do a pepper sauce that is very tasty but the béarnaise is way better. And get the sautéed potatoes. They rock. They sauté them in onions, brilliant. Oh! And I had this seared tuna here once. I swear, it melted on my tongue…”
Layne watched her while she blathered and he really didn’t want to think it but he couldn’t help but think, even in that getup with her hair around her face, looking glamorous, she was still downright, fucking cute.
*
They were in the truck on the way home and Layne was contemplating the fact that Rocky was right. The béarnaise sauce was really good. As were the sautéed potatoes.
The best part, however, was watching Rocky eat a pile of custard-filled, hot fudge-topped profiteroles. He could swear, after the third bite, she was going to have an orgasm and, watching her, he nearly had one.
He glanced at her to see she was staring out the side window and it came to him that he was wrong. The best part was sitting across from a Rocky wearing that dress, her hair down, after she had recovered from the exchange with Astley, was into her second glass of wine and had relaxed. Even with her behind her shields and with his shields up, that didn’t make her any less interesting, amusing, exciting and, especially, appealing.
“Layne?” she called into the silent cab.
“Yeah, Roc,” he answered.
“Thank you,” she said.
“For what?” he asked.
He heard the material of her coat slide against the seat as she turned to him. “I know this is awkward, and weird, and… well, awkward. And I know because of my crazy scheme I kind of pushed you into this whole… um, situation. But you’re being really nice and you definitely didn’t have to go out of your way to arrange that, uh… tête á tête with Jarrod and what you said to him was nice, though, obviously, not nice for him but, I mean, it was nice about me.” She paused, sucked in a breath then continued. “You know, being a good woman he fucked over and all and –”
He cut her off. “Roc?”
“What?”
“You’re welcome.”
She went silent before she whispered, “Thanks for, um… you’re welcoming me.”
He laughed low.
Jesus she was a nut.
And absolutely no less appealing with her shields up.
He turned into his development and luckily, after living there for over a year, found his house without getting lost.