My head snapped around to see he was standing close to my side. His head dipped in and I saw his eyes were amused.
“Quit drooling,” he whispered.
I snapped my mouth shut, gave him a look and shoved in the last bite of my donut.
Jules came back and sat down in her chair again.
“Princess?” Vance asked so quietly you could almost not hear him.
“I’m okay,” she murmured.
His hand went to her face, fingers trailing down her hairline and he tucked her hair behind her ear.
Something hit me, sliding al over me like relaxing in a bath of hot water that smel ed real y good.
I turned back to Lee.
“I get it,” I whispered.
“What?” Lee asked, his eyes coming to me.
My gaze did a sweep of the room and came back to him.
“I get it,” I repeated and his eyes warmed. He knew what I was saying.
“Good,” he replied softly.
“I love you.” I kept whispering.
“That’s good too,” he said on a grin.
I was about to lean up and kiss him when I heard Al y cal out, “I’m gonna have pancakes. I can’t wait to have pancakes.”
I turned around to look and saw Al y was walking into the room, her eyes huge, she was looking at me with what could only be described as a “Help me!” look, Daisy by her side.
“I bet most everyone has room for pancakes. Nobody real y likes donuts anyway, they aren’t very fil ing,” Al y declared, going a little over the top but the determined look on Daisy’s face spoke volumes.
Daisy marched right up to Smithie and planted her hands on her slim hips.
“See there, Smithie. Ally wants pancakes. Let that be a lesson to you, do not ever bring donuts into a Southern woman’s home. Southern women feed their guests and not with donuts. Comprende?” she snapped.
“Fuck, woman. You got a screw loose or what?” was Smithie’s unwise response.
Before Daisy could retort, we al heard shouted from the other room, “How dare you come between me and my band! ”
Everyone went completely silent.
Then we heard the creaking of a pul out bed. Not the tel tale creaking of morning Hot Boy on Rock Chick action but creaking like World War I I had just started in Daisy’s Den.
“Uh-oh,” Roxie breathed.
“Sounds like the Hawaiian has his hands ful ,” Smithie muttered.
“Everyone out,” Lee ordered, his voice low but there was no mistaking he meant to be obeyed, and now.
When the women hesitated, Hank grabbed Roxie’s hand, pul ing her off the couch saying, “Out.” The bed kept creaking, louder and scarier.
“Let’s go,” Eddie was guiding Jet out.
“I’l get the coffeepot,” Daisy whispered, grabbing both nearly empty pots of coffee.
As quietly as we could, we exited the room and went to the kitchen, leaving the donuts behind.
Upon entering the kitchen, Luke closed the door.
“No one leaves this room until one of those two leaves theirs,” Luke announced.
Denied our donuts, Daisy was forced to make pancakes.
*
“What? ” Shirleen shouted. Lee had just announced that they were giving up, why Lee had just announced that they were giving up, why they were giving up and that he was going to have a sit down with Sid and it was pretty clear Shirleen wasn’t happy about it.
We were al sitting in Daisy’s big room.
Shirleen, Hector, Darius (Lee’s other best friend, his now employee and Shirleen’s nephew) and Ike had arrived in time for pancakes, making great strides in improving Daisy’s mood. Bobby and Matt were taking care of business. Lee was bleeding money on this venture and someone had to help pay for the wedding.
About half an hour into our kitchen incarceration, Jules had to break Luke’s rule because she had to run to the bathroom to hurl.
When she came back to the room, she announced, “Um, they’re done. I saw Stel a in the hal . Mace too.”
“Thank Christ,” Lee muttered.
Then Jules gathered a Rock Chick huddle.
“Whatever you do, do not compliment Stel a on her outfit,” she advised.
“Why?” Ava asked.
“Because it’s cute,” Jules replied.
“And why wouldn’t we tel her it’s cute?” Roxie asked.
“Because Mace packed it for her,” Jules explained.
“Ah,” Jet nodded.
“And he packed her underwear,” Jules went on.
“I see,” Daisy muttered.
“And it’s very sexy. She told me it’s the only sexy set she owns,” Jules continued.
“Welp, there you go,” Al y remarked with complete understanding.
“And he kind of bought it for her when they were together,” Jules said.
Oh my. That was interesting.
Daisy giggled and it sounded like tinkling bel s. I loved Daisy’s giggle.
“And he also kind of bought her outfit for her too when they were together.” Jules’s tale of Mace’s Wardrobe Decisions Destruction seemed to never cease.
Jet clapped her hands to her on her mouth, her eyes wide and dancing and Shirleen snorted.
“And it’s cute?” Roxie asked with obvious disbelief.
“Super cute, in a Hawaiian surfer kind of way,” Jules answered.