“Righteous,” Al y remarked.
“So what d’you need from us?” Tex asked. “Need a partner when you go out? Want to double up on maneuvers; you get seen harassin’ one dealer while someone else douses another’s car with vegetable oil? Get them al freaked out that The Law can be two places at once? That kind of thing?”
That wasn’t a bad idea.
I looked around the room and was surprised to see everyone’s face was eager (except Stevie who was staring at the ceiling looking like he was praying). “Wel , actual y, I did come here to talk girlie bul shit. See, I’m worried I’m a tease.”
I saw a couple of blinks but mostly blank stares.
“Excuse me?” Jet asked.
“Misunderstanding the whole make-up, break-up scenario with Vance. Kissing Luke,” I explained. “I don’t want them to think I’m jacking them around. I don’t want to be a tease.”
Everyone looked at me.
“Jay-sus,” Tex boomed then he got up, stalked behind the coffee counter and started banging on the espresso machine.
“How did you leave it with Vance?” Indy asked, ignoring Tex.
“He’s making me dinner after the powwow and after the ride-along with Luke I’m going to meet him at his cabin.”
“Ride-along with Luke?” Stevie asked.
“Yeah.”
“Vance know about the ride-along with Luke?” Stevie went on.
“Yeah, I explained Yoko Ono to him and to Luke, they understood.”
Indy, Al y, Jet and Roxie al nodded sagely, total y getting it. Daisy giggled again. Tod, Stevie and May gave me blank stares.
“It’s a long story,” I told them.
“Girl,” I heard from behind me and I turned around, my eyes hit a faded black t-shirt and the edges of a black leather vest. I looked up and saw Duke standing behind me.
Uh-oh.
I didn’t know that Duke was even there much less that he was listening in.
“Hi,” I said.
He didn’t return my greeting.
Instead he said, “You were a virgin right?” Shit!
Why did everyone know I was a virgin?
I didn’t answer, I just stared.
“Those boys aren’t stupid. They know who you are, what you are and a lot more of how a woman’s mind works than you’d like them to know.”
This gave me pause for reflection because I had more than a smal suspicion that Vance had my number.
My reflecting didn’t last long, Duke kept talking. “They don’t fuck around because they see a lot of shit in their line of business. They know the risks they take and they know the danger. They don’t have time to *foot around and process emotions. They see what they want, they get it. The end.”
Oh my God.
I kept silent and kept staring, I couldn’t help myself.
Duke went on. “He knows you were a virgin. It’s impossible to be a clueless virgin one day and a tease the next or at least what I seen of you, it’s impossible for you.” I hadn’t agreed that I was a clueless virgin.
I didn’t have time to squabble, Duke was on a rol .
“Vance knows that. If he’s havin’ dinner with you and he wants you in his bed, you got nothin’ to worry about. And if Luke knows you’re with Vance and he wants you ride-along, you got nothin’ to worry about with him either. Yoko Ono my ass.”
Wel , there you go.
Duke’s eyes turned to May. “When Luke’s ready, mark my words, he’l get his own fuckin’ woman and God save us al .”
Then he stomped away. Everyone watched him go.
Final y Stevie said, “Guess the powwow is over.”
“Yeah, wel , Duke has a way,” Roxie mumbled.
“I’l say,” May put in.
“Anyone want coffee?” Tex boomed. “If not, I’m shuttin’
her down for the night.”
“I have to get home. Lee’s taking me to Barolo Gril tonight,” Indy said, standing.
“Oh, sorry. I forgot to tel you, Eddie cal ed. Lee and him have something on tonight. I told him to tel Lee I’d tel you,” Jet explained.
“You’re shitting me.” For some reason, Indy looked ready to blow. I suspected she real y (real y) liked Barolo Gril .
Al y laughed.
“You and Lee and Barolo Gril … not… gonna… happen,” Al y told Indy.
“Hank and I were supposed to go to a movie, he’s sucked into whatever-this-is too,” Roxie said.
Indy sighed. “Such is the life of the Woman of a Badass.”
“You got that right, sister,” Jet said.
Everyone laughed.
I didn’t. I was reflecting and kept reflecting while they al decided to go to Brother’s for burgers.
I headed home.
To Vance.
*
We were lying in my bed. Vance was wearing jeans, a heathered, dark-gray henley with a cool, heavy-buckled black belt. His feet were bare and I had to admit, they were stil sexy.