Vance didn’t bother responding.
Roam looked at me. “Why didn’t you fuckin’ say anything?” he asked or more like accused and I knew he felt like a fool.
“Sorry, Roam. I didn’t know I needed to inform you of the intricacies of my love life. I’l add your name to my girlfriend list and invite you to the next powwow,” I said it ful of attitude, hopeful y loving attitude, and went on. “And for fuck’s sake, stop saying fuck! ”
The confusion faded from Roam’s eyes, leaving only the hope.
He turned them to Vance. “I’l learn control,” he promised.
“I fuckin’ hope so,” Vance responded.
“It won’t happen again.”
Vance nodded.
The crackling, white-hot vibes disintegrated.
Crisis averted.
Thank God.
“Go make an appointment with the tutor,” I ordered.
“This mean I’l get to be a pal bearer?” Sniff put in.
I looked to the heavens.
Jeez.
“Ring bearer, stupid. How many times do I hafta –” Roam started.
“Tutor! Now!” I snapped in my word-is-law voice.
Sniff grinned at me.
Roam didn’t but his eyes were shining. “Later?” he said to Vance.
Vance nodded again.
They took off.
I turned to Vance.
He didn’t look ready to commit murder anymore. He was staring at the front door of King’s where Roam and Sniff had disappeared and he looked like he was thinking about something.
“You okay?” I asked.
His eyes came to me. “That boy’d lay his life down for you.”
I blinked.
Then I realized he was right. Not a lot of people would throw attitude at Vance like that especial y when he was promising physical retribution.
I felt that velvet shroud coming around me again and I mental y snuggled into it.
I looked at his empty hands. “I thought you were bringing lunch?”
“I left it in the Explorer. Saw you with Roam and Sniff and didn’t have a good feeling about the body language.” He’d come to my rescue.
“I want to kiss you right now,” I blurted.
Oh jeez.
Why did I say that?
Before I could take it back or affect a head crackin’
mamma jamma pose, Vance’s face went soft and sexy and his arms came around me, drawing me into his body.
“Don’t,” I said, “we’re standing right out front, everyone can see. I already had a public display of affection with May this morning. I can’t take another direct hit to my street cred.”
His head was descending, completely ignoring me.
“Your street cred?” he asked, his voice silk again this time in a good way. His eyes were amused.
“Yeah.”
“Fuck your street cred,” Vance said against my mouth and he kissed me. Not a touch of the lips but ful -on, open mouths, lots of tongue. I had no choice but to wrap my arms around his neck and when I did, he leaned in, I bent back and we went at it like teenagers.
It took awhile for the cat cal s and wolf whistles to penetrate our invisible fortress. It was around the time a kid yel ed, “You go, dawg!” that I pul ed away.
Vance and I looked to the entrance of the Shelter and at least a dozen (maybe more), kids were standing outside the door. May was there beaming from ear to ear. More kids, Stu and Andy were looking out the windows.
We received an ovation, more whistles, cat cal s, shouts of raunchy encouragement and ful -on clapping applause.
“God dammit,” I whispered to Vance’s neck, trying to pul out of his arms but they just went tighter.
“I think that should do it,” he said to me and I looked into his eyes.
“What?”
“Don’t expect anyone wil think you’re dumped anymore.” Oh.
Wel .
I expected he was right.
I relaxed in his arms and smiled at him, street cred be damned.
He smiled back.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Toiletries and Tiaras
This was my afternoon and evening:
About ten minutes after Vance left from lunch came cal number one, Indy. “Hey, what’re you doin’ tonight?”
“I have to go to the mal ,” I told her. “Vance made me leave my lotion and stuff at his house so I need to double up on toiletries.”
“That is so cool!” she shouted so loud I had to take the phone away from my ear.
“Um… you want to come to the mal ?” I asked.
“Wish I could celebrate doubled toiletries but I’m meeting a couple of friends of mine, Andrea and Marianne at The Hornet. Want to pop around there after the mal , have a drink? They’d love to meet you and we can toast the toiletries. Or are you out with Vance?”
“Vance has an uncertain schedule tonight,” I explained.
“He’s gonna come to my place whenever he’s done. I’m thinking about going out and crackin’ heads later anyway.
Probably shouldn’t have impaired judgment.” Or more impaired than normal.
Indy laughed. “Probably not.”
“Um…” I hesitated again, “did you ever double up on toiletries with Lee?”
“Negative, sister,” she replied, “I moved in with him the first night we were together, kind of.”