“That’s al he wants.”
“I think I know what I’m doing,” I said, even though I didn’t but I stil could not believe I was getting a talking to from a fifteen year old boy. So he had more earth-shattering life experiences than your average adult.
Stil .
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Roam finished and before I could say anything he and Sniff moved away.
I watched them go and I was trying to get my mind around what just happened when I heard an exclamation from across the room.
“Sugar, I just love that sweater! Where’d you get it?” I turned to look at the front door and Indy, Jet, Roxie, Daisy and a beautiful brunette who looked like a female version of Lee Nightingale were standing there. Daisy was addressing Clarice who was wearing a big, fluffy pink sweater.
“Stole it,” Clarice declared boldly to Daisy.
Daisy didn’t even blink. “Okay then, where did you steal it?” Then she turned to Indy. “Gotta get me one of those. It’d g o perfect with my new pink cowboy boots.” She turned back to Clarice. “You steal another one, darlin’, my size is medium.”
“Daisy!” Jet exclaimed.
“What?” Daisy asked.
Clarice stared at her like she’d dropped to earth from another galaxy. I walked up to them.
“Hey Jules,” Indy said when I arrived.
“Hi. Um…” I didn’t know what to say.
Roxie smiled at me. “Thought we’d pop by, say hi.”
“I’m Al y Nightingale.” The brunette offered her hand and I shook it not surprised by her last name.
“Hey,” I said to her then turned to Daisy. “Sorry about this but you probably shouldn’t encourage the kids to steal. We try to talk them out of that kind of thing.” Daisy looked at me for a beat then turned to Clarice.
“What’s your name, Sugar?”
“Clarice,” Clarice told her.
“Wel , I’m Daisy. You go back to that shop, you let me know and I’l meet you there. You have a cel ?” Clarice nodded.
“Give it to me, I’l program in my number,” Daisy told her.
I stared, so did Indy, Roxie, Jet and Al y.
Street tough Clarice, looking a little dazed, gave Daisy her cel and the whole time Daisy punched in numbers, she talked. “We won’t steal anything, we’l just browse. Then maybe go get a coffee. You drink coffee, Sugar?”
“Um…” Clarice mumbled.
“I’l get you a soda. That pink real y suits your coloring.
You got flair,” Daisy went on.
Clarice continued to stare and only blinked when Daisy handed her back her phone.
Then Daisy turned to me obviously ready to move on, she asked, “You got a place to talk?”
I nodded thinking maybe this was the weirdest day in my life. “Sure,” I said.
“What’s goin’ on?” May trundled up to us looking amongst the hot chicks and being clear she wanted in on the ground floor of any new event that rocked my life.
I introduced her. “May, this is Daisy, Al y, Roxie, Indy and Jet. Guys, this is May, she’s a volunteer here.” They al did their greetings and Daisy repeated, “We gotta talk, girl. You got somewhere private?”
“Blue room’s stil open,” May put in immediately and I added May to the top of my ever growing mental list of people I wanted to murder.
“Wel , what are we waitin’ for?” Daisy asked and then shoved forward like she owned the place and knew exactly where she was going. May pushed up next to her and we al fol owed.
When we got to the blue room, May closed the door behind us and this time everyone settled into a seat like they were going to spend the day doing girlie talk in a counseling room at a shelter for runaways. Daisy, Al y and Roxie sat on the couch, Indy, Jet and May pul ed chairs around to face it. Daisy patted the arm of the couch next to her and, with no other option (like running, screaming, from the room, which I wanted to do but thought might be rude), I sat on it.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“We just came to see how you’re doing,” Indy answered.
“You okay?”
I looked at her confused, not knowing what she was real y asking. “Yeah,” I said.
“We heard about last night… and, um, the night before,” Jet put in.
I switched my gaze to Jet. “What’d you hear?”
“That you’re one kickass bitch, that’s what we heard. You crazy or somethin’?” Daisy asked, clearly not in the mood to beat around the bush like the other women.
“No,” I said, my eyes narrowing as I looked down at her.
Daisy took my narrowed look and it bounced off her like she was made of Teflon. “Al right, Sugar, I believe you,” she said then giggled and it sounded like tinkly bel s.
“We hear you’re going out with Vance,” Al y put in.
My eyes moved to her. “Not exactly,” I replied.
They al looked disappointed.
“Yes you are,” May threw in. “You had a date with him last night.”
They al perked up.
“You had a date last night with Vance?” Indy asked.