The hands on my wrists loosened but didn’t let go.
“What the fuck?”
I took in a deep breath which pressed my breasts further into his chest.
This was the closest I’d ever been to him, we were full-frontal. Even in the days when I was throwing myself at him, I hadn’t made it this close.
I explained (hastily), “I’m in a bit of a bind and needed someplace safe to stay for a night. Ally let me in.”
Lee took a moment to let this sink in.
“Who’s the guy on the couch?”
“Rosie, my barista.”
“Your what?”
“He makes the coffee at my bookstore.”
“Shit.”
He hadn’t let me go until that point, but he released me, turned on his heel and walked out of the room.
Something about the way he did it made me follow him.
When I made it to the living room, Lee snapped on a light and Rosie was lying face down in the middle of the floor. His hands and feet were taped together behind his back with duct tape and there was tape on his mouth.
“Lee! Jesus! What’d you do to him?” I asked, running forward and going down on my knees by Rosie. Rosie eyes were rabid and shifting everywhere as he struggled against the tape.
I couldn’t believe it, I hadn’t heard a thing.
Man, Lee was good.
Lee already had his pocket knife out and was cutting through the tape.
“I came home and he was on my couch, you were in my bed. What’d you think I’d do?” Lee answered as he ripped the tape off Rosie’s mouth.
“Yeow!” Rosie cried.
I sat back, resting my behind on my calves and stared at Lee.
This was exactly what I thought he’d do.
“Ally didn’t call you.”
“No, Ally didn’t call me.”
“I’m gonna kill her.”
“Jesus, fuck, shit,” Rosie said.
Lee had gone down to a crouch when he’d released Rosie and now he stood, arms crossed on his chest.
“You okay?” I asked Rosie and Rosie gave me an “are you nuts, that lunatic just tied me up with duct tape” look.
You would think you couldn’t read all that in a look, but trust me, you could.
“What’s goin’ on?” Lee said, surveying us.
It was then I realized I was in a pair of peach, lace, hipster briefs that showed a good deal of cheek and Lee’s wife beater. Not exactly the attire I wanted to be wearing during this conversation.
Not exactly the attire I wanted to be wearing ever in the presence of Lee.
“I’ll go get dressed,” I said, standing.
Lee shook his head.
“You’ll talk.”
“I need to put on some clothes!”
“What you need to do is tell me what the fuck’s goin’ on,” Lee countered and, let’s just say, his tone brooked no argument and his face registered pretty severe unhappiness.
Regardless, I glared at him, just for good measure.
“Jesus, shit, fuck,” Rosie said, tearing the remnants of tape from his wrists.
I took another deep breath and let go of the glare. It was time to expedite this situation so I could get to my Levi’s. Generally, I felt naked without my jeans but at that moment I practically was naked without my jeans.
“Okay, we have a situation here. Rosie and I need somewhere to crash for the night and we’ll be gone tomorrow.”
“Why?” Lee asked.
“Don’t tell him!” Rosie cried, looking panicked.
“You talk or you walk,” Lee said.
I looked at Lee then I looked at Rosie.
I’d known Rosie for five years, he’d come to parties at my house. We’d gone to concerts together. He was a cool guy, a bit flighty and secretive and not as mellow as one would expect, considering he was a screaming stoner.
I had no idea he had a business on the side. I knew he made great coffee, I knew he thought Jim Morrison was an earthbound god and I knew he was a stoner.
I looked back at Lee.
“You have to promise to keep quiet.”
“No!” Rosie shouted, getting to his feet.
“I don’t have to promise anything,” Lee replied.
I did another glance at both of them.
Lee was being difficult, he was entitled we were in his domain without his permission.
Rosie was also being difficult, but Rosie was always difficult.
All I could think was I really needed my jeans.
“You can trust him,” I told Rosie.
Rosie was staring at Lee. Rosie was definitely far beyond mellow at this point. Rosie had been shot at tonight and then trussed up like a Christmas goose and I’d slept through it
However, Rosie had a lot to worry about. Rosie needed to start making good decisions about who to trust.
Rosie made a decision, a decision I hoped would take me closer to my Levi’s.
“He has to promise not to say anything to anyone. This’ll all be over tomorrow,” Rosie announced.
Lee hadn’t uncrossed his arms. Lee still wasn’t happy. This wasn’t hard to read, everything about him screamed it.