Page 105 of Tulips and Lost Time

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LUC

THE SOUND OF SILENCE

“You frigid motherfucker.” Kane shoves up from the table and catches Rose when she dashes through the kitchen. He swings her into his arms and crushes her to his chest. But he points a finger right in my face and sneers. “I know you just cheated me out of some of the story. I did my time, Luca. I deserved the payout.”

“Visit Sonia’s office recently?” I press a noisy kiss to Rose’s cheek and step away with a grin when she cackles. “Daddy probably should go talk to the good doctor sometime soon, huh?”

“Don’t be passive aggressive through my baby.” He sets her on his hip furthest from me and glares. “You made me sit through the woe is me shit, but you won’t share the apple pie stuff.”

“There’s something legitimately wrong with you.” I turn on my heels and head through the doorway. “I’m taking Billy upstairs for a fresh diaper and clothes. Then I probably should head out to the hospital.”

“Tell me the good stuff!” He stalks to the doorway. “Luca Limpdick Lenaghan! At least tell me what happened after.”

I look down into Billy’s sweet, sleeping face and shake my head. “He’s sick. And I’m not sharing Mommy’s private life with him. Because I am respectable. Mostly.”

“Kari! I’m heading to the bakery in a second to get pastries and coffee.”

I wake to Jess’ voice echoing along the hall. My eyes shooting wide and my heart stammering to a painful stop. Then I jerk up in bed and find Kari lying on her back, innocent and sweet. Her long hair fans across her pillow, tickling my arms, and her eyes are completely fucking relaxed.

It’s a role reversal.

“You finished your last night shift last night,” Jess continues. I twist and look toward the door, my neck aching from the quick movement and my stomach jumping at the thought of being caught in here. “You’re off for the next two days, so I figure you deserve a nice coffee after all your hard work.”

“So much hard work,” Kari whispers, snickering when I swing back around to meet her teasing gaze. She slides the tip of her finger over the ball of my shoulder and giggles when I think I might expire from stress.

“Kari?”

“No thanks,” she calls back. Her voice is a little hoarse. A little croaky until she coughs to clear it. “I’m gonna sleep another hour or so. Not getting up yet.”

“You got a man in there?”

I drop back to the mattress and sling the blankets up to cover my face. Like a child, I hide under the covers and hope to not be seen.

“I heard you last night,” Jess snickers. “Just a little bit.”

“Um…” Kari’s blush carries under the sheets too, spreading onto her chest and out to the tips of her breasts. “I uh…”

Jess claps. Loud, slow, obnoxious clapping that brings a pit of nausea to the base of my stomach. “I put my headphones in the second I heard the first peep. But we’re gonna talk about this later, okay?”

“Er…” Kari chokes on that single syllable. “Okay.”

“Whoever you are,” Jess calls out to the mystery man in her best friend’s bed. “I’m fluent in karate, kickassery, and judo. I’m immune to gaslighting and skilled at un-isolating isolated women. I’m also a highly paid, largely respected practicing lawyer, and your girl will have full, free representation all the way to the Supreme Court.”

Kari ducks under the sheets too and giggles. “She hasn’t sat the bar yet.”

“I know! She’s my sister, Bear. I know she hasn’t sat the bar.”

“So I’m gonna give you guys privacy,” she adds. “Because Kari is too tightly wound for her own good, and getting dick sometimes is healthy for repressed women.”

“Oh god.” I gag as beads of sweat ball on my forehead. “For fuck’s sake.”

“But be aware,” she continues, “just as soon as you’re gone, she’s gonna tell me everything. We compare all dicks to fruit, so if you want to be spoken of fondly, behave in such a way as to inspire her to say nice things. Also, be a giant eggplant! Anything less will be laughed at.”

“Please go away.” Kari’s eyes water, tears forming in the corners and her shoulders bouncing with laughter. “I’m begging you to please go away. By the time you get back with coffee, he’ll be gone.”

“Then we’ll talk,” Jess declares. No room for argument in her words. No fucking way around. “Eggplants or string beans, Kar. I wanna know about it.”

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