Page 22 of Traps and Gretchen

Lacy. Lacy from“All That and Then Some.”She was the perfect heroine to borrow for the rest of the night. She was fully capable of ensuring her beautiful husband wasn’t touched by her silly past issues and stupid tantrums.

“Well, I can tell you this,” Gretchen announced, standing. “I never get this much company and I’m too excited to eat. How about while the men tinker with traps we do something… I don’t know…” She gazed at the two women. “Would it be really weird if we made homemade ice cream at this hour? I know a secret fast recipe.”

She got two big smiles as the women both rose from their chairs, looking eager to do anything besides sit. “Point me in a direction,” Rowan urged.

Scarlett hurried next to her with happy nods. “I can cook, clean, and a little of everything in between.”

“Wonderful!” Gretchen spun to the fridge and pulled out the glass jug of raw milk then opened the freezer for ice.

“I’ll start on these dishes,” Rowan announced.

“I’ll help,” Scarlett said eagerly, hurrying to Rowan.

“How about some music!” Gretchen thought after she gathered her ingredients, heading for the stereo. “Neelo has a surprising selection of fun tunes,” she said, finding her favorite one she liked to play when he wasn’t around. “He inherited all these from his grandfather I learned,” she said, pulling the album from its worn sleeve.

“What is it?” Scarlett wondered, sounding excited. “Ilovemusic,” she declared.

“That she does,” Rowan vouched over her shoulder.

“Remember the Christmas party at the retirement home?” Scarlett asked.

“Will never forget it!”

Gretchen began dancing with her pretend partner—which was always Neelo—when the music began. The girls turned and laughed, forsaking the dishes and grabbing each other’s hands, joining in.

Gretchen gasped a laugh, watching them. “You two are like real professionals! Where did you learn this, what is it called? Teach me!”

“It’s called the Jitter Bug,” Scarlett said, reaching out for Gretchen’s hands.

“We learned it from all the old folks we tended,” Rowan giggled as Scarlett tossed Gretchen around and shoved her about ‘till she was laughing hysterically!

“They were a lively bunch!” Rowan called, intercepting Gretchen in one of the spin-tosses and whipping her into another set of moves. “This is the Lindy Hop,” she yelled over the music right as Scarlett stepped in for another turn while Rowan circled them with shoulder shaking and funny hand moves over one eye then the other. “Hand Jive, baby!”

“Let’s show her the East Coast Swing!” Rowan yelled, getting Scarlett’s eager squeal as they launched into a new kind of footwork, jerking one another this way and that, making Gretchen squeal in delight.

“It’s like a dance fight!” Gretchen called, watching the moves.

Scarlett’s upper body bent backward in Rowan’s arm, her face upside down for a split second before getting yanked up for a slide right between Rowan’s legs then out again, back on her dancing feet. Gretchen clapped and cheered right as the back door opened and the men came back in, watching the two oblivious ladies, dancing their hearts out.

When the ladies realized they had a grinning audience glued to their every move, they immediately stopped, laughing in embarrassment.

“No, no, no, don’t stop, ladies,” Neelo begged, his beautiful smile was right on her. Her heart raced harder as he came before her. “Is somebody being a Farkle Fairy?” Before she could worry, his mouth covered hers in a rumbling hungry kiss till her mind spun in a dozen fretful directions. He was to call her that when he knew she wasn’t being herself, but the way he said the name and the way he kissed her felt like… he didn’t mind. Maybe… liked it.

Traps suddenly spun away from her and the next second she covered her mouth with a laugh when him and Spar danced a Cajun Jig that had them all howling. Especially when they began bumping hips together, slowly turning as they did, smacking their butts together.

When he returned to her with a big, laughing kiss, she pulled his ear to her mouth. “Is somebody being a Fatey Fairy?”

He drew back with a curious humored look. “A Fatey Fairy?”

“Have you always hidden yourself this way Mr. Neelo? Where is my witty, poetic monster? Who is this crass baboon you’ve replaced him with? I don’t like him.” She smiled as he smacked her lips. “I want my Mosaic Monster back.”

“Mosaic Monster,” he muttered, sounding impressed. “Your wish is my command.”

He suddenly released her and hurried to the stereo, making her pulse hammer in wonder. The music stopped and he turned.

“Ladies and gentlemen of these esteemed swamps,” he began, passing his gaze around before they landed on her, dark and sparkly. “I have… a poem, I’d like to recite.”

“A what!?” Spar shot out with a booming laugh as Neelo raised guilty hands, nodding.

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