Page 49 of Sweet Pea

“Hmmm,” Callie replied.

“I guess I’ll just have to settle for our little mock trial,” I said leaning in for a kiss.

“Wait,” Callie interrupted. “You didn’t answer my first question.”

“About what?”

“Just how many women have you taken to your chambers?”

“Is my client still under oath?” I asked.

“You know what they say about lawyers who represent themselves, right?”

“Other than they’re always guilty as sin and crazier than shit house rats? Besides, we were talking about you wanting to quit your job, not about me.”

“I propose a change of venue as well as a change of topic. I don’t want to talk or think about work anymore tonight,” Callie said, standing up. “You were right. Keep life simple. This is a party and I want to meet the rest or your club, so let’s go mingle.”

“If we have to,” I grumbled.

“Are you trying to hide me from everyone or one person in particular?”

I laughed. “Not much gets by you, does it?”

“You’ve been pulling me into one private spot or another all night long. I fear we’ll either be talking or fucking in a coat closet before too long if I don’t drag you out of here.”

“I’m not trying to hide you,” I argued. “I’m just trying not to...cross the streams.”

“Cross the streams?”

“It’s a Ghostbusters reference. You did see it, right? Or did the fact that ‘ghost’ was in the title make it too scary for you?”

Callie blushed. “Stop making fun of me. Of course, I’ve seen Ghostbusters.”

“Then you remember crossing the streams is bad.”

“Your club is one stream and I’m another, and you’re afraid combining us will cause problems.”

“That’s right.”

“Then why invite me here tonight?”

“Because maybe crossing the streams isn’t bad. I don’t know,” I groaned out, frustrated that I couldn’t find the right words to convey how I felt. “I want you here, Callie. I promise. I guess I also want you all to myself. I like whatever it is we have going on between us, and I don’t want my club life fucking it up. That probably doesn’t make any sense.”

Callie leaned in and kissed me softly. “I think we have one more thing in common,” she said.

“What’s that?”

“We both suck at dating,” she smiled.

“You might be right,” I said. “So, we won’t call it dating. We’re just...”

“Chums,” Callie replied.

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