Page 50 of Some Like It Hott

It’s going to be a long afternoon.

As soon as we pull away from the curb, he says, “Tell me where we’re going.”

I accelerate a little so he won’t be able to fling open the door and roll to the curb.

“I’m not going to make a run for it,” he says dryly.

“You might.”

“You’re scaring me.”

I swallow. “Let me give you some context.”

“Context is good,” he rumbles.

“Since ‘fun’ isn’t a thing in your current life, I thought we should probably tap your inner kid. You know, try to get you back in the head space you were in the last time you really had fun.”

“We’re going to run around the woods yelling our heads off and stabbing each other with sticks?”

“Not quite, but…” I wind my way onto the highway. “It’s a trick I learned when I was doing activities planning for the nursing home. If you can get people thinking like kids, theyactyounger. I thought that might work for you.”

“You’re saying I’m a crusty old man.”

He crosses his arms, and I can feel him glaring at me from the passenger seat, but I know him well enough by now to tell he’s not really upset. “In disposition only,” I say. “I’ve seen you shirtless.”

That shuts both of us up. I’m remembering him in the hot springs, and he’s—well, I don’t know what he’s thinking. Possibly that he regrets that kiss more with every passing hour.

“We’re going to Bouncy Town,” I say finally to end the silence and rid my brain of images of water droplets on a six-pack I will never get to lick.

“Bouncy—what?”

I swear he puts his hand on the door handle. Reflexively, I hit the lock button on my own door handle.

“Natalie,” he says sternly. “You know what that sounds like? You and I are going to…Bouncy Town?”

I snort. “Preston Hott. Did you make asexjoke?”

“Absolutely not.” His voice is dry and deadpan. “And if you think you heard one, you have a dirty mind.”

That makes me laugh, and when I sneak a look at him, he’s definitely smiling.

Maybe it wasn’t a coincidence that his shower turned on right when my vibrator turned off.

“Well,” I say, mock-primly, “I don’t know whereyourmind is, but Bouncy Town is a party venue with trampolines and a foam pit and a climbing wall—and a bunch of other stuff. I figured we’d findsomethingthere that will activate your fun engine.”

“My—fun engine?”Both his eyebrows go up, and Ithinkhe’s not quite smirking.

It’s a pretty good look on him.

“Not likethat,” I say.

“Suuuuure.”

“Just…keep an open mind.”

“Bouncy Town…” he mutters, but he doesn’t make a run for it, and I figure that’s probably good enough for now.

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