Page 26 of S.O.S. Billboard

O’Shea groaned. “Damn. I wonder how much they saw,” she questioned.

“Enough, clearly,” Billboard gruffed back.

“We’re never going to live this down,” she muttered.

“That’s a given,” Billboard agreed. “And I, uh, might have been a little…mouthy when he was falling for Brigid, so don’t expect him to go easy.”

“Great. Guy stuff,” O’Shea grumbled. “Acting all macho and caveman-y. At least with my lady friends, all they want is details,like…how good was it? How big is it…?” She trailed off, and Billboard regarded her, horrified.

“They do not.”

O’Shea snorted. “They absolutely do.”

There was no time to argue the point, however. She had to nip this particular incursion in the bud. “Roll down the window,” she demanded.

Billboard complied, but she wasn’t sure he realized what he was doing since he still appeared slightly dazed.

O’Shea spoke first, taking control. “Sarge. Brigid.”

“Hey, O’Shea,” Brigid chirped rabidly, clearly gearing up to dig for deets. “When—?”

“This was our first kiss,” O’Shea snapped pointedly, knowing her eyes danced in suppressed glee. “And if you make a big deal over it, it may not happen again. So shut your yaps and keep this to yourselves or I’ll haunt you forever for derailing my wanna-be love life. Got it?”

Sarge looked stunned, but Brigid got the picture, calling her out on her bullshit. “Phht,” she replied saucily. “If that was your first kiss, it was so ridiculously hot, we both know there’s more to come whether Sarge and I blab or not. But in solidarity with my best bud,” she amended, “I’ll keep it zipped for now.” She mimed closing her lips and locking them, stashing the invisible key in her bra.

O’Shea gave a final nod; satisfied.

“Yup. That’ll do.”

CHAPTER NINE

Walking into the SOS crew’s favorite restaurant, Billboard looked appreciatively at his teammates and their partners who were seated at a large table. The area just for them had been created by pushing a series of smaller four-tops together, until all twelve of them could fit.

Daire and Brent were the only ones missing, but they’d been working extra hours for their brother, Tuck, on a big municipal excavation job in the city, and had probably crashed early from exhaustion. Billboard wasn’t quite sure how the pair did it. They worked for Devons’ Construction and SOS, both, but werestillable to conjure enough energy to enjoy their wives and kids.

To round out the already seated group, Brigid and Sarge were clearly still lurking behind him, no doubt continually smirking from ear-to-ear over what they’d seen in the parking garage, but he’d ignore them for now.

Billboard, stopping just short of the table, realized that O’Shea, even though she knew all his immediate constituents, hadn’t met their wives. He cleared his throat, and with his hand to the small of O’Shea’s back, introduced her.

“For those of you who haven’t met, this is O’Shea. She’s visiting from Louisiana.” The last bit he probably didn’t need to add. He was sure O’Shea had been the topic of all the couple’s gossip since her arrival in Boston.

“O’Shea,” he looked down at her and tried to control the impulse to bend and plant a kiss on her smiling lips.

Billboard gave his head a slight shake. “Uh, you know all the guys, but I’ll acquaint you with the ladies.”

She nodded happily.

“You remember Del,” he began.

“Hi O’Shea,” Del called out. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Hey, Del,” O’Shea returned with a finger-wave.

Billboard went on. “The woman practically sitting on his lap is his wife, Brina.”

Brina rolled her eyes. “Give me a break, BB. This is the first time in ages I’ve been out without the kids, so I’m making the most of date night.” She bussed her husband on his cheek before turning back to regard O’Shea. “It’s very nice to meet you, O’Shea. I’ve heard good things.”

“Thanks,” O’Shea laughed. “I think.”

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