Page 46 of Hot Cops

“You always play along with me.”

He grimaced. “Your pop calls it ‘indulging you’ and he doesn’t seem to think it’s a good thing.”

“Well, in this one instance, my pop is wrong.”

They walked along the bar, getting their monochromatic meals and laughing at the strange looks they were receiving from the other diners as they debated whether certain foods were indeed red or yellow.

As they headed back to their table, they were just about to sit down when she spotted Trev and a woman she assumed was Bella sitting at a table in the corner.

“Damn. You weren’t kidding about her tits.”

Aaron looked up, confused, and followed her gaze. “Shit. Guess it’s true what they say. You always find something the minute you stop looking. You know, they don’t look happy.”

Riley snorted. “They look fucking sunburned. Jeez. Trev’s red as a beet.”

“Wonder what they’re arguing about?”

Riley grinned. “Probably pissed off because they didn’t pack sunscreen.”

Aaron sighed and set his tray of food on the table. “I guess we should go let Trev know about Jo.”

Riley looked down at her tray and shook her head. “Nope. You know what? Fuck him. I’ve wasted the first two days of my honeymoon on that dumbass and I’m hungry. My food is warm now. If we go over there, you know as well as I do it’ll turn into some big ugly scene and my lovely macaroni and cheese will go stiff.”

Aaron crossed his arms over his chest. “Riley. Jo, Bubbles and Johnny are on the warpath. We need to warn?—”

“Hey, you two! Changed my mind about the new hairdo. Eating my way into oblivion is just as good as purple hair for a pick-me-up. Let me get a plate and I’ll be right back.” They turned to watch as Bubbles sauntered up to the bar and starting piling up her plate.

“Shit,” Riley muttered. “Thank God she was looking our way. She missed seeing Bella altogether.”

“You think that will hold true when she comes back?” Aaron asked. “We’ve gotta get Bella and Trev out of here or we’re gonna have Armageddon on our hands. You remember what that clerk at Sal’s said. Those two women get in the same room together and shit gets broken. There are kids in here.”

“Okay. Listen, I’ll?—”

“I decided you two were right.”

Riley looked up to see Johanna standing next to her.

“I’m eating for two and I can’t let Trev’s wandering dick endanger the life of my baby. Jerry Springer has made that point a million times on his show. I’ll go grab a plate.” She glanced down at their plates and laughed. “Doing the one-color deal, eh?”

Riley nodded numbly.

“Well, I’m not eating one color. I’m eating every color…twice. I have to think of the baby.”

Riley looked at Aaron and gave him a crooked grin as Jo walked away. “Jesus. All we need is for Johnny to walk in and we’ll have a trifecta.”

Aaron didn’t laugh at her joke. Instead, he pointed toward the front door of the restaurant. Sure enough, Johnny was walking their way.

“Can’t find your friend. He’s a slippery fucker,” he said, rubbing his temple. “Feeling a little sick. Must be the heat.”

“Or the booze,” Aaron muttered.

“Yeah, well. I think food will help. Still your treat, right?”

Johnny headed to the food bar without waiting for their answer.

Riley watched the three unsuspecting people jostling for food position at the bar and then glanced back at Bella and Trevor, so wrapped up in their argument they didn’t see World War III descending on them.

She giggled. She couldn’t help it. “Wow. This is gonna be so funny.”

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