Page 23 of Space Balls: Houston, We Have Liftoff
“Rosie West, we meet again.”
I close my eyes against the image of Vance Bodaway, one arm stretched out across the back of the empty chair next to him, hair tumbling forward in his eyes.
For the love of God. My one-night stand is haunting me.
Vance, nonchalant as you please, is sitting next to Ian in the coveted back corner table, looking way too good in a plain blue T-shirt among a sea of button-downs and ten-gallons.
Jules grabs one of the beer bottles from the tub of ice by the table before spinning a chair around with her other hand. “Again?” She plops down, straddling the chair. “When did you meet the first time?”
Trish slides to the right of Ian. “Rosie?”
Sighing, I sink into the only vacant seat, the one next to Vance.
Vance nods at Trish and taps his beer bottle against Jules’. Ignoring my friends’ pointed interest in us, he leans into me. “Thanks to you, I got another memorable lecture on the female anatomy during the drive home Sunday.”
That has me rolling my lips in to keep from laughing.
Seeing my amusement, he nudges me with his elbow. “And yes, it was just as awkward and unnecessary as it was when I was fourteen, in case you’re wondering.”
The laugh I’m suppressing turns into a snort. “God, I love your mother.”
“What happened Sunday?” Trish, whose eyes have been ping-ponging between us, probably trying to memorize our dialogue for her next book, looks riveted.
“And how do you know Vance’s mother?” Jules takes another swig. “She’s my hero by the way. Met her when Vance and I were given our astronaut pins.”
Her admission irritates me for some reason. More so than her springing the boys on me during a girls’ night. I shrug, trying to play it off. “I pole dance with Helen.”
Jules’ mouth drops. She turns to Vance. “Your motherpole dances?”
I smirk, feeling victorious.
Vance doesn’t even take note of the rare sight of Jules being gobsmacked, his eyes still on mine, those damn sexy crinkles deepening. “You did a good job washing your hair. I don’t see a speck of glitter.”
I shrug, smiling despite myself, trying hard to ignore Trish and Jules, who share a WTF look.
Vance cocks one brow. “That mean you’ll finally make time for me?”
“Ever heard the term hit it and quit it?” I try to keep the smile off my face, but I don’t think I succeed.
Jules chokes on her beer, Trish’s mouth drops open farther, and Jackie’s brows pinch together. Ian looks amused but unsurprised.Hmmm.
“Isn’t that the colloquium for a one-night stand?” Jackie pushes up her glasses.
“As usual,” Jules says, tilting her beer bottle at Jackie, “you are correct.” Pointing the mouth of her bottle to me, she asks, “When was the hitting and quitting? Because though Vance Bodaway is a friend, I’m not sure he’s good enough for you.”
Vance’s eyes cut to Jules. “Are you serious?”
Probably paying him back from earlier, this time Jules ignores him. “You hold a mean flashlight in space so others, likeme, can get the real spacewalk work done”—she smirks when Vance rolls his eyes—“but what else do you bring to the table? I mean, this is Rose West. Billionaire and best friend of Julie Starr. She deserves more than a flashlight hand job.”
I know she’s saying all of that to get a rise out of Vance, but it pleases me nonetheless, nullifying any annoyance I was harboring from her, including the boys on our girls’ night.
“He was mentored by John Herrington,” Jackie pipes up, not realizing Jules was joking.
“Who’s John Herrington?” Trish and I ask at the same time. When Vance raises his eyebrows at me, I regret my obvious interest.
“He was the first Native American in space.” Jackie tilts her head in that way she has when she’s trying to recall facts. “Now in retirement, he does a lot of recruiting on government preserved reservations, doesn’t he?” She looks at Vance.
“Yeah, he does.” Vance nods, the crinkles around his eyes disappearing. “But I didn’t meet him until after I was selected as an astronaut candidate.” He takes a sip of his beer. “But he was a big inspiration of mine. Even though he’s Chickasaw and I’m Zuni, it was life-changing watching the first Native American fly into space.”
