Page 35 of Full Tilt
“It wasn’t her,” I said. “It was the damn Gengraf.”
“Nausea?” Theo said, his tone instantly morphing from anger to concern. “You okay?”
I shot him a look. “That chickgot me some water and I felt better.”
Theo snorted. His eyes gave me a final once over, then he maneuvered his truck through the light Sunday morning traffic toward the glass studio. I watched North Las Vegas go by my window—strip malls and gas stations, apartment complexes smaller and older than mine—but my thoughts were on Kacey’s apology.
I can’t be with anyone right now…
Perfect. Neither could I.
So why did my chest ache like an old bruise?
“You thinking about her?” Theo said.
“Kacey?”
“No, Mother Theresa. Yeah, Kacey. Who the hell is she?”
“Why are you so hostile? She’s just a girl crashingon my couch.”
Theo watched the road, his shoulders jerking up in a shrug. “I don’t want to see another fucked-up situation like you had with Audrey.”
“I was with Audrey for three years. I’ve known Kacey for all of twenty-four hours. You can chill out.”
“How much did you tell her about your situation?”
More than I should have.I shifted in my seat. “She knows I had the operation.”
Theo gaped at me so long I thought he’d crash his truck. He turned his eyes back to the road, his expression grim. “Okay, spill it. What’s the deal with her?” he said. “For real.”
I rested my elbow on the door, rubbing my chin. “Her deal is she’s got a few days off until her band leaves town on tour. She’s taking a break. That’s it. For real.”
“Why doesn’t she just stay in a hotel? And since when do you tell total strangers about the operation?”
“She doesn’t do well on her own.” I glanced at him. “It’s not a big deal. I’m giving her a break and she’s good company. She’s got a good sense of humor. We get along well.”
We just…clicked.
“You met heryesterday.” Theo’s voice was low, but I could hear his temper rumbling within it, like a distant thunderstorm. He kept his gaze steadfast to the road. “Are you fucking her?”
“Jesus, Theo.” Yet the image of Kacey splayed out on my bed reached for me. I’d wanted her last night, wanted to give in to her, have a woman’s arms and legs wrapped around me one more time. I wanted to feel a woman’s soft body beneath mine, to be on top of her and inside of her and…
“Dude.Areyou fucking her?”
I forgot Theo could read my face like the front page of a newspaper. “No,” I said. “Not that it’s your business. She’s crashing until Tuesday, then she’s going back on tour with her band. She’ll be traveling all over for months.”
“And you’re cool with that?”
“Of course, I’m cool with it. What could possibly happen between us? Or between me and anyone for that matter?”
Theo’s jaw clenched. “Don’t start with that doomsday shit. You don’t know for sure if…” He shook his head, unwilling to voice the possibility. “The meds might be working. They probablyareworking.”
“Then why were you such a dick to Kacey?”
He jerked his shoulders in a shrug. “I give a shit. The doctor said you had to be careful.”
“He said I had to not overexert myself. He didn't say I had to become a monk. I miss being with a woman. Being intimate with her.”
