Page 50 of Full Tilt
“But I was thinking that since it’s your last night here, maybe I’d cancel.”
“No, no,” I said, even as happiness bloomed in my chest. “I don’t want to interfere…”
“I feel like vegging out with a movie.” We came to a red light and Jonah turned to me, a grin tilting his lips. “Is there an eighties classic on the agenda?”
“There could be.”
The light turned green, and he turned his eyes back to the road. “Sounds good.”
“Yeah,” I said, resting my chin in my hand to conceal the idiotic smile on my face. “Sounds perfect.”
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
When my cell phone rang around eight o’clock, I knew it would be Theo. I’d already gotten an earful from Tania when I’d returned to the hot shop that afternoon: question after question about Kacey. I stuck to the story; she was leaving the next day.
“And the perfume bottle?” Tania asked, her lips curled up in a knowing smirk. “I don’t recall it being on the gallery manifest.”
“I added it.”
“Whatever you say, boss,” she’d said, and let the matter drop.
Theo on the other hand…
“Oscar texted me,” he said now. “You’recancelingtonight?”
“It’s Kacey’s last night—”
“So, it’s about that girl.”
“Kacey. Yes. I—”
“Are you going to sleep with her?”
“Jesus, Theo.”
“Are you?”
I sat on one of the two stools at the kitchen that served as my dining table, turning away from the hallway bathroom where Kacey was washing her face.
“I’m being polite to my houseguest. I don’t want to invite her out, she’s trying not to drink, and I don’t want to leave her aloneto be bored all night. And by the way, newsflash…” I lowered my voice and made sure the water was still running in the sink… “It’s none of your business who I sleep with.”
“You know what Dr. Morrison told you,” Theo said. “You have to be careful. Don’t overdo it.”
“Theo…”
“And you have to use a condom, no exceptions.”
“I’m hanging up now.”
But of course, I didn’t hang up. Because he was my brother and beneath his tough talk, he was scared shitless for me. “I told Oscar and Dena we’d hang out on Wednesday to make up for it. You free?”
“I’m at the shop late Wednesday,” Theo said. “She’s leaving tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow.”
There was a silence on the other end.
