Page 107 of Positively Pricked

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Chapter 36

An hour later, we were in the air again, minus What's-Her-Name.

The blond guy looked to Zane and said, "You're a real asshole, you know that?"

Zane had set aside his cell phone and was now leaning back in his seat, looking at nothing in particular.

The blond guy said, "Well?"

Zane spared him half a glance. "Well what?"

"Aren't you gonna respond to that?"

"No."

The guy frowned. "Why not?"

"Because I don't care."

"About what?"

"That you think I'm an asshole."

"I don'tthinkyou're an asshole," the guy clarified. "Iknowyou're an asshole."

Zane looked utterly indifferent. "Good to know."

"What doesthatmean?" the guy said. "Do you mean it's good thatIknow? Or it's good thatyouknow?"

Zane replied, "Does it matter?"

The guy looked to me and said, "What do you think?"

Oh, sonowhe wanted to include me in the conversation? After he'd been treating me like trash from the get-go? I tried for a smirk. "I dunno...Does it matter?"

Yes, I realized that I was only repeating what Zane had said, but that was the whole point. It was annoying, and Iwantedto annoy the guy.

Besides, I saw no reason to take his side, not after he'd been so eager to assume the worst of me.

With a sound of annoyance – score one for me – he looked toward a nearby cabinet and asked, "What happened to the drinks?"

Zane said, "I got rid of them."

"When?"

"This afternoon."

The guy frowned. "Why'd you do that?"

"Because I don't want to deal with a drunk."

"Hey!" the guy said. "I can hold my liquor just fine."

Zane leaned further back in his seat and closed his eyes. "Uh-huh."

The guy looked to me and said, "What about you? Wouldn'tyoulike a drink?"

Boy, would I ever.

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