Page 20 of Just Friends
“That’s so funny!” She looked truly mind-blown that I’d cooked. “Did you have to go to the store, too?”
“Nope.” I pointed upward. Piper and I live in the same building as Reavo and his wife, Katerina. Their condo, on the penthouse floor, is a lot nicer than ours, though—I’ve got to play a few more years in this league before I make the big bucks that Reavo makes. “I went up to Reavo’s. Katerina had everything I needed.”
“That’s so nice of her! I’ll have to thank her later,” she said. She let out a short and amused squeal. “The Big Rig can cook. Who knew?”
“Careful,” I warned, “you should probably try it first before you get your hopes up.”
“I can already tell it’s going to be good.” She wrapped her arm around me and squeezed me tight—as tightly as someone her size can squeeze me, anyway. “Jax, did you know that biscuits and gravy are my absolutefav?”
“Theyare?” I gasped with over-the-top sarcasm. “Amazing. What a coincidence.”
She broke away from me and started slapping at my ass—whack! whack!
I laughed. “Hey, what the hell? Why are you spanking me?”
“You got flour all over your butt, wiseguy. I’m dusting you off.”whack! whack!“Sitting on that counter probably wasn’t your brightest idea.”
“Watch it.” I dodged her spanks, careful not to spill the plate I was making. “You’re gonna make me drop this plate.”
“Oh, and that’d be bad, wouldn’t it? Because I’d hate for the kitchen to be a total mess.”
I groaned. “I’ll clean it up. Just let me eat first.”
“I’m only teasing,” she said. “It’s really not that bad.”
I set the first plate down and started making the second plate.
Piper sighed happily. “Seriously, though, what’d you do all this for? For a second, I wondered if I’d forgotten my own birthday or something.”
“Well, it all started because I wanted to bring you breakfast in bed … but I had to nix that idea, because I didn’t want to wake you up.”
“Aw, that’s so sweet of you,” she sang. “But again …why?”
“To say I’m sorry about last night.”
Her features pinched with confusion. “Whataboutlast night?”
“I dunno.” I sighed. “I guess I feel bad about that girl I brought home.”
“Why? I don’t care if you have girls over,” she said, her voice rising an octave. “I’ve never had a problem with that.”
“Yeah, I know,” I muttered. “But she was just so over-the-top. You know? The way she barged into your room and tried to start shit.” I shook my head. “I don’t know what that was about but I didn’t like it. She was weird.”
“Don’t forgetloud,” Piper said with a grin.
“Yeah, sorry about that, too.”
“Was she good in the sack, at least?” Piper asked, quickly adding, “I mean, she certainly seemed crazy enough that you’d think she’d be a great lay.”
“Oh, she was crazy, alright,” I said. “Get this. When I went back to my bedroom last night, I found her going through my wallet.”
Piper stamped her foot. “What! No. You’re kidding me.”
I chuckled. “Dead serious.”
“Did she take anything?!”
“She swiped a couple hundred off me.” I shrugged. “Made it easier to get rid of her, though. I told her to keep the cash for carfare because she needed to leave.”
