Page 20 of Loan Wolf
Gabe patched the tire and reinflated it, bouncing to test the seal. “Give it a ride around the block and if it’s still leaking, bring it back, but you should be good to go now.”
Amy put her helmet back on with poor grace when her mother insisted, and the family finally left.
Clara hadn’t signed a new contract or paid the difference yet, Gabe realized, but she’d be back around closing. And if their deal was extended for the full week, he was going to need a lot more condoms. He kicked Pinochle off the windowsill and out the double doors, and put the clock in the window.
18
CLARA
Clara put her leftovers in the minifridge and showered the sweat off herself at the hotel. She had a slight bruise on her arm from a tumble on their expedition. Or possibly from the not-very-gentle sex at the lookout. She was also starting to sport a farmer’s tan, and she knew that Twiller was going to scold her about protecting her skin.
“A ballerina has to be a flawless flower,” she told her reflection mockingly. “No one wants to watch a tomboy lurching around the stage.”
She stuck her tongue out in the mirror and got dressed without putting sunscreen on. The heavy lunch and the hard workout made the bed look tempting, but Clara stepped through dance exercises instead. She knew that Twiller would ask her if she’d done them that day.
Halfway through her weighted lunges, the hotel door gave a little snick and her stepmother came in, laden with bags. Clara dashed to help her. “What is all this? You know we live in New York, right? And they have shopping malls there?”
“They have a couple of cute little art stores here now,” Patricia said with a laugh. “I couldn’t resist.”
She unloaded her treasures on the bed, and Clara exclaimed over the kitchy little dolls and embroidered hand towels. “That will be for Mabs and Jake. The dirty deeds dishtowel is for Andrea. She just about died laughing when she saw it and I managed to buy it without her noticing.”
“Will she hang it in her house?” Clara wanted to know.
“Andrea absolutely would, and Shaun certainly won’t stop her. I’m starved, do you want to get some late lunch?”
“I just ate. Tendy’s.”
“Oh, aren’t they good? I went out with Jamie yesterday. Did you go with Trevor and Aaron?”
“No, I went with…Gabe.” Clara regretted saying it as soon as the name was past her lips.
Patricia stopped packing away her gifts. “Gabe?” she said skeptically.
“He owns the bike store,” Clara said offhandedly.
“I’ve…heard a lot about him. You went out with him?”
“We had lunch together. Separate checks.”
“Oh, not a date, then.”
Clara found herself bristling over how relieved Patricia seemed by that distinction. “What would be wrong with dating Gabe?” she wanted to know.
“It’s just…he’s…”
“Got tattoos?”
“Well, he’s been arrested,” Patricia said reluctantly.
“For graffiti,” Clara scoffed. “When he was fifteen.”
“I’m sure there’s more to his reputation than that,” Patricia said.
“Reputations aren’t everything,” Clara protested.
Patricia didn’t argue, but Clara knew she hadn’t won the conversation. “Linda told me you were going to be dancing at the revue this weekend.”
“And apparently, you told Twiller.” Clara didn’t mean to sound as sharp as she did. “I saw her at lunch.”
