Page 62 of Bears Behaving Badly
“Blast,” Nadia muttered. “You were supposed to be somewhat horrified. Or at least put out.”
“I’m put out,” Annette assured her. “I swear!”
“Naw, it’s all an act, isn’t it?” Oz reached out to pinch Annette’s cheek, and she entertained the brief notion of a good chomp to the webbing between his thumb and forefinger. “Whoa. Your eyes are getting a little red again. Have you thought about contacts? You should get contacts. You’re gonna scare someone.”
“And you should get a proper change of clothes.” Oz was hilariously resplendent in one of Pat’s powder-blue button-downs, khaki shorts that showed off his goose-bumped legs, and brown loafers, no socks. Apparently, Pat kept his late-nineties preppie wardrobe in the studio, along with half-a-dozen aprons. “This is very…dated.”
“Yeah, well.” Oz shrugged, which was kind of neat, come to think of it. Here was a man who took almost as much care with his appearance as Pat did. He had clearly put Caro’s investigation over the demands of fashion. “You know what they say about beggars and choosers.”
“I’ve got no idea, actually.”
“What is it with you guys?” David asked, and if it was anyone else, she’d think they sounded a little jealous. “Did you used to go out or something?”
By way of answer, Annette threw up in her mouth a little.
“Jesus Christ,no,” Oz replied, having the gall to sound disgusted.
“Hey!” she snapped. “You could do worse.”
“I don’t see how. David, if I’d actually gone out with her, I wouldn’t be able to spread rumors about you guys going out. Y’know, in good conscience.”
Annette wanted to shriek. “What?”
“That was you?” David asked. “Wait. We’re getting off track.”
“Give me your hand, Oz,” Annette growled. “I’m biting off all your fingers. I’ll leave you a thumb so you can hitchhike to the hospital.”
“It wasn’t just him,” Nadia replied. “And don’t puff up and look outraged—”
“Too late.”
“—because our intentions have been sublime,sublime. We’re helping.”
David blinked. “Spreading confusing gossip and making things awkward between the couple you’re shipping against their will is…helping.”
“David, don’t try to figure it out. If you stare into the abyss that is Nadia’s mind too long, the abyss stares into you.” To Nadia: “You’re in cahoots with my mortal enemy. Vengeance will be mine.”
“Which brings me back to my question.” From David. “What is it between you two?”
“Ancient history,” Annette replied.
“A bet,” Ox added.
“Nothing we’re going into right now,” Annette added.
“Which she lost,” Oz finished. “Ages ago. When we were cubs.”
David was eyeing them like he was watching a tennis match, one where the winner committed manslaughter with a racket and a thousand balls. “You guys knew each other when you were little?”
“We were foster sibs for a mere blink in time, and goodGod, why am I explaining any of this? Nadia, why are we here?”
“Foster sibs who fought over the fridge,” Oz added, because he was annoying. “Mama Mac had about had it with all our shit so Annette and I made a bet: whoever ate the most in a day would get unlimited fridge access twenty-four seven,andsnacks on demand if Mama Mac’s fridge was out of walking distance.”
“That’s asinine,” Nadia observed.
“The perfect word,” Annette agreed.
“That’swhy you keep bringing him food?” David asked. He sounded both surprised and a bit disappointed, as though he was glad to have the mystery solved but let down because the explanation was so dumb.
