Page 93 of Lovebug
“Hm. Well, what are we going to do about this, Mabel?”
He leans even closer to me. So close I can smell his aftershave.
“I’m not sure,” I say in a velvety voice I’m not even certain is mine. My reactions to him are so foreign to me, I’m realizing I don’t quite recognize myself whenever he’s near me.
He slips his large hand over my small one. It feels so warm and safe. I close my eyes on instinct, waiting - hoping - for his lips to finally land on mine again. Only this time, it won’t be brash and rushed. It will be slow and sweet and—”
“Get your filthy paws off my fiancé!”
And those are the last words I hear before all hell breaks loose.
Chapter Seventeen
“I knew it. This is why you broke up with me, isn’t it?! This guy?” Bert is all hyped up and breathing heavy. His eyes are ping ponging between me and Wally.
“Actually, no,” I say with supreme confidence. ”I broke up with you because you’ve been sticking your Dick Wolf in every willing Olivia you could find in the tristate area.”
“Whaaat?” Wally rumbles.
I go into explanation mode. “Oh, see, Bert refers to his penis as—”
Wally interrupts me. “I could not be less interested in learning more about Bert’s penis. When I said ‘Whaaaat?’ I meanthecheated onyou? This man is wearing a turtleneck in the middle of summer.”
“It’s a mock!” Bert scoffs.
“Told you!” Louise shouts from her touch tank where she’s helping a child handle a horseshoe crab.
Wally’s eyes narrow on Bert, and for the first time, I see “The Wall,” that scary, mysterious side of him the CITs told me about. “Allow me to repeat myself. This guy cheated on you?”
“Yes. He did.” I wince. “But I supposetechnicallyI cheated too when I kissed you in the rowboat.”
“You kissed him in a rowboat?!” Bert bellows.
“Yes!” I shout back. “But you got multiple blowjobs in a Barnes & Noble, so I think we’re even!”
This gives Bert pause. “You’ve been talking to people.”
“I have, Bert. I’ve been talking to people.”
“Mabes, I’m sorry,” Bert says as he takes a step toward me. “Let me fix things with us. I just want to—”
“Don’t come near me, Bert.”
He takes another step.
That’s all it takes before Wally has him in a headlock.
“Get off me, you oaf!” Bert struggles in Wally’s hold.
“No can do, pal. The lady said not to come near her and you went near her. Is there a problem with your comprehension?” Wally says somewhat jovially into his ear.
Bert kicks the air. He squirms. He squeals. He tries to punch but Wally has his arms pinned.
“What’s up with this guy?” Wally chuckles.
“Let me go!” Bert sneers.
“I don’t know what’s going on,” I say with a bit of wonder in my voice. “This isn’t like him at all! This is by far the most passion I’ve ever seen spurt from Bert!”
