Page 59 of Slots & Sticks
“No,” I decide.
Cash flings himself down in the chair and points to the empty swing. “Dammit. Fine. Let’s hear what you have to say.”
I lower myself onto the swing. “So… I’m sure you saw me leave with Dot the other day. When you were… um… outside with your hose.”
He gives a single sharp nod. “Yes.”
“Well, we went to get some dogs for Coach. You might have, um, heard them barking.”
“Eh, they’re not too bad. And Ranger will like ‘em.” Cash sucks his teeth and looks toward the heavens. “The little one looks like Nudie. I still remember the day Ranger found that mongrel wandering the streets. Speaking of which. You know what I like about Ranger?”
I shake my head.
“That man respects my grass.” Cash’s eyes snap back to my face. “And my privacy. Any chance we could move this story along?”
“Dot and I hit a few snafus on the trip, so we had to stay overnight.”
“Let me guess.” Cash arches one eyebrow. “You spent the night in a seedy motel, but decided not to do the deed.”
“Uh.” I grip the chains that hold the swing up. “Yes?”
“A tale as old as time.” Cash nods to himself.
Shit, Knight was right. His dad’s a mind reader. I lean forward, eager to hear his advice. “It wasn’t just the motel. Dot told me she’d never, you know. Done it before. And since I’ve never done it before either…”
I swear to God, Cash does a spit-take. He’s not even holding a drink. It’s a little alarming.
“You okay?” I ask.
Cash sputters and thumps his chest with a fist. “Peachy, but wait. Back the fuck up. You’ve never done it before?”
“See, my dad already knew that part.” I fidget in the swing. “I’ve been holding out.”
“For what? The planets to align? The second coming?” He pauses. “Guess that would make it thefirstcoming, heh.”
“Dot. I’ve been waiting for Dot. I want it to be special. I don’t know how to make it special enough for her. She deserves… everything.”
Cash slumps in his chair, stunned. The craggy, crotchety demeanor he’s so carefully cultivated is gone. I’ve thrown him for a loop. “I see. You’ve been carrying a torch for her for a while.”
“For as long as I can remember. I’ve liked her since middle school, at least, but she was my very first friend. First crush. And I want her to be my first.”And last,I think, but I make myself pump the brakes before uttering that aloud.
He whistles. “Wow. Okay. And what’s wrong with your place?”
I shake my head. “Everyone always pops into my place. Do you know Viktor Abbott and his lack of healthy boundaries?”
“Point taken. And Dot…” Cash begins.
“Lives at Coach’s… and we can’t do it at Coach’s. Ew.”
“Got it. If only we lived in a city with a whole bunch of fancy hotels. Oh, wait.” He smirks at me. “We do.”
True, but that’s not the only problem. As George so kindly reminded me earlier, I haven’t even asked her on a date yet. “How do I choose? And how do I bring it up without sounding skeezy?”
Cash sighs. He braces his hands on his thighs, a sure sign that he’s preparing to get up and end the conversation. “You’re overthinking this. Let’s make a deal. I will hook you up. And we will never speak of this again.”
I think of my romantic dinner reservation. It’s months away, but I haven’t managed to work my way up to popping the question. “How will I know when it’s the right time?”
“You won’t. I’ll let you know. Now go home.”
