Page 57 of Ice Ice Maybe
Mom cried out for more, her voice a mix of passion, desperation and, wait, was that a yodel?
My brain short-circuited.
A scream escaped from my throat, louder than Mom’s enthusiastic demands. My thoughts were quite the opposite:Less! Much less!
Dad shot off the couch like a champagne cork at New Year’s, grabbing throw pillows to cover hissituation. He tossed a couple to Mom, who caught them with the dexterity of a major league outfielder. Nolan had already executed a perfect 180 on his heels to avoid looking and was probably contemplating gouging his eyes out. I was pretty sure I’d need therapy after this.
“You were supposed to be sleeping!” I shrieked.
Dad’s face was redder than our rented BMW when he sputtered, “That was the plan! But, well, one thing led to another. And what about you? What happened to coming back at two a.m.? You have two more hours!”
“We were tired!” I wailed.
Dad sighed. “Sweetie, we?—”
I held up my hand. “Save it. There’s nothing you can say right now that would make this better.”
He shrugged. “There’s ice cream in the freezer.”
I groaned. “This is so awkward!”
Mom, seemingly unfazed by the whole situation, piped up, “It would have been much more awkward if you’d caught us the first time on the kitchen counter.” Her hand flew over her mouth, then she hiccupped.
I was pretty sure my soul left my body at that moment. “Mom!”
Dad grimaced. “She might be a tad bit tipsy.” He pointed to the empty bottle of wine and two glasses on the coffee table.
Nolan’s snort earned him a swift smack on the arm with the back of my hand. This was no laughing matter. It was a mortifying incident destined to haunt me until my dying day.
There was only one solution: immediate evacuation.
I bolted up the spiral staircase, taking two steps at a time in my desperation to reach the sanctuary of my bedroom, silently praying for someone to end this game of “Southern Fried Fiasco” bingo before I hit a full blackout.
Chapter Fifteen
Nolan
I lay on my bed, grinning like an idiot as I stared at the ceiling, wide awake at one in the morning. Thoughts of Zena consumed me, creating a warmth and comfort that spread through my entire being. There was only one reason for this euphoria and I would be a fool to deny it.
I was falling for Zena.
Hard and fast.
It was crazy and exhilarating, but most importantly, it felt right. The only problem I had was the physical space that separated us. Fifteen feet of hallway might as well have been the Grand Canyon when you were dying to be closer to someone, but knew it wasn’t possible at that moment.
I sighed and turned onto my side, staring at the full moon out the window, but then flipped to the other side after it reminded me of Mr. Dalton.
My phone buzzed, and the screen illuminated with a text message.
Zena:Hey, pretty boy. Are you awake?
Me:Wide awake and thinking of you, gorgeous.
Zena:What a coincidence! I was thinking about how much I miss my favorite roomie.
Me:Aww, I miss you too. Even your adorable little drool puddle. ??
Zena:We could always cover the bed in plastic wrap the next time, like my grandma used to do with her furniture.
