Page 14 of Gin & Trouble

“Scram?” He smirked. “What is this, the 1950s? No one saysscramanymore.”

I was barely twenty-seven, but the kid made me feel like a geezer. Doing my best old man imitation, I said, “You’re going to take the streetcar back to the ferry terminal and catch the boat to Algiers Point. Okay, sonny?”

“And miss watching you make a fool of yourself with my future aunt?” He took an enormous bite of pizza. “No freakin’ way.”

Future aunt. I like the sound of that.

“Yes, freakin’ way. Not twenty minutes ago you were worried the Chewie noise would ruin my game. No offense, but I don’t need a teenaged wingman.”

He lowered his brows. “I’m not volunteering to be your wingman, but I’m not missing you taking off that furry rug and prancing—”

“There will be no prancing.”

“Whatever you say.” He gave me a dubious look. “But I want to see her reaction when you strip.”

Honestly, I hadn’t decided if I had the balls to go through with my plan. It’d seemed like such a great idea when I’d first thought of it. Showing up in a cosplay costume smaller than the one Julia had to wear for work.

It was meant to be a show of solidarity. A leveling of the playing field, if you will.

After the way she’d blown me off, I wasn’t so sure. “I’m not feeling it.”

Zach gave me the typical teenager smile. The one designed to make adults feel stupid. “Not feeling standing up for gender equality, or not feeling showing off your six-pack in front of all these people?”

An alert on my phone saved me from answering.

I opened the text and my pulse went into hyperdrive. “She’s on her way. Beat it.”

Once again, Zach gave me a look that reminded me entirely too much of his father. Folding his arms, he managed to raise his chin and stare down his nose simultaneously. “I’ll go, if you swear you’ll go through with the original plan.”

It would have been easy to tell the kid what he wanted to hear and get him the hell out of there, but when a Marchionni gave his word, he meant it.

I stood and put the Chewbacca head back on. In the most un-adult way as possible, I shook my furry brown ass and flipped Zach the finger. “GGGWARRRHHWWWW.”

Glaring, he gathered his trash, pointed from his eyes to me, and stormed away.

I’d probably live to regret teasing him, but I had other things on my mind. Other things like an amazing, funny, smart, and drop-dead gorgeous female Mandalorian walking in my direction.

“What did you want to talk to me about?” Julia glanced around the room, back to me, and narrowed her eyes. “You are Danny, aren’t you?”

“Danny?” Zach laughed from somewhere behind me, but I didn’t give a shit.

I’d intended to tell Julia my real name on our date, but the night had been going so great, I didn’t want to ruin it. “Have a GAAHHHGGGRR. Nice to see RRHAARR.”

This freaking mask.

She removed her helmet and sat.

My mouth fell open. We’d spent the night together, but I hadn’t gotten a good look at her without her Harley Quinn makeup. Between her big brown eyes and the freckles sprinkled across her nose, I was a total goner.

Mother Mary. I’m going to marry this woman one day.

Rather than saying something stupid and making a fool of myself, I planted my elbow on the table, propped my chin in my hand, and stared shamelessly. Or should I say, Chewie stared shamelessly.

Shifting in her chair, she glanced anywhere except at me.

Okay yeah, I could see where lovesick Wookiee could come off as a little creepy.

“Sorry. I’m having a GWAAAHH.” I pulled the head of the costume off and set it on the table. “I’m still getting used to the fact it’s really you.”

---