Page 29 of You're so Bad

“Probably,” I offer. “But we’ve already gone this far. Might as well really lean into it. If you’re worried about the pediatric surgery thing, we can tell them Constance got it wrong because she’s going deaf.”

“She won’t like that,” she says with a snort.

“She’s in the shithouse with you because she made all of this up. Might as well piss her off now, when she feels too guilty to do anything about it.”

Her mouth purses to the side.

“So what’s the deal with the camping thing on Saturday, anyway? Am I gonna have to pitch a tent?” I waggle my eyebrows.

She ignores the gesture. “No, I guess we were already assigned a cabin. Bianca texted me about it yesterday. I’ll sleep on the floor.”

I lower the chair and lean forward a bit. “You don’t think you can share a bed with me without throwing yourself at me?”

“Yes,” she says, deadpan. “That’s exactly what I thought. More like, I wouldn’t be surprised if you pretended to roll over in your sleep and grabbed my ass.”

“Youdohave a nice ass.”

I’m surprised when she blushes slightly. I’d like to see it happen again. But there’s movement in my peripheral vision, and I see the curtain to the back waving slightly. Pointing to it, I ask, “That where the magic happens?”

Her eyes widen, and she pops up off her chair. “You can’t go back there.”

“Why, is that where you keep the great and terrible Oz?” I ask, instantly wanting to check it out. What’s she got back there? The tools for a passion party?

“A few things I’m working on. They’re not ready, though. I don’t show people things before they’re ready.”

I want to press her, but I don’t, because somehow I can tell she’s afraid of something back there, or at least afraid of me seeing it. I don’t want to make her uncomfortable. I’d like to make her feel a lot of things, but that’s not one of them.

I glance at the clock. I told Burke I’d try to get to the flip house by 1:30, and it’s 1:32. “Say—”

“Let me guess,” she says, catching my gaze. “You need a ride.”

“Look at that—” I grin at her, “—we’re already finishing each other’s sentences.”

ChapterNine

Leonard

“No, shit,” Danny says. “Someone really stole the clunker? Burke told me earlier, but I figured he was messing with me.”

We’re out on the deck with a couple of beers. Delia’s sister, Mira, is inside making cocktails. She can mix a mean drink, but Danny’s always been all about the basics—a good breeze, a beer, the sun on his back, a T-shirt, and jeans. He’s not a fancy guy, and neither am I. The best things in life are the ones you can enjoy when you have one buck or twenty. I’m not opposed to drinking what she’s pouring, but I like this too. Sitting out here with my friend, shooting the shit out in the breeze. Pretending everything’s okay.

The party’s been running for a while now. It’s a small group—Danny and me, Burke and Delia, Mira, and Constance. Shane was invited, but he’s continuing his trend of avoiding me.

Danny’s not a crowd guy, even when it’s a small crowd, full of people he knows, so when I asked for a private chat, he was happy to bring me out to the back deck.

For now, Danny and Burke share this apartment. Burke’s going to move in with Delia soon, though, so this place will just be Danny’s. Lucky guy, to default his way into a penthouse. But Danny’s not the kind of person who accepts lucky breaks, the doofus, so Burke will have to continue pretending Danny is doing him a favor by being here. I can just hear him spouting the bullshit that’ll get our friend to stay put.Need someone to hold down the fort. Keep things clean so I can use the place when we have friends in town.

The thought makes me smile. They’re both good guys, Burke and Danny. So is Shane. He was in law school when I left Asheville all those years ago. He’s a lawyer now, and Danny always deadpans that it’s for an “important” firm, because that’s what Shane likes to remind people of these days.

I’ve only seen him once or twice since I got back to town. He hangs out with the other guys, but he’d obviously prefer to keep his distance from me. I get it—if you’re an important lawyer, the last thing you want is to be seen palling around with a former criminal. And sure, he doesn’t know about my past, but he has a good gut and plenty of memories of all the illegal shit we use to do together—like sneaking onto the roof of the Biltmore or fast-talking our way into other people’s weddings so we could try to make it with the bridesmaids. Burke keeps saying he’ll come around, but I’ve got my doubts.

I don’t blame Shane one bit. He’s protecting himself, just like he should. Still…I wish things were different.

“What’d the police say?” Danny asks, pulling me back into the moment. “And why are you smiling?”

“Because that old truck’s someone else’s problem,” I hedge. “And Burke’s going to buy me a new one for the business.”

It still feels surreal that I’m running a business with him. Four months ago, I was in Florida, hiding from someone I’d lost money to in a stupid bet—and also from someone whose wife I’d fucked.

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