back on the barge, sweetheart.”
“Bowie Jefferson, you take that back!”
“Yeah, Bowie,” Andi said. “You try smuggling a watermelon and see how spry you are.”
“My apologies, ladies.” Bowie swept them a bow and went over to kiss his wife on the cheek. She glared at him. “Chance, buddy, I think we might want to retreat to the boat, get your fingers taken care of, and return with more libations and the salad while these gorgeous, petite, talented women pull our steaks from the fire. Maybe if we’re lucky, they’ll find it in their hearts to let us eat dinner by the time we get back.”
“Don’t count on it,” Nicole called after them as they trudged through the sand.
Chance followed Bowie toward the boat. “Hey, I’m sorry 1 knocked the steaks into—” Sharp pain interrupted his apology as his toe collided with a piece of driftwood. “Dammit!”
“What?”
“Stubbed my toe.”
“I guess it’s been a long time since you’ve walked barefoot on the beach, huh, buddy? You gotta watch where you’re going.”
“Bowie, right now I feel as if I’m standing in the middle of a damn minefield.”
“Just relax, buddy. You’re among friends.”
“And some are more dangerous than others,” Chance muttered.
5
A NDI WAS SO HUNGRY that she didn’t even care that the steak tasted like charcoal on the outside. Everyone balanced their plates on their lap. After attempts to cut the steak with a knife and fork nearly tipped her plate upside down in the sand, Andi picked up the piece of meat in her fingers. “If it was good enough for my ancestors, it’s good enough for me,” she said, biting into the steak.
“Fine for those of you who have working fingers,” Chance said. Bowie had wrapped three of his with gauze.
“I happen to know you can drive with one hand,” Bowie said. “I’ll bet you can eat one-handed, too.”
“Ah, yes,” Nicole said. “The old one-handed driving technique. The left hand for the steering wheel, the right hand for taking liberties with us, your dates. I remember it well.”
“And they always thought they were being so subtle,” Andi said. “They’d be staring straight ahead, like they didn’t even know you were there in the car. But the hand would come creeping over like Thing in ‘The Addams Family.’”
“You wanted us to look at you?” Chance said. “We’re not about to take our eyes off the road and risk wrapping our pride and joy around a telephone pole.”
“Yeah,” Andi said, laughing, “and you might wreck the car, too.” She noticed that Chance was on his second beer, and it was having a good effect. He was definitelyloosening up. If she could just avoid another mishap, she could build on that “I’m going down to the lake to wash my hands. Anybody else need to do that?”
“I’ll just lick my fingers,” Chance said.
“If I play my cards right, I can get Nicole to lick my fingers,” Bowie said.
“In your dreams, Romeo,” Nicole said. “Andi, would you bring me back a wet napkin? I don’t think I can move from this spot.”
“Anything for you, toots.” Andi grabbed a couple of napkins and stood.
“You’re tired, my little cabbage?” Bowie asked Nicole.
“Exhausted. Don’t forget, it’s two hours later, Chicago time. It’s been a long day for a pregnant lady.”
“Then I guess dancing wild and barefoot on the sand is out,” Bowie said.
“Get Andi to dance with you,” Nicole said as Andi started down toward the lake.
“What about Chance?” Bowie asked.
“Get him to dance with you, too. Just let me sit and digest that charred steak in peace.”
Andi hadn’t considered the prospect of dancing on the beach. Would Chance finally abandon his sedate corporate image, or would he let Bowie be the life of the party, as usual? This night could get very interesting indeed.
She walked to the edge of the lake, the sand cool under her feet near the waterline, and discovered that the lake was filled with
“Bowie Jefferson, you take that back!”
“Yeah, Bowie,” Andi said. “You try smuggling a watermelon and see how spry you are.”
“My apologies, ladies.” Bowie swept them a bow and went over to kiss his wife on the cheek. She glared at him. “Chance, buddy, I think we might want to retreat to the boat, get your fingers taken care of, and return with more libations and the salad while these gorgeous, petite, talented women pull our steaks from the fire. Maybe if we’re lucky, they’ll find it in their hearts to let us eat dinner by the time we get back.”
“Don’t count on it,” Nicole called after them as they trudged through the sand.
Chance followed Bowie toward the boat. “Hey, I’m sorry 1 knocked the steaks into—” Sharp pain interrupted his apology as his toe collided with a piece of driftwood. “Dammit!”
“What?”
“Stubbed my toe.”
“I guess it’s been a long time since you’ve walked barefoot on the beach, huh, buddy? You gotta watch where you’re going.”
“Bowie, right now I feel as if I’m standing in the middle of a damn minefield.”
“Just relax, buddy. You’re among friends.”
“And some are more dangerous than others,” Chance muttered.
5
A NDI WAS SO HUNGRY that she didn’t even care that the steak tasted like charcoal on the outside. Everyone balanced their plates on their lap. After attempts to cut the steak with a knife and fork nearly tipped her plate upside down in the sand, Andi picked up the piece of meat in her fingers. “If it was good enough for my ancestors, it’s good enough for me,” she said, biting into the steak.
“Fine for those of you who have working fingers,” Chance said. Bowie had wrapped three of his with gauze.
“I happen to know you can drive with one hand,” Bowie said. “I’ll bet you can eat one-handed, too.”
“Ah, yes,” Nicole said. “The old one-handed driving technique. The left hand for the steering wheel, the right hand for taking liberties with us, your dates. I remember it well.”
“And they always thought they were being so subtle,” Andi said. “They’d be staring straight ahead, like they didn’t even know you were there in the car. But the hand would come creeping over like Thing in ‘The Addams Family.’”
“You wanted us to look at you?” Chance said. “We’re not about to take our eyes off the road and risk wrapping our pride and joy around a telephone pole.”
“Yeah,” Andi said, laughing, “and you might wreck the car, too.” She noticed that Chance was on his second beer, and it was having a good effect. He was definitelyloosening up. If she could just avoid another mishap, she could build on that “I’m going down to the lake to wash my hands. Anybody else need to do that?”
“I’ll just lick my fingers,” Chance said.
“If I play my cards right, I can get Nicole to lick my fingers,” Bowie said.
“In your dreams, Romeo,” Nicole said. “Andi, would you bring me back a wet napkin? I don’t think I can move from this spot.”
“Anything for you, toots.” Andi grabbed a couple of napkins and stood.
“You’re tired, my little cabbage?” Bowie asked Nicole.
“Exhausted. Don’t forget, it’s two hours later, Chicago time. It’s been a long day for a pregnant lady.”
“Then I guess dancing wild and barefoot on the sand is out,” Bowie said.
“Get Andi to dance with you,” Nicole said as Andi started down toward the lake.
“What about Chance?” Bowie asked.
“Get him to dance with you, too. Just let me sit and digest that charred steak in peace.”
Andi hadn’t considered the prospect of dancing on the beach. Would Chance finally abandon his sedate corporate image, or would he let Bowie be the life of the party, as usual? This night could get very interesting indeed.
She walked to the edge of the lake, the sand cool under her feet near the waterline, and discovered that the lake was filled with
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