Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Title

moment to pull himself together.
    Helen Lee was a great kisser.
    Why hadn’t they done this before?
    They weren’t really even doing it now, he reminded himself. It was just research. That totally didn’t count, even though he had his tongue down her throat and she had her hand on his crotch.
    He was glad she’d stopped before they went any further. Henry was starting to forget that he was supposed to be acting out a sex scene in a romance novel instead of making out with his best friend. He’d never really thought about making out with her before. She was just . . . she was Helen. Henry didn’t make out with Helen.
    He stopped walking to let George and Tammy sniff the bushes. One of the hazards of walking hounds was the constant pauses for investigation. Sort of defeated the purpose of him walking off some of his lust before he made a fool of himself. Couldn’t really burn much energy standing still.
    â€œHenry?”
    Startled out of his thoughts, which had started to veer toward the silkiness of Helen’s hair and how good it felt sliding through his fingers, he saw Grace and Jake approaching on the sidewalk.
    â€œHey, doggies.” Grace squatted down to receive slobbery kisses from George and Tammy.
    â€œHenry,” Jake said, giving him a man-nod in greeting.
    â€œJake.” Henry man-nodded back.
    â€œWhere’s Helen?” Grace asked, extricating herself from the puppy pit.
    â€œUh . . . she’s back at the house. Doing some work. I’m walking her dogs.”
    â€œI see that,” Grace said. Henry ignored her raised eyebrow.
    â€œWell, I’m just walking my fiancé,” Grace filled in when no more information was forthcoming.
    Jake responded by pinching her side, which made Grace squeal and set the dogs to howling.
    â€œGod, I haven’t seen Helen in forever,” Grace said after she pulled herself together. “I’m a terrible friend.”
    â€œYou’ve been distracted,” Jake said, throwing an arm around her shoulder.
    â€œYou still think something is bothering her?” Grace asked.
    â€œOh, uh . . .” Nothing that taking off their shirts couldn’t fix.
    â€œLindsey agreed with you, you know.”
    â€œHuh?”
    â€œThat there is something going on with Helen.”
    â€œLindsey thinks there’s something wrong with everybody,” Jake said. “The more wrong with someone, the more Lindsey likes ’em. What else could she possibly see in Walker?”
    â€œHa ha,” Grace said. Jake wasn’t wrong, though. Lindsey was sweet, but a busybody. She was just so nice you hardly noticed she was completely butting into your business. None of that had anything to do with her reclusive artist boyfriend, who was good friends with Jake, despite what Jake said about him. Guys being guys. Henry didn’t get it. He wore bow ties.
    â€œIt’s probably something at work,” Henry suggested, hoping to throw Grace off the trail of him and Helen with their shirts off.
    â€œWork? I knew I shouldn’t have skipped out on Sunday.” She punched Jake in the arm. He did not look sorry.
    â€œI bet she could use a disruption. Come on.” Grace pulled her fiancé behind her and headed toward Helen’s house.
    â€œWait, no!”
    Grace and Jake stopped in their tracks. George and Tammy looked up at him expectantly.
    Henry had to think on his feet, which was not his specialty, especially since it involved lying, which he couldn’t do to save his life. He hoped he could do it to save Helen the potential embarrassment of having her friends walk in while she was typing. Topless.
    â€œShe, uh, she’s not home!” Perfect! They wouldn’t want to visit her if she wasn’t there.
    â€œWhere is she?” Grace asked, thwarting all of Henry’s plans for a smooth exit.
    â€œI don’t know,” he said smoothly.
    â€œYou don’t know where she is? But