girlfriend material.”
“Either that, or he doesn’t want to fish off the apartment
pier,” Linda said.
The two women wanted to go fishing with Derek? Sosie would
have asked, but Tracee continued.
“Well, whatever it is, we’re not going to get a shot with
him. Which means Linda and I will have to live vicariously through you.” She
grinned at Sosie. “Did you and Derek hook up last night?”
Sosie frowned. “Hook up to what?”
“To each other, silly. You really aren’t from around here,
are you?” Tracee asked, then clarified, “You know, did you two have sex?”
“Oh!” Sosie blushed. “No. Derek was a complete gentleman.”
At the crestfallen looks on both women’s faces, she added, “But I did see him
without his shirt.
Tracee and Linda looked at each other, then sighed in
unison.
“Well, don’t leave us hanging,” Tracee said. “We want details.”
Linda nodded eagerly. “Does he look as good underneath his
T-shirt as we think?”
Sosie grinned. “Better. I had a hard time falling asleep
after seeing that chest of his.”
Both women let out another dramatic sigh.
“Okay, you’ve made me jealous enough for today. Let’s talk
about something else besides our hunky neighbor,” Tracee said. “Like how long
you’ll be in the city.”
Sosie hesitated. “I’m not sure. Probably a day or two.”
Or however long it took for Elf Central to find her. Since
they weren’t going to come looking for her in Derek’s apartment, she was
probably going to have to go back to the building where the transport sled had
landed. She doubted she would meet up with the search party, but she could at
least leave a note telling them where she was. If she could find the building
again.
“Linda and I would be happy to show you the sights while
you’re here, if you want.” Tracee grinned. “If Derek doesn’t want to play tour
guide, that is.”
Sosie looked over at Derek as she considered that. While she
certainly wouldn’t mind spending more time with him, she didn’t think he’d be
able to play tour guide—as Tracee had called it—since he did detective work
during the day and his moonlighting job at night. She opened her mouth to tell
the dark-haired woman as much, but Derek came over before she could say
anything.
“Sorry it took me so long.” He held out the plastic cup he
was carrying. “I wasn’t sure whether to get you beer or soda, so I went with
the soda.”
Sosie had never had either, so whatever he picked was fine
with her. Taking the cup, she lifted it to her mouth and was surprised when
bubbles tickled her nose. She cautiously took a sip. It was different than
anything she was used to drinking up at the North Pole, but it was good. Really
good.
“We’re going to mingle.” Tracee gave Sosie a wink. “We’ll
see you later.”
Sosie sipped her drink as she watched the two women make
their way over to where John was standing talking to another man. She had a
sneaking suspicion Tracee and Linda had left so she could be alone with Derek.
“Tracee and Linda didn’t talk your ear off, did they?”
Figgy, she hadn’t known such a thing was possible. Sosie
quickly reached up to check that both ears were still firmly attached. “Still
there.”
“That’s a relief.”
Sosie silently agreed. She was rather fond of her ears. It
was only after she saw Derek’s mouth twitch that she realized he’d been teasing
about the women actually being able to talk her ears off. Embarrassed, she took
a sip of soda.
“Tracee and Linda thought you might want to show me around
the city while I’m here, but I figured you’d probably be too busy with your
work.”
He looked at her over the rim of the brown bottle in his
hand as he lifted it to his mouth and took a swig of whatever was inside.
“Actually, I’m not busy at all. I have off tomorrow anyway, so I’d be glad to
show you around. If you haven’t already gotten hold of your friends by then, I
mean.”
She had no idea if
“Either that, or he doesn’t want to fish off the apartment
pier,” Linda said.
The two women wanted to go fishing with Derek? Sosie would
have asked, but Tracee continued.
“Well, whatever it is, we’re not going to get a shot with
him. Which means Linda and I will have to live vicariously through you.” She
grinned at Sosie. “Did you and Derek hook up last night?”
Sosie frowned. “Hook up to what?”
“To each other, silly. You really aren’t from around here,
are you?” Tracee asked, then clarified, “You know, did you two have sex?”
“Oh!” Sosie blushed. “No. Derek was a complete gentleman.”
At the crestfallen looks on both women’s faces, she added, “But I did see him
without his shirt.
Tracee and Linda looked at each other, then sighed in
unison.
“Well, don’t leave us hanging,” Tracee said. “We want details.”
Linda nodded eagerly. “Does he look as good underneath his
T-shirt as we think?”
Sosie grinned. “Better. I had a hard time falling asleep
after seeing that chest of his.”
Both women let out another dramatic sigh.
“Okay, you’ve made me jealous enough for today. Let’s talk
about something else besides our hunky neighbor,” Tracee said. “Like how long
you’ll be in the city.”
Sosie hesitated. “I’m not sure. Probably a day or two.”
Or however long it took for Elf Central to find her. Since
they weren’t going to come looking for her in Derek’s apartment, she was
probably going to have to go back to the building where the transport sled had
landed. She doubted she would meet up with the search party, but she could at
least leave a note telling them where she was. If she could find the building
again.
“Linda and I would be happy to show you the sights while
you’re here, if you want.” Tracee grinned. “If Derek doesn’t want to play tour
guide, that is.”
Sosie looked over at Derek as she considered that. While she
certainly wouldn’t mind spending more time with him, she didn’t think he’d be
able to play tour guide—as Tracee had called it—since he did detective work
during the day and his moonlighting job at night. She opened her mouth to tell
the dark-haired woman as much, but Derek came over before she could say
anything.
“Sorry it took me so long.” He held out the plastic cup he
was carrying. “I wasn’t sure whether to get you beer or soda, so I went with
the soda.”
Sosie had never had either, so whatever he picked was fine
with her. Taking the cup, she lifted it to her mouth and was surprised when
bubbles tickled her nose. She cautiously took a sip. It was different than
anything she was used to drinking up at the North Pole, but it was good. Really
good.
“We’re going to mingle.” Tracee gave Sosie a wink. “We’ll
see you later.”
Sosie sipped her drink as she watched the two women make
their way over to where John was standing talking to another man. She had a
sneaking suspicion Tracee and Linda had left so she could be alone with Derek.
“Tracee and Linda didn’t talk your ear off, did they?”
Figgy, she hadn’t known such a thing was possible. Sosie
quickly reached up to check that both ears were still firmly attached. “Still
there.”
“That’s a relief.”
Sosie silently agreed. She was rather fond of her ears. It
was only after she saw Derek’s mouth twitch that she realized he’d been teasing
about the women actually being able to talk her ears off. Embarrassed, she took
a sip of soda.
“Tracee and Linda thought you might want to show me around
the city while I’m here, but I figured you’d probably be too busy with your
work.”
He looked at her over the rim of the brown bottle in his
hand as he lifted it to his mouth and took a swig of whatever was inside.
“Actually, I’m not busy at all. I have off tomorrow anyway, so I’d be glad to
show you around. If you haven’t already gotten hold of your friends by then, I
mean.”
She had no idea if
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