gah gah,” Hilary said with the usual coherence she displayed around Seth.
He gave her a quizzical look and plucked Lauren's beer from her hand for a swig. “How's the knee?"
She shrugged. “Not dance-worthy, that's for sure."
"Then you have an excuse for not being surrounded by guys."
Was he giving her permission to be unpopular? Her knee wasn't keeping guys at bay, she was pretty sure it was her “stay away from me, I'm in love with the way wrong guy” expression.
"I'll let you be the center of attention tonight,” she said with forced humor as women made a point of passing by their table to smile invitingly at him. No doubt he'd accept one of their invitations after the show. Seth Escamilla didn't go home alone unless he wanted to.
He laughed and looked at her through heavy lidded eyes. “Variety is the spice of life."
"Says he who only eats at Whataburger and only drinks Bud."
"It's also good to have stability."
"You are so skewed. It's supposed to be one woman, many restaurants.” She fell into the rhythm of their repartee with some sense of relief. At least that hadn't changed, even though the subject they discussed made her woozy.
"At least I'm still going out to restaurants,” he said with a lifted brow.
"I—go out,” she stammered, embarrassed.
"You let one guy ruin your appetite. Maybe you need one guy to bring it back."
He jumped up when a trill on the drums called him back to the stage, and he walked backwards, his eyes still on her. He grabbed his beer from the waitress on the way and saluted Lauren with it while she stared, slack jawed, trying to figure out what the hell he was talking about, afraid she knew exactly what he meant.
Damn. Why had he gone and said something like that out loud? Just because she'd been in his dreams every night since he wrapped her knee didn't mean her feelings about him had changed. He didn't know what he was thinking anyway. He was the way wrong guy for her. Just because he couldn't get her out of his mind didn't mean he was a one woman man, and he couldn't hurt her like that.
He saw even now his words had stunned her. He'd joke it off next break.
But by the next break, Lauren and Hilary were long gone.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Five
Lauren strode into the firehouse the following day, dressed to the nines in her favorite black sweater, skirt and boots, none of which quite met the other piece of clothing. She was tired of feeling less than beautiful, and needed the ego boost.
Plus she needed money from her father.
She headed toward Mitch's office, her head down, hair swinging forward to hide her smile of triumph as yummilicious firefighters stopped what they were doing to follow her progress. Yep, she felt better already. She tried to make her scan for Seth less obvious.
Mitch sat behind his desk, buried in paperwork, and he looked up with a frown when she walked in and perched on the corner. His expression softened almost immediately, and he rose to hug her. “What are you doing here?"
"Going shopping for Crystal's wedding present. You promised me some cash if I did the dirty work.” She held out her hand, palm up.
He looked perplexed as he dug out his wallet. “Something's different about you."
"I'm wearing a skirt."
He took in the fact, scowling a bit at the length. “You aren't meeting your mother, are you?"
Lauren grimaced. “Crystal."
"You're going shopping with Crystal for her wedding gift?” He handed over two fifties.
"No, we have final fittings on the bridesmaid dresses today.” She tucked the money in her purse. “How expensive her gift is depends on how mad she makes me."
Mitch chuckled.
She glanced toward the door, gauging their privacy. No one was in the immediate vicinity, so she asked. “How are you holding up?"
He lifted a shoulder and edged back to his chair. Was he putting distance between them on purpose?
"Everything's different. You know, you're like me. Change is hard for us."
That was not what
He gave her a quizzical look and plucked Lauren's beer from her hand for a swig. “How's the knee?"
She shrugged. “Not dance-worthy, that's for sure."
"Then you have an excuse for not being surrounded by guys."
Was he giving her permission to be unpopular? Her knee wasn't keeping guys at bay, she was pretty sure it was her “stay away from me, I'm in love with the way wrong guy” expression.
"I'll let you be the center of attention tonight,” she said with forced humor as women made a point of passing by their table to smile invitingly at him. No doubt he'd accept one of their invitations after the show. Seth Escamilla didn't go home alone unless he wanted to.
He laughed and looked at her through heavy lidded eyes. “Variety is the spice of life."
"Says he who only eats at Whataburger and only drinks Bud."
"It's also good to have stability."
"You are so skewed. It's supposed to be one woman, many restaurants.” She fell into the rhythm of their repartee with some sense of relief. At least that hadn't changed, even though the subject they discussed made her woozy.
"At least I'm still going out to restaurants,” he said with a lifted brow.
"I—go out,” she stammered, embarrassed.
"You let one guy ruin your appetite. Maybe you need one guy to bring it back."
He jumped up when a trill on the drums called him back to the stage, and he walked backwards, his eyes still on her. He grabbed his beer from the waitress on the way and saluted Lauren with it while she stared, slack jawed, trying to figure out what the hell he was talking about, afraid she knew exactly what he meant.
Damn. Why had he gone and said something like that out loud? Just because she'd been in his dreams every night since he wrapped her knee didn't mean her feelings about him had changed. He didn't know what he was thinking anyway. He was the way wrong guy for her. Just because he couldn't get her out of his mind didn't mean he was a one woman man, and he couldn't hurt her like that.
He saw even now his words had stunned her. He'd joke it off next break.
But by the next break, Lauren and Hilary were long gone.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Five
Lauren strode into the firehouse the following day, dressed to the nines in her favorite black sweater, skirt and boots, none of which quite met the other piece of clothing. She was tired of feeling less than beautiful, and needed the ego boost.
Plus she needed money from her father.
She headed toward Mitch's office, her head down, hair swinging forward to hide her smile of triumph as yummilicious firefighters stopped what they were doing to follow her progress. Yep, she felt better already. She tried to make her scan for Seth less obvious.
Mitch sat behind his desk, buried in paperwork, and he looked up with a frown when she walked in and perched on the corner. His expression softened almost immediately, and he rose to hug her. “What are you doing here?"
"Going shopping for Crystal's wedding present. You promised me some cash if I did the dirty work.” She held out her hand, palm up.
He looked perplexed as he dug out his wallet. “Something's different about you."
"I'm wearing a skirt."
He took in the fact, scowling a bit at the length. “You aren't meeting your mother, are you?"
Lauren grimaced. “Crystal."
"You're going shopping with Crystal for her wedding gift?” He handed over two fifties.
"No, we have final fittings on the bridesmaid dresses today.” She tucked the money in her purse. “How expensive her gift is depends on how mad she makes me."
Mitch chuckled.
She glanced toward the door, gauging their privacy. No one was in the immediate vicinity, so she asked. “How are you holding up?"
He lifted a shoulder and edged back to his chair. Was he putting distance between them on purpose?
"Everything's different. You know, you're like me. Change is hard for us."
That was not what
Similar Books
