“You’re enjoying this way too much,”he said with a mentalsigh.
“I’m twenty-four,” he answered. “Though with as many hours as I work, it feels more likesixty-four.”
Sally coughed to cover her own laugh. Her parents were going to think they both had some sort of condition that caused sporadic jerkymotions.
“Have you ever been marriedbefore?”
“Dad!” Sally groaned. “He’s twenty-four, not forty-four.”
Her dad shrugged. “People are married and divorced by twenty-four these days. How about kids? Got any children with other babymamas?”
Sally smacked her hand to her face. Did her dad seriously just saybaby mamma? “Mom, make him stop,please.”
Her mom laughed. “Chris, that’s not somethingCost—”
Costin cut her off. “Your daughter is actually the only woman I’ve ever shared the marriage bed with, and that only happenedafterwe actuallymarried.”
No. He. Did. Not. Sally knew her face was every shade of red on the colorwheel.
“Really?” Her dad’s voice rose in admiration. “A virgin at twenty-four?”
She could feel Costin’s delight at her embarrassment. “But Sally has thoroughly corruptedme.”
“Stop!” She nearly shouted. “You two”—she pointed between her dad and Costin sitting up in the front seats—“should not be discussing marriage beds or Costin’s virginity or me corrupting him. Seriously,Dad.”
“Actually,” Costin said slowly, “there was a time in history when the status of a female’s maidenhead was very publicknowledge.”
“NO!” Sally held her hands up and shook her head. “Do not even go there. Juststop.”
Her mom was absolutely no help, giggling like a damn school girl. Sally shot a glare at her, and Cindy Morgan simply shrugged and mouthed, ‘I likehim.’
“Any more talk about sex, maidens, or the like, and I will physically throw myself from thevehicle.”
“Dramatic much, Sally mine,”he murmured in hermind.
“Maidenhead, Costin?Really?”
“Don’t be embarrassed, sweet thing. It’s not a secret that yours is definitely notintact.”
“I’m going to smother you in your sleep. Just letting you know ahead of time so you aren’tsurprised.”
He laughed out loud, and her dad looked sideways at him. “Sorry, I just thought of a goodjoke.”
“Oh, I love a good joke. Please, share,” her dad said, sounding very much like the nerd hewas.
The rest of the car ride was spent with her dad and Costin trading corny jokes. Costin’s were usually bar jokes, and her dad’s were nerd jokes. Costin found themhilarious.
Her mom leaned over with a sly smile. “He’s gorgeous, has a great personality, and he’s ambitious. What’s wrong with him? No male is that perfect,” her momwhispered.
Sally grinned. “Well…” shebegan.
“Sally,”Costin’s voice waswarning.
“He’s bossy. He’s possessive. He’s a tad clingy. He says inappropriate things just to see meblush…”
“She adores all of those qualities, Mrs. Morgan,” Costin interrupted. “Just yesterday she was telling me how she loved it when Iordered—”
Sally jumped forward and slammed her hand over his mouth.“If you ever want to go there again, do not finish that sentence. So help me, Costin, I will go all Jen on your dimpledass.”
