"Same." I look around. "Where's your car?"
"My boyfriend dropped me off."
I don't like the way she saysboyfriend. Like she's pointing it out, or rubbing it in. Like she wants to make sure I know.
It works. A hostile heat spreads through my chest. "Does your boyfriend have a name?"
"You wouldn't know him," she says, but what I really think she means isyou aren't the type of person he'd be friends with.
I make a face. "Come off it, Jo. I know everyone."
She folds her arms. "I highly doubt that."
I fold my arms too, ready to retort, but I'm stopped by what Jo's doing. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Jo Shelton, good girl extraordinaire, just checked out my bare chest. And my arms.
I'd love to tease her for it, but I know how badly that will go, so I call upon every ounce of willpower and keep my words to myself. I allow myself a smirk though, and I make sure she sees it, because I can't let her get away with it completely. Pink blooms on her cheeks.Good.
She turns around, muttering.
"What was that?" I ask.
"Put a shirt on," she snaps, walking back to the trailer.
I laugh, then remember what started all this. "Why did you scream and run out?"
"Massive spider."
"Do you want me to come kill it?"
"I already did."
"Then why did you run out?"
Her cheeks pink even deeper. "It's what I do when I kill a big bug. It's my, uh…"
Never in my life have I seen Jo fumble for words. She's so confident, so careful, so…contained.
"Just say it," I coax.
"It's my battle cry."
I try not to laugh, but it can't be helped. "Battle cry?"
"It gives me the guts to kill it. Otherwise I can't do it."
"Battle cry…" I contemplate the idea.
"Don't tell anybody I told you that."
I nod. She goes back into the trailer. I resume what I was doing, working until I'm not just out of water, but also parched, because she's still here.
I stop only when a newer model sedan pulls up. A guy steps out, her boyfriend I'm assuming. He's tall, but not as tall as me. He's thin, and nowhere near as muscular as me either. As pissing contests go, I'm winning.
I don't know why I think we need to have a pissing contest. We don't. Jo is his girlfriend, and she hates me only slightly less than she hated me yesterday.I think. Progress.
Jo comes out of the trailer. She greets her boyfriend in a pleasant but subdued way. Probably because I'm nearby.
It would be awkward if I completely ignored them, even though I want to, so I come over and say hello. Jo starts to make introductions, but I cut her off, not to be rude but to prove a point.
