Neesa lifted Rylee’s trench coat and held it to her chest. “On his way out, I heard Jasper saying on his phone that they were leaving here to go to the hospital. But they’d still be on time at Macadoo’s for their weekly meet-up.”
“It’s not at all suspect that you know they’ll be there?”
“No,” Neesa walked to the hook where Rylee kept her coat, “because I was slinking from potted plant to potted plant so I could eavesdrop.”
“Stop.”
“I’m kidding. I was walking to the ladies' room when he was making the plans on the phone. All is fair in love and war.” She handed Rylee her coat.
Rylee pulled her hair over her shoulder out of the way before slinging her coat on. “And which is this?”
“The war would be against corruption. Love on the other hand?” She shrugged. “Wouldn’t that be nice? How about we go have a beer and leave?”
“I don’t see why not. Let’s get Erica to come with us. Two can look desperate—which we are not—and three looks like a girl group.”
Neesa pulled her phone from her pocket and sent a text. “Erica’s in the vault. I asked her to join us so I could buy her a beer.”
The phone dinged.
“She says she’s game, and she’ll meet us there. She’s just helping Stew close up.”
The sidewalk was busy with people moving from their work-a-day life toward their evening obligations.
It was only a ten-minute walk to get to the bar.
Rylee could tell by Neesa’s shortened pace that Neesa was getting anxious. Neesa wasn’t a jittery kind of person. She was mostly Zen about life. The rare exception was Neesa’s nervous reaction around men she found attractive. This was a big tell about how much she liked Jasper, so it was Rylee’s duty as the wingman in this situation to change the energy. “You’ve got that look on your face,” Rylee said.
Neesa raised her face with her eyes held unblinking. “What look?”
“Sour. Tense.” Rylee pushed her hands in her coat pockets as the night turned cool. “The look you get when you haven’t been laid in a while.”
Neesa pressed her lips together.
“Jasper’s going to pick up on it, and you’re going to scare him off,” Rylee said. “I’m serious.”
“I don’t want anything serious. I’m at full capacity right now.”
“I disagree,” Rylee shifted gears again as Neesa’s pace slowed. “If the right guy walked into the picture, you’d make space and time for him. But you interrupted. I’mseriousthat if you can’t find Mr. Right, at least for now, you should find a man equally uncommitted to a future, and you can call each other to burn off some steam.”
Neesa considered that. “He’d have to be good.”
“Agreed, someone who has excellent sack skills and no desire to talk to you.”
“Isn’t that the dream?” Neesa laughed. “If only such a man existed. It’s the sack skills that are missing. There are plenty of men who don’t want to talk to me.”
“Why do you think that is?” Rylee wasn’t sure if Neesa was going along with the riff or if she meant that.
“I don’t know.” They came to the corner and stopped, waiting to cross. “I don’t give off the approachable vibe. Like that woman over there.”
Rylee looked across to a woman in a soft pink sweater and comfortable jeans. Her hair was long and glossy, and she was holding her Maltese doggo in her arms. She did indeed look like she’d smile and welcome any conversation, especially one that praised her dog. “Very approachable,” Rylee agreed. “Well, you could try a wardrobe change for a bit and see if you can’t lure in what you’re looking for. You’d have to invest in a dog, though. I think that’s her schtick.”
“I don’t want a dog. I want a booty call—wasn’t that popular around the time we were born?” Neesa asked.
When there was a break in the traffic, Rylee bumped Neesa’s arm, and they trotted across the street. “I don’t know why that had to fade away as a popular thing. At the same time, I don’t like you putting those two ideas together.”
“Why’s that?” Neesa asked as they stepped over the curb and turned toward the shops.
“Women were getting their needs met with booty calls, and we happened to be born about that time.”
