And I knew just how to do it.
***
“Where arewe going again?” Brent asked nonchalantly from my right, staring out the cab’s window the next evening after Mr. Fresby’s pronouncement.
“Nice try,” I grumbled, sulking back in the seat between their hulking forms. Try as I might, I still hadn’t been able to figure out who was watching over me today. Wherever they spied from it was darn concealed. And annoying. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”
“Is it someplace to eat?” Cole stretched his legs out as far as he could, squashing me further. “I’m famished.”
Even dressed down from their suits into something casual – as I had requested, they both looked like a million bucks. Cole had chosen a pair of dark jeans that cost at least three hundred dollars and a black and white graffiti shirt that was straight from Bloomindale’s. Brent wore tan cargo shorts that cut off a few inches below his knee that probably cost just as much as Cole’s jeans and a white V-necked tee that was by the same designer.Their shirts and pants accentuated their muscular builds, but still spoke of money.
I, on the other hand, had done some laundry today and wore my black cargo capris, flaming yellow shirt that had Count Dracula’s smiling face printed on it, fangs and all, a black scarf twisted through my hair to hold it back from my face, and black converse with frilly black socks, silver studded belt and wrist bands. My make-up was fixed extra dark, including my lips, which I had painted in black. Normally, I went with a simple lip gloss, but I had felt a little festive.
And again, no one would ever point us out in a line-up as having ties to one another.
“Well, there will be food involved,” I supplied and shrugged as best I could since my shoulders were trapped under theirs.
Possibly, a bigger cab would be ideal next time. We had only ever gone out to dinner with the entire group before, so this was our first “date” without anyone else. I didn’t hold it against them, though. Half the time they worked so late into the night they barely stopped to even eat dinner. Or watch Peter squirm and yelp from the kitchen when Ally made dinner.
Peter wasn’t one to back down from a debt owed, though. I’m fairly sure he had a few new scars from the ordeal before he had wised up and started wearing a hockey mask and pads that he purchased from a sporting goods store. In his defense, it had only taken him one night to figure that out. But, that had been a pretty entertaining evening with only minor bloodshed. Peter currently said a small prayer before every meal wishing Sam aquickand safe flight here. He seems to think having her here will help Ally. I didn’t think so, she had always been that way, but you never know.
“Food will beinvolved…” Brent murmured, trying hard to figure out my secret.
“I hope that includes a delicious steak and a large glass of wine,” Cole said dreamily.
“A filet mignon would really hit the spot right about now,” Brent agreed and rubbed his flat stomach.
I tried not to smirk. This was going to be fun.
A few minutes passed by in companionable silence, when Cole broke it to ask, “Sweetheart, are you sure you gave the driver the right address?” He was staring out the window, his eyes turning to slits as he angled his body protectively against me.
Brent opened his eyes and inclined his head from its rested position. He tensed, grabbing my knee and angling his own body so that I was boxed into the seat, completely without a view of the dregs of the city currently passing by.
I tried to push them away, but it was like two actual boulders had become their bodies. Rock-solid and immovable. I huffed. I was tempted to tickle Cole, since I had that insight, but that wouldn’t be nice since they were just being protective. Neanderthals, yes. But, only protective Neanderthals.
“Will you two cut it out?” I squirmed some more when they started to give the cabby a hard time. “He’s driving us exactly where I wanted him to!”
Unbelievably, both boulders tensed even more.
Brent asked in a soft, soft voice, “And where would that be, darlin’? A drive-by shooting?”
The cab stopped then. Thank goodness, since I was starting to sweat between their combined body heat.
“That’ll be thirty-seven dollars,” the cabby grumbled from his seat. I couldn’t see him, but he didn’t sound pleased to have two ticked off bulls in his back seat.
They didn’t move.
“Get out,” I ordered.
“Not on your life,” Cole spoke just as ominously as Brent. “I don’t know what you were thinking, but this area is not even remotely legitimate.” He paused. “I know better areas in Afghanistan and Iraq.”
Brent grunted his agreement.
This was ridiculous and I was getting fed up. “Do you two trust me or not?”
Gradually, both nodded their heads as they scanned the landscape that I couldn’t see.
“Good. Then get out.” I jabbed their thighs – all I could move - with my fists. “We have an appointment that we need to be on time for.”
