“Fuck yeah,” he said, then immediately had to say, “Ah,hell.No.”
“Pardon?”
“I’m supposed to go over to my brother’s tonight for dinner.He and his girlfriend are in this zone to get me to sort my shit with hersister, who’s apparently cleaned up her act.She’s also my ex, which isproblematic to their goal of all of us stomaching each other for family shitsince Dutch and Georgie are breaking the land-speed record for most committedrelationship in the shortest period of time.”
She looked both freaked and amused when she inquired, “Whichone is Dutch and which one is Georgie?”
“Dutch is my brother.Georgie is his girl.”
“I should have called that.And…your ex is her sister?”
“I had the sister first.Dutch is the copycat on that.”
She was nodding at the same time still looking amused.
“Though, he got the better one,” Jag continued.
“This definitely would make things uncomfortable, yougottaput up with the ex at family affairs.”
“Yeah, especially when she fleeced me, repeatedly, for moneythat was supposed to be helping her out paying rent because she said herlandlord kept jacking her around, when really she was snorting my money up hernose and buying three thousand dollar purses.Her sole purpose for being withme was being on the grift.She supposedly fell for me sometime through that,but that’s not my problem.My problem is, I’m told she’s found the road toredemption and Igottasit at a table with a womanwho pissed away thousands of dollars that I earned.”
“Holy fuck, Jagger,” she whispered, horrified, but also, hesensed, angry.
“Yeah, so I’d actuallywannasayyes to dinner with you and then take you over to Dutch and Georgie’s, because Iwant time with you, and it’d be cool they met you.Though, full disclosure,also because Carolyn would fucking hate that.But I wouldn’t do that to youbecause that would not be fun for you and we should have time for ourselvesbefore we get to shit like that.”
“I hear you, but I’m game.”
Jagger stared at her.
“Seriously,” she went on, “if they’ve got enough food tofeed me, I could totally play girlfriend to get in the face of some grifter whoconned you out of your hard-earned cash.”
“I didn’t say my cash was hard-earned.I dig my job.Itisn’t like every day’s a trip to Disneyland, but I love what I do.”
“You still earned that cash and gave it to her to be adecent guy, not for her to use you and blow money you could be using to buymore motorcycle boots with.”
He grinned down at her.
She grinned up at him.
And she asked, “So, we on?”
He stopped grinning and asked back, “Are you serious?”
She shrugged.“Why not?”
“Maybe I should take you out on a proper date before I takeyou to my brother’s house for dinner.”
“Why?”
He opened his mouth.
Closed it.
Opened it again.
But he said nothing.
Archie spoke.“In case you didn’t get it, I’m over my snitof you being a big baby about our tiff a few years ago.”
