Code for: “Are you seeing anybody?”
“Yup.”
“A short visit?”
Code for: “Are you moving back?”
I shrugged. “Maybe.” Right now, it was the truth. I could head back to Boston and find another parlor. Somebody would take me. But my chair was gone, my shop was gone… hell, maybe it was time to get the guys together and start fresh.
“Ellie must be thrilled.”
Code for: “Why’d you leave in the first place?”
It didn’t warrant a reply. The game had been rigged from the beginning. If I answered, my words would be misinterpreted. If I didn’t, they’d fill in the details with speculation. The moment I turned my back, she’d alert the corrections officers of Firefly, and they’d begin their interrogation mission.
She punched a button on the register, and I quickly pulled out my wallet. We exchanged currency instead of words. Despite her traps, I had said all I wanted. I didn’t want to be rude. Being rude didn’t bother me. Feeling seventeen again did. Picking up the brown paper bag, I gave her a slight nod.
I bolted for the door, leaving her with an eyebrow raised, already reaching for her phone. The alert would go out before Ireached the car. I’d find people looking at their phones before searching for me. The FBI should take notes. It’d turn into an all-out manhunt as they tried to unravel the mystery of a massive interloper invading their hometown.
I burst through the front door. The next thing I knew, I bounced off somebody, and I had to hiss as something cold spilled down the front of my shirt into my jeans. Confused, I stared at the bearded man in front of me, his face distorted in terror. It took a moment before I saw the Styrofoam cup with its lid ajar.
“Not the Moxie!” cried a woman’s voice.
I glanced at her, straw still in her mouth as she slurped the contents. Despite it being late spring, she wore a neon-orange hunting cap, her braids poking out the sides. I shivered as the liquid reached my testicles.
“I’m so sorry,” the man said. “We were at the market— I got a Moxie slushie?—”
Looking down, the contents of his drink had spread along my stomach, chunks of ice still dripping into my pants. I wanted to growl and curse him up and down. Just as the snarl pulled at my lip, I surprised myself when it turned into a grin. His terror made it impossible to be mad.
He reached into his pockets. “Here, let me get that.” With a fist full of napkins, he patted down my stomach.
“I told you this was a mistake,” he growled at his companion.
“Stop being a drama queen. Fight it all you want, you need this.”
I didn’t know what she meant, but I was impressed with her ability to deflect his protests and plow forward. It was obvious who wore the pants in this?—
He patted the front of my jeans, pressing against my package. The cold liquid forced out a slight yelp. When he realized he had his hand on my junk, he pulled back, the lines of terrordeepening on his face. In ten seconds, we had gone from spilled drink to heavy petting.
“I—”
My brain sputtered. On one hand, a stranger had his hand on my jeans. On the other hand, it had been a while since a guy had given my package a good pat-down.
“It’s fine,” I said. I felt sorry for the poor guy. He looked exactly like the guy at seventeen I imagined strolling into Firefly. Okay, and maybe also playing with my zipper. “Accidents happen.”
He faked a smile, but it didn’t remove the discomfort. He continued staring at the ground, not making eye contact. Would it be too much to give him a reassuring pat on the shoulder?
“Moxie’s better to wear than to drink,” I joked.
“I don’t know what you mean,” his friend said. She slurped through her straw as if she had discovered the nectar of the gods. I couldn’t tell if the thought of drinking that vile drink or its sticky contents on my cock made me shiver more. Pops had loved the stuff, claiming it put hair on his chest.
“Ignore, Lacie. She’s gone native.” He snatched one of the brown paper bags out of her hand. “Here.” He thrust the bag at me like a child showing off their favorite rock. “Consider it payment for…”
“Don’t think I’m going to share my whoopie pie with you later.” She opened the door to the store, ready to abandon her friend. “Me and this bag of chocolate have a date with a glass of wine and a bubble bath.”
I took the peace offering, if for no other reason than to put this poor guy out of his misery. While his friend dove headfirst into Firefly, he didn’t appear as comfortable. I didn’t know how to convey my understanding. I’m sure we had that in common.
“Are you coming?” Lacie was like a force of nature, a tornado to his gentle breeze. “We need to find some sage if we’re going to remove this curse.”
