Skipped dessert.
Faked a migraine.
Paid my half of the bill because there was no way Twisted Tucker would think I owed him anything.
Drove home in a crazy zigzagging, backtracking pattern to make sure Freak Fetish wasn’t following me.
“Stiiiick…” Everson slurred from his doorway as I stuck my key in the lock.
I grinned, keeping my back to him. “You’re drunk.”
“A bit. It’s my birthday.”
“Happy birthday. How was your party?” I turned.
He tipped back an amber bottle of beer then rubbed his lips together. “It was good after your rat left.”
“Trzy is a cat. I told you that. Everyone gone?”
He nodded. Drunk Everson didn’t look at me like I wasn’t his type.
“I had a crappy date. You should invite me over for a beer.”
“Let me guess… the prick was scared of your leg.”
I liked drunk Everson’s take on things. Sober Everson needed to take a few pointers from him.
“Aw… you do like me.” Stepping in front of him, I peered up at his glassy eyes.
He shook his head. “Never said that.”
“You really did. If being scared of my leg makes my date aprick, then… you like me.”
He smirked, retreating a few steps to allow me into his apartment.
Plastic red cups, paper plates, and empty alcohol bottles dotted the premises.
Everson snagged a beer from his refrigerator. “You’re still not my type, even drunk.” He popped the top and handed me the cold bottle.
“Cool your balls, hot stuff. I’m not going to jump ya.” I took a long pull of my beer. “Tell me about your quarterback?”
Everson quirked a brow. “You tell me. You seemed to know him earlier.”
I shrugged. “We met. I wasn’t available at the time.” I was… I was available like a sofa at the end of a driveway. But… lives at risk.
“Ain’t that a bummer. He’s not available now.”
His response led to me chugging the rest of my beer. After catching my breath and suppressing an unladylike burp, I smiled to hide my disappointment. Seeing the man of my dreams for the first time in three years while holding Trzy was not the best time to size up my competition. She insulted mycat and my lack of knowing who my neighbor was, but I couldn’t focus on her because… Man. Of. My. Dreams.
“Married?”
“Nah, girlfriend.”
I nodded. “Serious?”
He chuckled while collecting some of the trash on the counter. “Listen, Stick, we’re not going to braid each other’s hair and talk about this shit.”
I snatched one of the empty trash bags he set out and went to work on the living room.
