Roman tossed him a one-finger salute.
“I’ve gotta head to work, too.” Zach followed Roman. “For what it’s worth, I actually like Heather. Anyone who visits strip clubs and can make a cookie look like a fireman cock is my kind of person.”
Jase pointed at Zach with the spray bottle of cleaner. “Stay away from her.”
“That’ll be easy because officially you two are no longer together.” Zach rubbed his hands together.
Jase ignored him. Whatever, he was happy in his bubble. Let his family do whatever they were going to do. His siblings were a bucket of stupid in a sea of dumbass, and he’d protect Heather by keeping her out of it.
25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Senior “Senior” Prom Countdown: 0 Days
Heather rolled another round folding table into place, pulling the legs open as she propped it on its side. Then she hefted it up into position.
The room was coming together. Prom was going to happen, and she was pretty sure this time her date was going to show. She looked to where he stood on a ladder stuffing flowers into a trellis, the defined muscles of his arms bunching as he worked. As though he felt the weight of her stare, he glanced to her, his eyes warming on contact. She still got that fluttery new-relationship feeling in her stomach whenever he looked at her like that. The little flutter of anticipation of what was coming next.
“Heather?” Velma asked from where she was ironing tablecloths. “I think we’re short a few?”
“That’s not right. I know I counted.” Heather grabbed the box of supplies and rummaged through, certain they were there.
She’d recruited Velma and Candy for help with setup. Jase had recruited Eli and Brek. They’d all been at work for a few hours already, but the tables were now set, the trellises were placed, and Jase was looping a bazillion flowers onto them.
Heather found the missing cloths in the bottom of the box. “Got them.”
“This one’s ready.” Velma began covering the table Heather had just set up.
“Hold off on those,” Jase said from his position on the ladder. “We’re going to want to move the tables a bit.”
Eli pulled off the tablecloth. “What’s wrong with the tables?”
Yeah, what he said.
Jase rubbed the back of his arm over his forehead. “They’re too close to the dance floor. If we move them about two ticks to the left, we’ll utilize the space better.”
“But then the walkers won’t fit.” Heather tried to envision his suggestion. Yeah, the flow would be better, but the aisles wouldn’t be big enough. “Forget about the wheelchairs getting through. We need the extra space between.” She moved her gaze to him. “If we move those trellises along the side of the dance floor, that’ll open a few more feet.”
Brek groaned. “Don’t do that. It took us an hour to get them stable.”
She pinched her lips together. Hard. That wouldn’t work, either.
“We could just leave the tables where they are,” Velma said from where she ironed another tablecloth. “Then everyone gets through and less work for us.”
Jase climbed down his ladder, surveying the space. “Let’s move this one to that corner, and that one over right next to the DJ.”
“But then the DJ won’t have any space around that side of his station,” Heather replied.
“Let’s just try it. It’ll work.” Jase was already tilting one of the tables to roll it into place. “Eli, grab the other one, would you?”
“Brek, would you go find a walker so we can see if it’ll be enough space to get through?” Heather asked.
“Serious?” he asked.
“She seems pretty serious.” Velma had paused her ironing.
“Hey, Candy, can you help Brek find a walker?” Heather asked her sister.
