Tean grabbed his glass of water.He stabbed the straw around.A lot.Finally, he snapped, “You know what.”
Jem put up his hands in mock surrender.
“If I tried that, do you know what would happen?”
“You’d somehow end up marrying a woman because she got the wrong idea and tried to pick you up, and you didn’t want to be rude?”
“Yes, actually.And then do you know what would happen?”
“God, please tell me.”
“I’d—”
“Make it bloody.”
“Well, it’s not bloody—”
“Can your guts come out your butt or something like that?”
Tean’s mouth made a horrified O.Then he snapped it shut.
Jem made acome ongesture with one hand.
“No,” Tean said.“I’m not going to tell you.”
“Babe!”
“And what I was trying to tell you earlier—” Tean said.
“Babe, that is so unfair.I was giving you suggestions!”
“—is when that woman saw I’d noticed her, she left.”
For a moment, Jem thought about that.“Maybe she was hoping you’d follow her.”
“Jem!”
“I’m just saying, maybe she wanted to hook up.”
More stabbing with the straw.Lots of stabbing.
Laughing, Jem said, “What’d she look like?”
Tean’s hand slowed.He frowned.“Blond, but she had part of it dyed pink.Thin.Thirties or forties, maybe.”
“So, like half the people in this room.”
Tean gave a miserable shrug.
“She’s not here now?”Jem asked.
Tean shook his head.
“What was she wearing?”
“Uh, this top kind of thing.And pants.”
Jem waited.And when nothing else came, he somehow managed to say, “So, she was wearing clothes.”
