fudge?”
“Yes, please.”
“Banana split or sundae?”
She looked at the boy, wavered, conscious of her greed and the fact that those shorts had been so tight last night. “Sundae.”
“Nah, that hesitation was way too long.” To the boy, he said, “It’s our first date and she doesn’t want me to think she’s a pig. You know women.”
The kid was starstruck in three seconds, giving Thomas an abashed smile at being included in the knowing-about-women thing. “So, a hot fudge banana split, then?”
“Two banana splits, one hot fudge, one normal withnuts and whipped cream. The works.” He pulled money out of his front pocket and peeled off several one-dollar bills he tossed on the counter, then looked at Luna with a wink. He patted his belly. “I’m a guy. We don’t have to go easy, even when we get big as cars.”
She grinned. “It would be good to be a guy at times.”
“It’s always good to be a guy.”
Something about the spread of his strong, square hand gave her a jolt of greed—a flash of those fingers on her body, his mouth on hers, a shockingly intense kind of thought. She found herself flushing, and looked over her shoulder for a place to sit down. “I’ll get the napkins and spoons. That table look good to you?”
“Sure.”
She gathered supplies and settled at a picnic table at the far end of the concrete apron. On the horizon, the clouds were darkening. Erratic, distant threads of lightning wove through them, but there was not yet any smell of rain.
Thomas joined her and didn’t sit across the table as she had expected, but right beside her, and not at a decent distance away, either. His thigh touched hers, bringing back her greed. She shifted a little away, took her banana split, bending to inhale the scent of chocolate for a moment. “Ah, thank you,” she said. “It’s very wicked.”
“Yeah—my mom keeps nagging me to eat better, but she doesn’t live here, so I’m safe.” His grin was wide and winning, showing big white teeth and crinkles around his eyes. “I wasn’t kiddin’ about being an ice cream-aholic, either. I’m crazy for it.”
“I used to see you here a lot last summer.”
Something stricken crossed his mouth. “Hard summer. First one, you know, I was divorced.” He dippedhis spoon into strawberries and vanilla ice cream, lifted it up.
Damn. He was
so
not over his divorce. “Sorry to remind you of the bad times.”
He shrugged. “You remember that, don’t you, going through the rituals by yourself?”
“Yeah,” she said. “I left town—but it was a little different for us. I hated my ex by then, and I was afraid of what I might do if I stayed.” Especially since she’d been drinking at the time. Drinking a lot. Late at night, her fantasies had been very dark indeed.
Interest glittered in his eyes. “Like what?”
“Oh, lots of things. I made up so many revenge strategies they would fill a book.”
“Tell me one.”
“Hmmm.” She swirled chocolate and vanilla together, admiring the preciseness of thin chocolate threads in the white. “Okay. One favorite was putting a bunch of rattlesnakes in their house one night—but of course, Joy lived with them, right, so that wouldn’t work.”
“Them? So it was an affair that broke up the marriage?”
“Yep.” She sighed. “They’re still together, so I guess it was true love or something.”
He snorted. “Or something. Tell me another revenge fantasy.”
“It’s been a long time.” She had to stop and think. “The usuals—sugar in the gas tanks, slit tires, breaking windows. I knew my ex would hate the mess eggs would make on his car, and I came very, very close to doing that.” She took a bite. “Oh, I remember one— ants in their bed. Kind of the same category as snakes, though, I’m afraid. I ran to comic book tortures.” She inclined her head. “Now you tell me one.”
“I didn’t have any.”
“Not a single one?” Much as Luna tried to repress her,
“Yes, please.”
“Banana split or sundae?”
She looked at the boy, wavered, conscious of her greed and the fact that those shorts had been so tight last night. “Sundae.”
“Nah, that hesitation was way too long.” To the boy, he said, “It’s our first date and she doesn’t want me to think she’s a pig. You know women.”
The kid was starstruck in three seconds, giving Thomas an abashed smile at being included in the knowing-about-women thing. “So, a hot fudge banana split, then?”
“Two banana splits, one hot fudge, one normal withnuts and whipped cream. The works.” He pulled money out of his front pocket and peeled off several one-dollar bills he tossed on the counter, then looked at Luna with a wink. He patted his belly. “I’m a guy. We don’t have to go easy, even when we get big as cars.”
She grinned. “It would be good to be a guy at times.”
“It’s always good to be a guy.”
Something about the spread of his strong, square hand gave her a jolt of greed—a flash of those fingers on her body, his mouth on hers, a shockingly intense kind of thought. She found herself flushing, and looked over her shoulder for a place to sit down. “I’ll get the napkins and spoons. That table look good to you?”
“Sure.”
She gathered supplies and settled at a picnic table at the far end of the concrete apron. On the horizon, the clouds were darkening. Erratic, distant threads of lightning wove through them, but there was not yet any smell of rain.
Thomas joined her and didn’t sit across the table as she had expected, but right beside her, and not at a decent distance away, either. His thigh touched hers, bringing back her greed. She shifted a little away, took her banana split, bending to inhale the scent of chocolate for a moment. “Ah, thank you,” she said. “It’s very wicked.”
“Yeah—my mom keeps nagging me to eat better, but she doesn’t live here, so I’m safe.” His grin was wide and winning, showing big white teeth and crinkles around his eyes. “I wasn’t kiddin’ about being an ice cream-aholic, either. I’m crazy for it.”
“I used to see you here a lot last summer.”
Something stricken crossed his mouth. “Hard summer. First one, you know, I was divorced.” He dippedhis spoon into strawberries and vanilla ice cream, lifted it up.
Damn. He was
so
not over his divorce. “Sorry to remind you of the bad times.”
He shrugged. “You remember that, don’t you, going through the rituals by yourself?”
“Yeah,” she said. “I left town—but it was a little different for us. I hated my ex by then, and I was afraid of what I might do if I stayed.” Especially since she’d been drinking at the time. Drinking a lot. Late at night, her fantasies had been very dark indeed.
Interest glittered in his eyes. “Like what?”
“Oh, lots of things. I made up so many revenge strategies they would fill a book.”
“Tell me one.”
“Hmmm.” She swirled chocolate and vanilla together, admiring the preciseness of thin chocolate threads in the white. “Okay. One favorite was putting a bunch of rattlesnakes in their house one night—but of course, Joy lived with them, right, so that wouldn’t work.”
“Them? So it was an affair that broke up the marriage?”
“Yep.” She sighed. “They’re still together, so I guess it was true love or something.”
He snorted. “Or something. Tell me another revenge fantasy.”
“It’s been a long time.” She had to stop and think. “The usuals—sugar in the gas tanks, slit tires, breaking windows. I knew my ex would hate the mess eggs would make on his car, and I came very, very close to doing that.” She took a bite. “Oh, I remember one— ants in their bed. Kind of the same category as snakes, though, I’m afraid. I ran to comic book tortures.” She inclined her head. “Now you tell me one.”
“I didn’t have any.”
“Not a single one?” Much as Luna tried to repress her,
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