It's All Geek to Me (Nerds & Geeks Book 3) by Vicki Lewis Thompson Page A

shoulder. Didn’t recalculate for the heels.” He should have. She always wore really high heels on Friday. Called them her TGIF shoes, although she had a different take on the acronym. In her world it stood for Thank God I’m Fabulous.
    For some reason his explanation about the donkey tail placement set her off again. As she quivered with uncontrollable laughter, the donkey tail danced a jig. Frazer couldn’t stop staring at it.
    “Nice going, Fraze!” The tattooed brother-in-law slapped him on the back. “Okay, who’s next? Grandma Betsy, your turn!”
    While the game moved on, Dulcie struggled to get a grip. But each time she’d clear her throat and take a breath, she’d glance at Frazer and lose it again.
    Stepping back, he fished his glasses out of his shirt pocket and put them on. Sure enough, the donkey tail was still dancing in time to her giggles. His buddies at Caltech had dragged him to a strip joint once and he’d never forgotten the twirling tassels. He didn’t want to be thinking of them now, but he couldn’t help it. “You should probably take that off.”
    She gulped for air. “Can’t.” Another giggle escaped.
    “Why not?”
    “All the tails . . . have to . . . stay put. Now so do I.” She wrapped her arms around her middle. “Damn, my sides hurt.”
    “You swore, Aunt Dulcie,” piped up a tow-headed cherub of about five. “I’m gettin’ the jar!” And off he ran, little legs pumping.
    “Oops.” She took a shaky breath and grinned at Frazer. “Wouldn’t happen to have fifty cents in your pocket, would you?”
    “For what?”
    “The Swear Jar. I left my purse back in my mom’s bedroom.”
    “Yeah, I think so.” He pulled out two quarters just as the little boy came back with a glass jar full of change.
    The kid held it out. “Pay up, Aunt Dulcie.”
    “I’ll pay for her.” Frazer started to put the first quarter in the slot cut into the lid.
    “Nope.” He pulled the jar away. “ She has to pay. That’s the rule.”
    Frazer crouched next to the boy. “What’s your name?”
    “Henry.” The little guy hunkered down, too.
    “Right. Henry.” Frazer had been introduced to everyone but he’d lost track of half the names. He also hadn’t been around kids in a while and he’d forgotten they liked to mimic adults. Henry was cute as hell. “How about if I give her the fifty cents and she puts it in the jar? Will that be okay?”
    Henry squinted at Frazer. “Are you her boyfriend?”
    He started to deny it and changed his mind. “Does it matter?”
    “If you are, then you get to pay her fine. That’s how it works.”
    “Then I’m her boyfriend.”
    “Thought so.” He held out the jar.
    Frazer dropped the quarters in and estimated there was at least ten bucks of change in the jar. “What’s the money for?”
    “Swearing.”
    “I get that, but what happens to the money?”
    “When the jar’s full, us kids get to go for ice cream !”
    “Well, damn.”
    Henry’s face lit up. “You swore!”
    “So I did.” He rose to his feet, dug in his pocket and came up with the required fine.
    “Are you gonna swear some more?” Henry looked up at him with a hopeful expression.
    “Nope. Can’t afford it. You cleaned me out.”
    He shrugged. “It’s okay. There’s always lots of swearing at birthday parties.” And off he went.
    “That was adorable.” Dulcie finally had her giggles under control. “I didn’t know you were good with kids.”
    “I’m not. I have zero experience in that area.”
    “Then you must have natural talent because you were awesome with Henry.”
    “The kid has a gift for commerce. He’ll probably be running a Fortune 500 company before he turns thirty.”
    She smiled. “Could be. Listen, I –”
    “Hey, lovebirds!” Tattoo guy walked toward them. “I can take that donkey tail, Dulce. Game’s over. You two probably didn’t notice since you were gazing dreamily into each other’s eyes.”
    Dulcie handed him the donkey tail.