Notes From the Backseat by Jody Gehrman

acres of chubby thigh it revealed. My knees were rug-burned and I thought I could see the beginnings of a potbelly protruding from beneath the satin drape.
    Coop lifted my chin with one finger and looked into my eyes. “Kitten, are you all right?”
    To my horror, seeing his warm, hazel eyes studying me with such sweet concern made my bottom lip quiver. Instead of answering, I looked instinctively over at Dannika, who was standing across the room watching us with her arms folded over her chest. Our eyes met and hers were icy-cold, glinting at me with a look I can only describe as hateful.
    The second Coop glanced over his shoulder at her, though, her expression lost all rancor and transformed into a bland innocence.
    â€œHey, Danni,” he said, “mind if I talk with Gwen a minute?”
    She shrugged. “Course not. I was going to bed, anyway.” She unzipped her sweatshirt and took it off, revealing a filmy little lime-green tank top that showed off her perky nipples shamelessly. “Don’t stay up all night.” She winked at me with a coy grin, then padded past us and was swallowed whole by the shadows of the hallway.
    Coop led me to the couch and we sat down together. I could smell smoke on him, but it wasn’t his usual chocolaty pipe smoke smell. I sniffed again. “Were you smoking pot?”
    He nodded. “Uh-huh.”
    Just like that—like it was the most natural thing in the world. He’s never smoked pot around me, but there he was, acting like it was no big deal.
    â€œDoes that bug you?” he added, when he saw my expression.
    â€œNo, I just—I didn’t know you smoked. Pot, I mean. Do you?”
    â€œSure, I used to.”
    â€œWhat, like in college?” I told myself to stop sounding like his mother.
    â€œYeah, mostly. These days I don’t buy it, but when someone has it, I don’t mind sampling.”
    â€œIs it Dannika’s, then?”
    He nodded. “She always has the best shit money can buy.”
    I was wondering why she hadn’t gotten rid of it when she unloaded the coke earlier tonight. If the cop freaked her out so thoroughly, wouldn’t she just toss everything?
    Coop put a finger in between my eyebrows, smoothing the lines there gently. “What’s with the furrowed brow, kitten?”
    â€œUm…” I didn’t want to mention the coke, for some reason. God knows I had no reason to keep secrets for the girl, but somehow it just seemed wrong. “I was just wondering, wasn’t she worried when the cop showed up? I mean, what if he’d searched the car?”
    â€œShe’s got a medical card.”
    â€œLike, medical marijuana?”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œDoes she have…a disease or something?” I tried to keep the hopeful edge out of my voice.
    He grinned. “No, not really. She just got some doctor to give her a card, like for migraines, or something.” He studied me for a moment. “Is that what’s bothering you, us smoking herb?”
    Why should I be bothered, Coop? So what if you’re sneaking off at a quarter to four in the morning, indulging in illicit substances with a perky-nippled supermodel? Why should that worry me? “Nothing’s bothering me.”
    He scooted closer to me. “Come on, kitten. What is it?”
    â€œI just miss you, I guess.” I shot him a sideways glance and wished I’d remembered to brush my teeth. “I’m used to having you all to myself.”
    He nuzzled my neck. “I’m all yours, now.”
    I turned toward him and he kissed me. Maybe it was the dangerous taste of illegal substances, but when his tongue touched mine a white-hot vein of electricity moved through my bones and I was instantly aroused.
    â€œHave I been neglecting you?” His hand moved over the satin bodice of my nightgown and all the angry confusion that had been running wild in my system for the past twenty hours