stashed in the top dresser drawer was gone, she wasn’t really surprised. Guess Sarah had found what she’d been looking for after all.
Vicki sighed.
Clinging to hope for the future didn’t change the fucked-up life she still had to live today.
Chapter Nine
Jesse sprawled on the couch in front of the television, the screen turned on, the volume at zero. It only took a moment for Joel to put two and two together. Jesse was hungover. Which, since it was past noon, meant he was royally hungover.
The temptation to make loud noises was childish, instantaneous and nearly impossible to fight.
Joel dropped into the recliner and grinned, speaking louder than normal. “Had a good time?”
Jesse narrowed his eyes. “Don’t make me come over there and kill you.”
“Moments like this I wish I’d taken trumpet in band class. Or drums. Or—”
“Fuck off and die.”
Joel waited for Jesse to relax back on the couch, his head cradled on the cushions, blood-shot eyes watching the screen without focusing. “It was a good party, I take it.”
“Brutally fun. I don’t think Travis is ever coming home.”
“Right.”
“No shit. He and Ashley were all over each other the entire weekend. I swear I couldn’t see daylight between them most of the time.”
After years of Travis constantly going with someone new, the feisty Ashley was the first in a long time to last more than a week. “I thought Travis said she couldn’t go. Had to hit the States for some meetings.”
“Got moved to next weekend. Trust me, she and Travis were a definite item.”
“He’ll be back.” Joel was more concerned about how to explain what he’d been doing all weekend. Maybe if Jesse had found someone interesting… “You have fun with anyone in particular?”
Jesse shook his head then cringed. “Fuck. No one I’d want to see again, but I had a great time. You should have come, jackass.”
“I enjoyed staying here, thanks. Also, don’t make plans for next weekend. Or not for Sunday. Family dinner, remember?”
Joel breathed out slowly. “Oh, yeah. I can handle Thanksgiving with all the trimmings. Mom’s and Jaxi’s cooking? Damn, I can totally go for that.”
“We have to bring something to contribute. You remember that part as well?”
Jesse waved a hand. “I’ll pick up more chicken wings.”
Joel laughed. “You would too. That could get you killed.”
His twin wiggled to a more vertical position and stared across the room. “What’s up?”
“What?”
Jesse frowned. “You’re not telling me something.”
Damn twin connection. “You’re not letting me get a word in edgewise. I had a good weekend as well.”
“Stuck around here and found someone to play with, did you?”
Oh hell, yeah. “Surprisingly, yes.”
Jesse waited expectantly. “Come on, spill.”
Joel went for broke. “I’m seeing Vicki.”
“You shit.”
Not the reaction he’d expected. “What?”
“If I weren’t ready to die, I’d come over there and beat the crap out of you. You said you weren’t interested in anything other than ogling her tits.”
“Hey, that’s enough.”
“What? You telling me you weren’t ogling them the other day in the café? Sure the hell looked like it to me.”
“She’s got more than tits, okay?”
Jesse leered. “She’s got a whacking hot bod and a reputation for putting out.”
And that’s where this stopped. “She and I are going out, so cut the trash talk. Do me a favour, and assume I’m smarter than you and know what I’m doing.”
“Hell, I know what you’re doing.” Jesse wouldn’t let it go. “Was the sex good?”
“God, you are such a shithead. We didn’t have sex. We only started dating.”
Jesse leaned forward on his elbows, upper body swaying. “You’re serious. You took out one of the Hansol girls, and it didn’t end in bed?”
“No. Not yet. It might get there eventually—”
“My God, you’ve been taken over by a pod person or something. What the
Vicki sighed.
Clinging to hope for the future didn’t change the fucked-up life she still had to live today.
Chapter Nine
Jesse sprawled on the couch in front of the television, the screen turned on, the volume at zero. It only took a moment for Joel to put two and two together. Jesse was hungover. Which, since it was past noon, meant he was royally hungover.
The temptation to make loud noises was childish, instantaneous and nearly impossible to fight.
Joel dropped into the recliner and grinned, speaking louder than normal. “Had a good time?”
Jesse narrowed his eyes. “Don’t make me come over there and kill you.”
“Moments like this I wish I’d taken trumpet in band class. Or drums. Or—”
“Fuck off and die.”
Joel waited for Jesse to relax back on the couch, his head cradled on the cushions, blood-shot eyes watching the screen without focusing. “It was a good party, I take it.”
“Brutally fun. I don’t think Travis is ever coming home.”
“Right.”
“No shit. He and Ashley were all over each other the entire weekend. I swear I couldn’t see daylight between them most of the time.”
After years of Travis constantly going with someone new, the feisty Ashley was the first in a long time to last more than a week. “I thought Travis said she couldn’t go. Had to hit the States for some meetings.”
“Got moved to next weekend. Trust me, she and Travis were a definite item.”
“He’ll be back.” Joel was more concerned about how to explain what he’d been doing all weekend. Maybe if Jesse had found someone interesting… “You have fun with anyone in particular?”
Jesse shook his head then cringed. “Fuck. No one I’d want to see again, but I had a great time. You should have come, jackass.”
“I enjoyed staying here, thanks. Also, don’t make plans for next weekend. Or not for Sunday. Family dinner, remember?”
Joel breathed out slowly. “Oh, yeah. I can handle Thanksgiving with all the trimmings. Mom’s and Jaxi’s cooking? Damn, I can totally go for that.”
“We have to bring something to contribute. You remember that part as well?”
Jesse waved a hand. “I’ll pick up more chicken wings.”
Joel laughed. “You would too. That could get you killed.”
His twin wiggled to a more vertical position and stared across the room. “What’s up?”
“What?”
Jesse frowned. “You’re not telling me something.”
Damn twin connection. “You’re not letting me get a word in edgewise. I had a good weekend as well.”
“Stuck around here and found someone to play with, did you?”
Oh hell, yeah. “Surprisingly, yes.”
Jesse waited expectantly. “Come on, spill.”
Joel went for broke. “I’m seeing Vicki.”
“You shit.”
Not the reaction he’d expected. “What?”
“If I weren’t ready to die, I’d come over there and beat the crap out of you. You said you weren’t interested in anything other than ogling her tits.”
“Hey, that’s enough.”
“What? You telling me you weren’t ogling them the other day in the café? Sure the hell looked like it to me.”
“She’s got more than tits, okay?”
Jesse leered. “She’s got a whacking hot bod and a reputation for putting out.”
And that’s where this stopped. “She and I are going out, so cut the trash talk. Do me a favour, and assume I’m smarter than you and know what I’m doing.”
“Hell, I know what you’re doing.” Jesse wouldn’t let it go. “Was the sex good?”
“God, you are such a shithead. We didn’t have sex. We only started dating.”
Jesse leaned forward on his elbows, upper body swaying. “You’re serious. You took out one of the Hansol girls, and it didn’t end in bed?”
“No. Not yet. It might get there eventually—”
“My God, you’ve been taken over by a pod person or something. What the
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