confront her sister later.
"I agree with Violet," said Art. "That you should sleep with my brother, I mean. But for a purely selfish reason."
Ophelia frowned.
"You like him, he likes you...and maybe I'll get to have you for a sister-in-law." Then Art whipped off irises, one after the other. "You all are totally weird, and I love it."
"Thank you," Violet said. Tony and Zelda just laughed.
Art finished the last iris with a flourish. "Anyway, why not?"
C HAPTER S EVEN
Gideon glowered at the ridiculous pink vibrator in his hand.
"You want a sack for that?" Joe smirked across the gift shop counter. He flipped open a small silver shopping bag with pink handles. "You wouldn't want anyone thinking you're gay or anything."
"Nobody ever thinks Gideon's gay," a warm voice said from across the room. A tall, bright-eyed black man strode forward. "For sure not the bimbos he hangs with."
"Darby Sims!" Gideon clasped his friend's hand. "Jesus, Dar, what do you know about who I hang with? You've been gone for years. Long enough to be married with a passel of kids."
Darby chuckled. "No, I'm still free as a bird--and stand by the fact that all the chicks I ever saw you with were brainless ninnies. Not good for anything but sex."
"They weren't that bad," Gideon said uncertainly. He put the vibrator on the counter. "How about you gift wrap it for me, Joe?"
"Who's the lucky lady?" Darby asked.
"Ophelia Beliveau, the lady who just gave it to me."
Burton Tate dragged himself up off the floor, clutching his testicles, and shot a sick, angry look at Gideon before stumbling down the hall toward the stage. Gideon didn't react.
Behind the counter, Joe shook his head. "Don't get hung up on Ophelia. Big mistake." He pulled out silver tissue paper with glitter and magenta stars.
"So, that was the famous Ophelia," Darby said. "From what I hear, she's no bimbo."
"Famous in what way?" Gideon asked.
Darby staved him off with a hand. "Not saying a word against her, bro, but have you seen the statue in her sister's garden? She's dressed as a vampire, fangs and all. She's plenty dangerous in real life, even without the fangs. Look what she did to poor old Burton."
"He shouldn't have touched her," Gideon said. "She doesn't scare me."
Joe nestled the vibrator in the tissue paper, leaving a few feathers peeking out. "Gideon the cop, you are in for one nasty surprise. She won't let you down so easy next time."
She wouldn't let him down at all, Gideon decided. Not if he played things right.
Joe shook his head again. He unraveled a length of silver ribbon from a spool under the counter. "She has her choice of any stud she likes. Major studs, like Constantine Dufray. You're cute, but"--he took his time appraising Gideon--"a cop for Ophelia? No."
Yes, Gideon decided, knowing he had gone insane, and not caring. "We'll see about that."
"Your funeral," Joe replied, snickering. "At least Ophelia will get a top-quality vibrator for her collection. But she'll think about Constantine when she uses it, not you."
"I'll wean her off Dufray." Gideon shrugged.
Darby rolled his eyes. "You always were a crazy man. Stick to the bimbos. From what I've heard, Ophelia's hot, but she's also bad news."
"Ophelia's a sweetie!" Joe said fiercely. "Watch your mouth, if you want to hang out here. Everybody in the clubs loves that girl."
"Except the poor bastards she drives crazy." Darby frowned down at his watch. "I'm here for an interview. Tattoo artist." Then he paused, visibly tense. "How's your sister these days? Still with old Steve? Two-point-something kids?"
"Didn't you know? She divorced him a while back."
"Say what?" Darby stood straight.
"She's been going through some rough times," Gideon admitted.
Darby glowered. "What, did the bastard cheat on her?"
"Not that I know of. She won't talk about it. She up and filed for divorce one day, citing irreconcilable differences, and he went along with it. Got hitched to another chick not long ago."
"Good riddance.
"I agree with Violet," said Art. "That you should sleep with my brother, I mean. But for a purely selfish reason."
Ophelia frowned.
"You like him, he likes you...and maybe I'll get to have you for a sister-in-law." Then Art whipped off irises, one after the other. "You all are totally weird, and I love it."
"Thank you," Violet said. Tony and Zelda just laughed.
Art finished the last iris with a flourish. "Anyway, why not?"
C HAPTER S EVEN
Gideon glowered at the ridiculous pink vibrator in his hand.
"You want a sack for that?" Joe smirked across the gift shop counter. He flipped open a small silver shopping bag with pink handles. "You wouldn't want anyone thinking you're gay or anything."
"Nobody ever thinks Gideon's gay," a warm voice said from across the room. A tall, bright-eyed black man strode forward. "For sure not the bimbos he hangs with."
"Darby Sims!" Gideon clasped his friend's hand. "Jesus, Dar, what do you know about who I hang with? You've been gone for years. Long enough to be married with a passel of kids."
Darby chuckled. "No, I'm still free as a bird--and stand by the fact that all the chicks I ever saw you with were brainless ninnies. Not good for anything but sex."
"They weren't that bad," Gideon said uncertainly. He put the vibrator on the counter. "How about you gift wrap it for me, Joe?"
"Who's the lucky lady?" Darby asked.
"Ophelia Beliveau, the lady who just gave it to me."
Burton Tate dragged himself up off the floor, clutching his testicles, and shot a sick, angry look at Gideon before stumbling down the hall toward the stage. Gideon didn't react.
Behind the counter, Joe shook his head. "Don't get hung up on Ophelia. Big mistake." He pulled out silver tissue paper with glitter and magenta stars.
"So, that was the famous Ophelia," Darby said. "From what I hear, she's no bimbo."
"Famous in what way?" Gideon asked.
Darby staved him off with a hand. "Not saying a word against her, bro, but have you seen the statue in her sister's garden? She's dressed as a vampire, fangs and all. She's plenty dangerous in real life, even without the fangs. Look what she did to poor old Burton."
"He shouldn't have touched her," Gideon said. "She doesn't scare me."
Joe nestled the vibrator in the tissue paper, leaving a few feathers peeking out. "Gideon the cop, you are in for one nasty surprise. She won't let you down so easy next time."
She wouldn't let him down at all, Gideon decided. Not if he played things right.
Joe shook his head again. He unraveled a length of silver ribbon from a spool under the counter. "She has her choice of any stud she likes. Major studs, like Constantine Dufray. You're cute, but"--he took his time appraising Gideon--"a cop for Ophelia? No."
Yes, Gideon decided, knowing he had gone insane, and not caring. "We'll see about that."
"Your funeral," Joe replied, snickering. "At least Ophelia will get a top-quality vibrator for her collection. But she'll think about Constantine when she uses it, not you."
"I'll wean her off Dufray." Gideon shrugged.
Darby rolled his eyes. "You always were a crazy man. Stick to the bimbos. From what I've heard, Ophelia's hot, but she's also bad news."
"Ophelia's a sweetie!" Joe said fiercely. "Watch your mouth, if you want to hang out here. Everybody in the clubs loves that girl."
"Except the poor bastards she drives crazy." Darby frowned down at his watch. "I'm here for an interview. Tattoo artist." Then he paused, visibly tense. "How's your sister these days? Still with old Steve? Two-point-something kids?"
"Didn't you know? She divorced him a while back."
"Say what?" Darby stood straight.
"She's been going through some rough times," Gideon admitted.
Darby glowered. "What, did the bastard cheat on her?"
"Not that I know of. She won't talk about it. She up and filed for divorce one day, citing irreconcilable differences, and he went along with it. Got hitched to another chick not long ago."
"Good riddance.
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