and I rush out, being hit with a wave of heat and the smell of tar.
“What if he’s a murderer?!” she calls out, being hushed by Nadine.
“Don’t say that to her.”
“Hey, this morning you said she lost her mom. I thought she was okay with the term ‘murder.’ And I wasn’t trying to be funny. I’m dead serious.”
“Jess, wrong word again...”
“I almost didn’t recognize you in that ball cap.” I smile, placing my sunglasses on my head while striding toward him. “You need a lift?”
He looks curiously at the car while gripping the backpack strap on his shoulder. “That would be great, as long as they don’t mind.” He nods toward the car, using his shirt to wipe the sweat off his forehead, the fabric high enough to show his boxers rising out from under his torn blue jeans.
“Follow me.” I motion, flush with joy. “We can get back to where we left off last night.”
“Naked?” he jokes.
“Trust me.” I slide into the car, close to Brian, while patting the empty seat next to the door. “Anything goes with this group.”
“Where you headed?” Jess asks as he sits next to me, reaching over to greet Brian with a handshake.
“Thanks for the ride. Albany.” He closes the door.
“I thought you lived in Schenectady?” I question.
“I did as a teen. I’m in Albany now, or at least a year ago that’s where I lived, before I started working at Afterglow.”
“Oh... have you been on the road this whole time? Since you left the barn?”
“A guy gave me a ride part of the way, but I’ve been walking for about four hours.”
“Nadine.” I tap her arm. “Hand me one of those waters.”
“Why’d you get fired?” Jess looks at him in the mirror. I can tell by the quick tone in her voice that she’s about to start drilling him with a zillion questions.
His response is a shrug as he takes the water, chugging it down in big gulps.
“Addie said it was because of what you guys did... in bed.”
“Jess, I never said in bed .” I turn to Quinn. “Just ignore her.”
“That’s what I do,” Brian cuts in. “But it never works. She’s not easy to ignore.”
“Does that mean you messed up?” Jess asks. “Like, didn’t give her an orgasm? Or was it crazy good and you broke the mattress and made holes in the wall?”
“Seriously, pretend it’s just the two of us in the car. They’re not here.”
“It was crazy good. Adlyn’s rough and rowdy,” he exaggerates. “And yeah, we broke the bed.”
“Oh my God.” My hand covers my face. “Don’t give her any ammunition to use against me.”
“I knew it.” She tightens her lips in great satisfaction. “Knew it, knew it.”
“Jess, leave them alone. Tell us more about that cruise next fall. Maybe you can persuade Brian to purchase those tickets...”
I reach into my purse and take out a small notepad, writing a message to Quinn.
U Ok?
He nods and I write another...
You have a cell #?
His head shakes, no.
Facebook?
Headshake.
Any social media accounts?
He offers a continuous shaking head.
How about an address?
He gives me a side-eye and another headshake.
“Fine, I get it. Sorry to bug you.”
“Get what?”
I tug his shirt, pulling him closer to whisper, “You got what you wanted last night and now you’re not interested.”
He grabs the notepad from my hand and scribbles a quick message.
“We used to do that in the ‘80s—message each other by hand,” Brian says. “That’s the original text message for my generation. Pen and paper.”
“Brian, what about the cruise?”
“We just spent fifteen fucking grand...”
They continue talking as Quinn puts the notepad on my leg, giving me his response.
Don’t jump to conclusions. I’m interested—never been more interested in anyone—date tomorrow? I’ve got a lot to do today and I need sleep, other than that, I’m all in.
I smile and write back... Movie? Dinner?
I can see through Jess’s blush colored sunglasses that she’s
“What if he’s a murderer?!” she calls out, being hushed by Nadine.
“Don’t say that to her.”
“Hey, this morning you said she lost her mom. I thought she was okay with the term ‘murder.’ And I wasn’t trying to be funny. I’m dead serious.”
“Jess, wrong word again...”
“I almost didn’t recognize you in that ball cap.” I smile, placing my sunglasses on my head while striding toward him. “You need a lift?”
He looks curiously at the car while gripping the backpack strap on his shoulder. “That would be great, as long as they don’t mind.” He nods toward the car, using his shirt to wipe the sweat off his forehead, the fabric high enough to show his boxers rising out from under his torn blue jeans.
“Follow me.” I motion, flush with joy. “We can get back to where we left off last night.”
“Naked?” he jokes.
“Trust me.” I slide into the car, close to Brian, while patting the empty seat next to the door. “Anything goes with this group.”
“Where you headed?” Jess asks as he sits next to me, reaching over to greet Brian with a handshake.
“Thanks for the ride. Albany.” He closes the door.
“I thought you lived in Schenectady?” I question.
“I did as a teen. I’m in Albany now, or at least a year ago that’s where I lived, before I started working at Afterglow.”
“Oh... have you been on the road this whole time? Since you left the barn?”
“A guy gave me a ride part of the way, but I’ve been walking for about four hours.”
“Nadine.” I tap her arm. “Hand me one of those waters.”
“Why’d you get fired?” Jess looks at him in the mirror. I can tell by the quick tone in her voice that she’s about to start drilling him with a zillion questions.
His response is a shrug as he takes the water, chugging it down in big gulps.
“Addie said it was because of what you guys did... in bed.”
“Jess, I never said in bed .” I turn to Quinn. “Just ignore her.”
“That’s what I do,” Brian cuts in. “But it never works. She’s not easy to ignore.”
“Does that mean you messed up?” Jess asks. “Like, didn’t give her an orgasm? Or was it crazy good and you broke the mattress and made holes in the wall?”
“Seriously, pretend it’s just the two of us in the car. They’re not here.”
“It was crazy good. Adlyn’s rough and rowdy,” he exaggerates. “And yeah, we broke the bed.”
“Oh my God.” My hand covers my face. “Don’t give her any ammunition to use against me.”
“I knew it.” She tightens her lips in great satisfaction. “Knew it, knew it.”
“Jess, leave them alone. Tell us more about that cruise next fall. Maybe you can persuade Brian to purchase those tickets...”
I reach into my purse and take out a small notepad, writing a message to Quinn.
U Ok?
He nods and I write another...
You have a cell #?
His head shakes, no.
Facebook?
Headshake.
Any social media accounts?
He offers a continuous shaking head.
How about an address?
He gives me a side-eye and another headshake.
“Fine, I get it. Sorry to bug you.”
“Get what?”
I tug his shirt, pulling him closer to whisper, “You got what you wanted last night and now you’re not interested.”
He grabs the notepad from my hand and scribbles a quick message.
“We used to do that in the ‘80s—message each other by hand,” Brian says. “That’s the original text message for my generation. Pen and paper.”
“Brian, what about the cruise?”
“We just spent fifteen fucking grand...”
They continue talking as Quinn puts the notepad on my leg, giving me his response.
Don’t jump to conclusions. I’m interested—never been more interested in anyone—date tomorrow? I’ve got a lot to do today and I need sleep, other than that, I’m all in.
I smile and write back... Movie? Dinner?
I can see through Jess’s blush colored sunglasses that she’s
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