remain unfound tonight.”
“Really? Julie got my number
that
quickly?”
“Never underestimate what a woman will do—especially when she’s horny. I’d be careful with Julie Hebert, though. Even Vivi doesn’t like her, and Vivi likes everybody.”
He sent the call to voice mail. “I don’t understand you at all, Lorelei.”
“So few do.” She chuckled. “But then that makes us even. I don’t get you, either.”
“I’m not exactly a mystery. What you see is what you get.”
She looked at him closely, then shook her head. “No. I don’t think so.”
“What makes you say that?”
“The fact you’re on my porch.”
Once again the quick change in topic had him scrambling to catch up.
Boy, Lorelei really didn’t want to play games
. “Think about it for a second. That’s not really a great mystery, either.”
She gave him a smile that made him want to take her right there, on the swing, without giving a single damn about who might see. “At least you’re honest about it.”
“Do you want me to lie?”
“Nah. If I want sunshine blown up my skirt I’ll call Jack.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “Do you know I’m the most
fascinating
woman he’s ever met?”
There was that strange need to punch Jack again. “Actually, I would agree.”
“Oh, so you
can
do empty flattery?”
“No, it’s just I’ve met most of the same women. The competition isn’t that stiff.”
“Ouch.” She shook her head. “If that’s your pickup line, no wonder you’re still single.”
“So are you.”
“
That
took careful planning on my part, my friend. The kennel club is all about selective breeding, you know, so I stay far away from the prize studs.”
It was his turn to laugh at her. “The mutts are much more interesting anyway.”
She grinned back and took another drink. They sat there in silence for a few moments, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. And that was kind of odd.
But it was nice, too.
Then Lorelei sighed. “Don’t take this personally, but I think you should go.”
“What?” How was he
not
supposed to take that personally?
“If you stay, I’m probably going to invite you inside.”
He didn’t actually see the problem with that, but Lorelei’s voice was so heavy,
she
obviously did. “And here I was kind of hoping you would.”
She sighed. “Two hook-ups make a fling. Three hook-ups … Well, then it starts to become something. And this isn’t supposed to
be
something.”
And he was a mutt
. “‘Something’ is a mighty big category. Lots of room for interpretation.”
Her chin lifted as she considered that. “True. Something doesn’t have to be anything. I’m just not sure what, if anything,
this
something could be. Everything is so complicated right now that a something that’s not anything might be a good thing. Or nothing. Or something like that.”
He’d lost the thread of this conversation pretty quickly, causing him to rethink his earlier assessment of her sobriety. “How much have you had to drink, Lorelei?”
She laughed and ran a hand over her face. “That didn’t make much sense, did it? But it’s not alcohol. I’m more tired than anything else. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“Neither did I, now that you mention it.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“I know why you’re here, but I want to know why you’re here instead of at Julie Hebert’s. Or Jess Reynald’s, for that matter.”
“You’re prettier, for one thing.”
She frowned at him. “Honestly, now.”
He’d had another flippant answer, but at that qualifier he swallowed it. “Jess and Julie have agendas. I don’t like being an item on an agenda. Or a means to an end, either.”
“I thought we were clear that Julie was just wanting to use you for sex?”
“If she were just looking for a good time, that would be one thing. But Julie’s on the rebound and angry with it. I’m not about to get pulled into that. She’d just be using me
“Really? Julie got my number
that
quickly?”
“Never underestimate what a woman will do—especially when she’s horny. I’d be careful with Julie Hebert, though. Even Vivi doesn’t like her, and Vivi likes everybody.”
He sent the call to voice mail. “I don’t understand you at all, Lorelei.”
“So few do.” She chuckled. “But then that makes us even. I don’t get you, either.”
“I’m not exactly a mystery. What you see is what you get.”
She looked at him closely, then shook her head. “No. I don’t think so.”
“What makes you say that?”
“The fact you’re on my porch.”
Once again the quick change in topic had him scrambling to catch up.
Boy, Lorelei really didn’t want to play games
. “Think about it for a second. That’s not really a great mystery, either.”
She gave him a smile that made him want to take her right there, on the swing, without giving a single damn about who might see. “At least you’re honest about it.”
“Do you want me to lie?”
“Nah. If I want sunshine blown up my skirt I’ll call Jack.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “Do you know I’m the most
fascinating
woman he’s ever met?”
There was that strange need to punch Jack again. “Actually, I would agree.”
“Oh, so you
can
do empty flattery?”
“No, it’s just I’ve met most of the same women. The competition isn’t that stiff.”
“Ouch.” She shook her head. “If that’s your pickup line, no wonder you’re still single.”
“So are you.”
“
That
took careful planning on my part, my friend. The kennel club is all about selective breeding, you know, so I stay far away from the prize studs.”
It was his turn to laugh at her. “The mutts are much more interesting anyway.”
She grinned back and took another drink. They sat there in silence for a few moments, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. And that was kind of odd.
But it was nice, too.
Then Lorelei sighed. “Don’t take this personally, but I think you should go.”
“What?” How was he
not
supposed to take that personally?
“If you stay, I’m probably going to invite you inside.”
He didn’t actually see the problem with that, but Lorelei’s voice was so heavy,
she
obviously did. “And here I was kind of hoping you would.”
She sighed. “Two hook-ups make a fling. Three hook-ups … Well, then it starts to become something. And this isn’t supposed to
be
something.”
And he was a mutt
. “‘Something’ is a mighty big category. Lots of room for interpretation.”
Her chin lifted as she considered that. “True. Something doesn’t have to be anything. I’m just not sure what, if anything,
this
something could be. Everything is so complicated right now that a something that’s not anything might be a good thing. Or nothing. Or something like that.”
He’d lost the thread of this conversation pretty quickly, causing him to rethink his earlier assessment of her sobriety. “How much have you had to drink, Lorelei?”
She laughed and ran a hand over her face. “That didn’t make much sense, did it? But it’s not alcohol. I’m more tired than anything else. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“Neither did I, now that you mention it.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“I know why you’re here, but I want to know why you’re here instead of at Julie Hebert’s. Or Jess Reynald’s, for that matter.”
“You’re prettier, for one thing.”
She frowned at him. “Honestly, now.”
He’d had another flippant answer, but at that qualifier he swallowed it. “Jess and Julie have agendas. I don’t like being an item on an agenda. Or a means to an end, either.”
“I thought we were clear that Julie was just wanting to use you for sex?”
“If she were just looking for a good time, that would be one thing. But Julie’s on the rebound and angry with it. I’m not about to get pulled into that. She’d just be using me
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