lips broke apart.
Rick smiled again and walked down the stairs.
He and his bulge walked right out the door.
Zada walked right back to the bathroom, and splashed cold water on her just
out
-kissed face.
When Zada blew into Tish’s kitchen, Tish said, “Hi.”
Jen said, “What’s wrong with you? You look flushed.”
Zada ignored the question and headed straight for the island in the middle of the kitchen and the bottle of pinot sitting
on the bar. She poured herself a glass, downed it in one gulp, then poured another glass just as quickly.
“Still wicked pissed?” Tish asked.
Try wicked kissed!
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Zada said.
Jen didn’t try to hide a superior I-told-you-so smile.
“And don’t you dare look so pleased,” Zada warned Jen.
Jen laughed. “Surely you realized what you’d be facing when Rick moved back in, Zada.”
Zada drained the glass again.
“No,” Tish said, “Zada believed Rick would back out of the bet the second he saw the mess in the living room. Remember?”
“Zada didn’t believe that for one minute,” said Jen.
“Okay, okay,” Zada said. “I didn’t stop to think how hard it would be when Rick moved back in. He threw down the gauntlet
and I couldn’t ignore it. I should have realized he’d go right back to his old tricks. Always using sex to get the better
of me.”
“Rick propositioned you?” Jen asked.
“He might as well have,” Zada fumed. “He waylaid me on the staircase and kissed me silly. My first challenge, he called it.”
Jen shook her head. “Why you two would rather play silly games with each other, than admit you aren’t ready to give up on
your marriage, is beyond me.”
Zada sent her a suspicious look. “How do you know Rick isn’t ready to give up on our marriage? Did he say something to Charlie?”
“Oh, no you don’t,” Jen said, shaking her finger at Zada. “Charlie and I agreed we are not taking sides. Nor are we carrying
messages back and forth between you. If you want to know how Rick feels about your marriage, you’ll have to ask him yourself.”
“Great idea, Jen,” Zada said. “I’ll just run down to the basement right now and interrupt the poker game to find out how Rick
feels about our marriage.”
“I have a better idea,” Tish said. “Maybe you should call Rick’s bluff. You can make advances toward him, too, you know.”
Zada shook her head. “No way. I’d advance myself right into bed with him. I’m not willing to take that chance.”
Tish said, “But I thought you were prepared to meet Rick head on, Zada. So you both could have closure.”
“That was yesterday,” Zada admitted. “When I was talking big and still feeling confident.”
“And,” Jen threw in, “when you were positive Rick would take one look at the living room and walk right back out the door.”
“I thought you and Charlie agreed you were staying out of this,” Zada reminded Jen with a don’t-rub-it-in frown.
Tish looked at over Jen. “I wouldn’t be so smug about Charlie not taking sides, Jen. Joe wasn’t happy when he learned Zada
had help trashing the house. He couldn’t wait to tell me he and Charlie didn’t intend to let us women gang up on Rick. Joe
said he and Charlie both gave Rick a few suggestions on how to beat Zada at her own game.”
Jen frowned. “But I didn’t help you trash the house.”
Tish said, “No, but you were there. I guess that gave Charlie the excuse he needed to toss out a few suggestions to Rick.”
Jen’s lips pressed together in a thin line.
“What kind of suggestions?” Zada wanted to know.
Tish laughed. “Like Joe would have told me, even if I’d been stupid enough to ask. Jen might be naïve enough to think guys
don’t stick together like we women do, but I know better.”
Jen said, “So Charlie gave Rick a few suggestions, did he?” She reached for the wine bottle and poured herself a glass of
wine.
“Seriously, you two,” Zada
Rick smiled again and walked down the stairs.
He and his bulge walked right out the door.
Zada walked right back to the bathroom, and splashed cold water on her just
out
-kissed face.
When Zada blew into Tish’s kitchen, Tish said, “Hi.”
Jen said, “What’s wrong with you? You look flushed.”
Zada ignored the question and headed straight for the island in the middle of the kitchen and the bottle of pinot sitting
on the bar. She poured herself a glass, downed it in one gulp, then poured another glass just as quickly.
“Still wicked pissed?” Tish asked.
Try wicked kissed!
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Zada said.
Jen didn’t try to hide a superior I-told-you-so smile.
“And don’t you dare look so pleased,” Zada warned Jen.
Jen laughed. “Surely you realized what you’d be facing when Rick moved back in, Zada.”
Zada drained the glass again.
“No,” Tish said, “Zada believed Rick would back out of the bet the second he saw the mess in the living room. Remember?”
“Zada didn’t believe that for one minute,” said Jen.
“Okay, okay,” Zada said. “I didn’t stop to think how hard it would be when Rick moved back in. He threw down the gauntlet
and I couldn’t ignore it. I should have realized he’d go right back to his old tricks. Always using sex to get the better
of me.”
“Rick propositioned you?” Jen asked.
“He might as well have,” Zada fumed. “He waylaid me on the staircase and kissed me silly. My first challenge, he called it.”
Jen shook her head. “Why you two would rather play silly games with each other, than admit you aren’t ready to give up on
your marriage, is beyond me.”
Zada sent her a suspicious look. “How do you know Rick isn’t ready to give up on our marriage? Did he say something to Charlie?”
“Oh, no you don’t,” Jen said, shaking her finger at Zada. “Charlie and I agreed we are not taking sides. Nor are we carrying
messages back and forth between you. If you want to know how Rick feels about your marriage, you’ll have to ask him yourself.”
“Great idea, Jen,” Zada said. “I’ll just run down to the basement right now and interrupt the poker game to find out how Rick
feels about our marriage.”
“I have a better idea,” Tish said. “Maybe you should call Rick’s bluff. You can make advances toward him, too, you know.”
Zada shook her head. “No way. I’d advance myself right into bed with him. I’m not willing to take that chance.”
Tish said, “But I thought you were prepared to meet Rick head on, Zada. So you both could have closure.”
“That was yesterday,” Zada admitted. “When I was talking big and still feeling confident.”
“And,” Jen threw in, “when you were positive Rick would take one look at the living room and walk right back out the door.”
“I thought you and Charlie agreed you were staying out of this,” Zada reminded Jen with a don’t-rub-it-in frown.
Tish looked at over Jen. “I wouldn’t be so smug about Charlie not taking sides, Jen. Joe wasn’t happy when he learned Zada
had help trashing the house. He couldn’t wait to tell me he and Charlie didn’t intend to let us women gang up on Rick. Joe
said he and Charlie both gave Rick a few suggestions on how to beat Zada at her own game.”
Jen frowned. “But I didn’t help you trash the house.”
Tish said, “No, but you were there. I guess that gave Charlie the excuse he needed to toss out a few suggestions to Rick.”
Jen’s lips pressed together in a thin line.
“What kind of suggestions?” Zada wanted to know.
Tish laughed. “Like Joe would have told me, even if I’d been stupid enough to ask. Jen might be naïve enough to think guys
don’t stick together like we women do, but I know better.”
Jen said, “So Charlie gave Rick a few suggestions, did he?” She reached for the wine bottle and poured herself a glass of
wine.
“Seriously, you two,” Zada
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