Page 40 of Just This Once

“We don’t have any.”

I whirled to blink at them, sure I’d misheard that. “What?”

Foster shrugged. “We’re not big drinkers.”

I squinted, still not understanding.

“So… Hope, huh?” Foster finally said, lifting his eyebrows in question.

I pointed my finger, daring him to breathe one more word about it.

“I mean, she’s—” He winced through a painful-looking swallow. “Pretty,” he finally allowed.

“I like it,” Raina announced, nodding her approval. “I think you two would make a?—”

“That’s it,” I decided, lifting my hands and starting toward the exit of the kitchen. “I’m leaving.”

“Hey, hey.” Foster laughed and blocked my way. “Fine. We’ll stop teasing. We know it was just a dream. You can’t controlwhat you dream about. Hell, I had a dream once about riding on this huge flying submarine sandwich in nothing but boxer shorts to go ask one of my old math teachers from sixth grade for my teeth back in front of the entire school. It was…bizarre.”

“This,” I told him, steadily lifting both hands to emphasize my point as I squeezed past him to get into the living room where there was more space to breathe…and freak out. “This wasn’t bizarre. It wasn’t even a dream. Alright? It was a fucking nightmare. A horrific, traumatizing nightmare.”

“Oh, thatsowasn’t a nightmare,” Raina disagreed with a laughing snort as she glanced at Foster to send him a telling look. “It was straight-up porn.” Tipping her head thoughtfully, she added, “Kind of classy porn, though. He’s got some pretty smooth moves. You’re seriously going to have to pull my hair sometime because that part lookedsuperhot.”

As Foster’s mouth went slack, I gripped my head and groaned, “Oh Jesus,” wishing the torture would stop already. “Still leaving,” I announced, heading toward the door.

“Whoa, hold up!” Jostled from whatever mind trip his girlfriend had just put him through, Foster laughed and lurched after me. “How do you think you’re getting home?”

I pulled my phone from my pocket and cast him aseriously?glance. “I’m calling a ride.”

“I can take you,” he said, looking strangely concerned.

I furrowed my brow, not sure what he was so worried about. But then I said, “Sounds like you have some hair-pulling to do, pal.”

He rolled his eyes and was unable to hide a flush. “Let me at least wait with you.”

Taking that as code for he wanted to talk privately, I lifted one shoulder in an indifferent shrug. “Whatever.”

With a nod, he said, “Sweet. Let me get my shoes on.”

As he darted from the front room, leaving me alone with Raina, I stiffened, not sure what the hell to say to her after I’d just pawed her.

I busied myself for the first few seconds by ordering a lift, but Foster still wasn’t back by the time I finished.

An avid hater of being stuck in awkward moments, I finally looked over and mumbled, “Sorry about the?—”

When I splayed out a hand, hoping she’d get the point, she started in surprise, “Oh!” Obviously already over it and not expecting an apology, she swept the subject aside as if it were nothing. “It’s fine. I know you didn’t mean anything by it. Foster knows too.”

I nodded and dropped my gaze.

And thankfully, Union returned, then.

“Be right back,” he told his girl as he paused long enough to give her an affectionate kiss. She rubbed his arm and smiled encouragingly, as if wishing him good luck.

It made me think they both knew exactly what he wanted to say, and I wasnotgoing to like this little talk.

My back was already up by the time we stepped out the door and he was pulling it closed behind him. I headed off toward the stairwell without him, delaying the inevitable, and I jogged down to the ground level to leave him behind. But athlete that he was, the damn bastard caught up easily.

And as soon as we reached the bus stop bench, he was already shoving his hands in his pockets, saying, “So?—”

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