Page 71 of Back in the Saddle

“Huh,” I grunted, then fired up my baby and set us motoring.

“Okay, the day wasn’t a bust. My guess from what we just heard is that Jeff is back to taking care of himself,” Harlow noted.

“Yeah.” I was still grunting.

“And he’s in touch with someone, so not in the wind,” Harlow kept searching for the silver lining.

“Yeah,” I repeated.

“And that guy will probably tell him to contact you, so maybe he will.” Harlow was a dog with a bone with her damned positivity.

“He knows what this Street Warrior gig is, and he didn’t share, which doesn’t say good things to me,” I announced.

“Yeah. Dude got real freaked when that came up,” Luna mumbled from the back seat.

“This doesn’t give me fuzzy, happy vibes,” I stated.

No one said anything.

“I’m texting Katelyn tomorrow. She’s the shit. She’ll give me the skinny,” I announced.

“I think that’s a good plan,” Raye said.

“And remember. We heard back from Arthur, and he’s looking into it too. So between the Angels, the Hottie Squad and Arthur, we’ll crack it,” Luna put in.

I hoped so.

“Not that what we’re discussing isn’t important,” Harlow said. “But we’re in suburbia and they have a lot of shops. Do you know what you’re wearing to Eric’s tonight? Or do you need to go shopping?”

“I’m wearing my white shorts, black men’s-style button-down, my silver belt and my silver sandals,” I stated.

“The short shorts?” Harlow whispered, agog.

“The short shorts,” I confirmed.

“The silver flat sandals? Or the silver high, platform wedges?” Raye asked.

“Duh. Wedges,” I answered.

“Oh my God. That’s like the best, at-home-for-pizza-and-a-movie-please-God-feel-me-up-when-we-eventually-make-out outfitever,” Luna gushed.

Luna wasn’t a gusher.

Which meant I was smiling when I said, “You got that right, sister.”

Harlow giggled.

Raye chuckled.

Luna patted me on the shoulder then shoved a thumb’s up beside my face from the back.

I turned onto the ramp for I-10.

It was nearing three. It took about half an hour to get back to the city.

This meant I’d have about two and a half hours to spruce up, find a great bottle, and make it to Eric’s house in the Biltmore area.

Perfect timing.

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