Page 42 of A Very Naughty Christmas

“Oh, shut up, you pathetic turd.” Her head snapped around to her prime target. “I went out with him,” she said to Kyle while giving Spencer a withering glare, “because his sister asked me to.”

“Holy shit!” one of the boys said under his breath, the others laughing louder. “It was a pity date.”

Spencer was mortified at that news. If she hadn’t been so ticked off, she could almost feel sorry for him. Well… not quite.

“He’d asked out three other girls—” she continued.

“That’s true,” Kyle put in. “I know Ashley, Tracy, and Brianna all said no.”

“Yes, and Sherrie said he was all broken up about it. Then she told me he really wanted to ask me, but was too gun-shy after being shot down by the other three. I broke up with Ryan two weeks ago, so I was free. I thought, what the heck.”

“You said you were excited about going,” Spencer accused.

“What was I supposed to say? I wanted to go to the dance and you needed a date.”

“You used me.’

“No!” I snapped, poking him more sharply. “I was being nice. Don’t try to turn this around on me. I wasn’t the one bragging to my friends about what a stud you were.”

“You mean a dud, don’t you?” She didn’t know who said that, but another round of laughter followed.

“I’m disappointed in you, Spencer. And your sister is going to get an earful.”

“No, Dix, please. I’m sorry. Sherrie’s got a big mouth.”

“Yep. And you should have thought of that before you went shooting off yours. She’s my best friend. I tell her everything. Who she tells from there…” His mother was best friends with her own mom and both women would be fit to be tied. “I was being a friend to you, Spencer. I specifically said we’d go that way when I said yes. I wasn’t using you or leading you on. If this is the way you treat your friends, I feel sorry for them.”

Her attention cut to Kyle, who wasn’t grinning anymore, but looking at Spencer with obvious irritation. Having said her piece, she flipped herlong copper ponytail over her shoulder, then spun on her heel and walked away.

She remembered feeling his eyes boring into her as she stalked off. The cool intensity in that unique blue gaze wasn’t something she’d forget. When they had turned on her, all those years ago, her heart had always done a stutter step. As it did now. Only this time, when it skipped a beat and she sucked in a deep breath to steady herself, she forgot she was eating and a sesame seed went down the wrong pipe.

Dixie coughed and sputtered while dropping her burger and reaching for a napkin. Soon, she was wheezing and guzzling her ice water to dislodge what was stuck.

“Miss, do you need help?” The velvety smooth voice that had made her swoon as a girl was deeper now and held twice the power to make her insides quiver. When she didn’t answer, he persisted. “Are you all right?”

She wasn’t sure that she was and shook her head, unable to see him any longer through her watery eyes. A solid thud connected between her shoulder blades and she went flying forward, her hands the only thing keeping her face from becoming a permanent part of the table top, such was the force. But it worked and she drew in a full, although wheezing, breath. It was followed by more coughing and hitches of air, but the obstruction was gone.

Another blow followed and she squeaked, “Stop. I’m good.”

“Ah, you’re able to talk now. A good sign.”

Finally, she managed to blink the tears away enough to look up at him. “Thank you,” she said in a raspy whisper, which was all she could manage.

“Dixie!” Janice cried as she came running up and nudged her rescuer aside. “Dang, girl, you had me scared. I thought you were gonna cock up yer toes and bite the big one before I got over here.”

“Something went down sideways. I’m okay now.”

“Ya sure?”

“Yes.”

“All right, then.”

She took another sip of water as she watched Jan go back to work. The spot where Kyle had been standing was empty. Her heart fell, although for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why.

“You look good, Dix.”

She startled, so much that her body jerked, causing her knee to hit the underside of the table and making the silverware jump. Her head twisted to find he had slid onto the bench on the opposite side of the booth.

---