Page 36 of Show Off

I swallow a shiver, not sure if he’s playing along or just touching my arm for the fun of it. “You’re right, this is cashmere.”Please keep touching me. “I wonder if that’s it?”

“Could be.” Cassidy glances around in an Oscar-worthy show of curiosity. “I guess it could be anything.”

I deliberately don’t look at Jimmy, not wanting to be too obvious. “Whatever it is, it could happen to anyone.”

As I dart a look at Dal, he rolls his eyes. I look at Jimmy instead, who smiles at me brightly. “I wasn’t gonna say anything, but yeah.” He tips his head back to sniff the air. “Something might be a little… off.”

“God, you’re right.” I should stop smelling my sweater, but Dal’s touch got me all discombobulated. “I wonder what it could be.”

With a look of deep sympathy, Jimmy nods to the kitchen. “If you want, there’s a lost and found.”

“Pardon?” I’m not sure I follow.

“If your sweater stinks,” he offers, “I can see if there’s something else you could borrow.”

“Oh.”Crap. “Well?—”

“It’s no trouble at all.” Jimmy shifts into helper mode. “They even wash stuff that’s been sitting a while, so most of it’s clean.”

“Right.” How do I fix this? “Um.”

Dal gives me a smirk and I kick him again. “Ow.”

That wasn’t Dal. I pull back my foot, rubbing the toe that just struck the table leg. “Thank you, Jimmy.” Maybe this could still work. “I’ll try it and see if that fixes things.”

“I’ll be right back.”

He hurries away and Dal watches him go. “Now what, Pollyanna?”

“Don’t call me that.” Not the first time I’ve heard that nickname, and Ihateit.

“Sorry.” He sounds like he means it. “Hey, you tried.”

I lean forward to whisper, determined to save my plan. “Look, he’ll bring me something to put on, he’ll realize itwasn’tme, and then he’ll figure it out.”

“I like it.” Cassidy gives a supportive nod. “Good plan, Lana.”

“Thank you.” I stick my tongue out at Dal, who rolls his eyes again.

“What if he thinks it’s Cassidy?” He folds both hands on the table and I admire the flex of his forearm tattoo. “Or me.”

“Maybe itisyou,” I fire back, then stand and make a big show of standing up to sniff him.

Mistake.

Dal smells like woodsmoke and sage and something utterly lickable. I breathe him in like an addict seeking a fix.

“Lana?” His voice sounds strained.

“What?” I look down and— “Oops.”

My boobs rest right in his face. And with the top two buttons undone on my sweater, he’s getting quite an eyeful.

But Dal doesn’t look like he minds. As a matter of fact, he looks dazed. I sit down fast, not sure who won that round.

“Nice bra,” says Dal. “Pink’s a good color on you.”

“Thanks.” I throw back my shoulders, not letting him get to me. “You smell very nice.”

---