Page 119 of From Air

He presses a fist to his mouth and sniggers. “Jesus, what the fuck, man?”

Before I can knock out his teeth, the wicked kitty steps out of my room. Will’s eyebrows crawl up his forehead as he drops his fist.

“Will! I love your Jack Skellington,” she squeals, jumping up and down.

“You look ...” He whistles and shakes his head.

“Don’t look at her,” I warn just as she spins in a circle. “And don’t spin around.” I grab her shoulders and lead her down the stairs.

As soon as we get to the party, I fetch a drink from the cooler in the backyard. Alcohol is my best friend tonight. It will take the edge off the snickering behind my back.

Gary, Captain America, rests his elbow on my shoulder. Leaning against me like a pillar, he nods toward Jamie, her usual life-of-the-party self, with a group of women, including Evette. She certainly garners a lot of attention for someone who claims not to be a people person.

“As if showing up to my party in this mouse onesie didn’t already scream ‘pussy whipped.’ You actually brought a pussy with a whip.”

I don’t want to laugh, but I can’t help my grin. “Shut the fuck up.”

Gary cackles. “Seriously, man. I know she thinks she’s a cat, but she’s—”

“Don’t say it.”

A wet dream.

“Is she coming back to Missoula after her assignment in California?”

“I doubt it. She wants to travel the country. Why would she come back here?”

Gary stops using me as a post and turns toward me. “You. Ya dickhead.”

“She’s here now, but she’s not living here.” I take a long swig of my beer.

“Don’t you want tobewith her?”

I nod toward her. “Here we are. See how easy that was?”

He shakes his head. “She’s in California. What happens when she’s someplace like Maine, working nights, less time off, longer and more expensive flights, and you’re in the middle of a long fire season? What kind of relationship is that?”

After staring at her for a few seconds, I shrug. “It is what it is.”

“Dang, Fitz. Whatever you do, don’t say those words to her. Women don’t like aloofness. Todd, what the hell are you supposed to be?” Gary heads toward the garage door, where Todd’s gesturing to his chest, but I’m not sure why.

Wicked Kitty, with her painted face, makes eye contact with me and worms her way in my direction from the opposite end of the porch. “Cheese?” She holds out her plate.

“You think that’s funny?”

She pops a cube into her mouth. “It’s notnotfunny.”

“What are your plans after you’re done in San Bernardino?”

“Don’t know yet. Why?”

“Just wondering.”

A tiny vein along her forehead pushes to the surface. “You’re a locked vault with some things, and with other things, you’re so transparent it’s cringeworthy.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I steal a spiderweb pretzel from her plate.

“You’re scared to death that I’m going to move back to Missoula, and you’ll have to make a real decision to commit.” She turns.

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