Page 48 of This Time Around
“Steal,” Allie repeated, too stunned to form a complete sentence. “So that’s where it came from?”
“It’s not exactly stealing,” Skye said. “It’s been six months and he’s never asked about it, so it’s pretty obvious he’s forgotten he even left it here.”
Allie tried not to let her eyes boggle. A million dollars in cash? Surely even the richest bastard wouldn’t forget something like that. She licked her lips, trying to come up with an appropriate response.
“So . . . do you have any plans to return it to him?”
Skye shrugged. “If he asks about it, I guess.” She met Allie’s eyes in the mirror. “Are you mad?”
“Mad? I’m not mad. Just . . . confused, I guess.”
“So was I, the first time I saw them.”
“Them?” It occurred to Allie that they might not be talking about the same thing. She started to ask about the sex toys, then remembered her blunder with her father. For crying out loud, what the hell was everyone doing hiding things in her grandma’s attic?
Fortunately, Skye seemed oblivious. “Right. I mean, it’s not every day you stumble upon a collection of antique bongs. Some he brought back from travels around the world—Thailand, Guatemala, I think there’s even one from Russia in there. The one that has the elephant with a giant penis wrapped around his shoulders and?—”
“Um, yeah.” Allie couldn’t decide whether to feel relieved or . . . well, more confused. But she knew she couldn’t let Skye know there was anything else to be concerned about in the attic, so she flashed her a friendly smile. “Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.”
“Thanks.” Skye beamed, then took a step back and surveyed her work. “All done! What do you think?”
“Oh, wow.” Allie turned her head from one side to the other, admiring the cascade of soft waves Skye had created for her. Her hair flowed loose and wavy, with a few curls pinned up in a beautifully haphazard twist. Skye had used some sort of magical product that made her hair silky instead of crunchy, and it smelled amazing. The whole effect was rather delicate and romantic.
“I love it,” Allie said. “You’re very talented.”
“Thank you!” Skye beamed as a black and white tuxedo cat twined itself around her bare ankles and made a soft little mewling sound. Its tail spiked straight up like a fluffy pipe cleaner as it sniffed a piece of paper lying next to the chair. The tail swished once, twice, before the cat grabbed hold of the paper and took off running.
“Dammit, Maple!” Skye started to run after her, then stopped. “Oh, whatever. She’s always so sneaky. She’s one of two we haven’t been able to catch for spaying or neutering.”
“Did she really just steal something?”
Skye shrugged and went back to styling Allie’s hair. “At least it was just a piece of junk mail this time.”
“This time?”
“She’s a serious thief. Paperwork, gloves, rolls of toilet paper—anything she can carry in her mouth and run away with.”
“Where does she put it?”
Skye shrugged. “My bedroom sometimes. Other times she’ll take it to the other cats like gifts.”
“I’ve never heard of something like that.”
“I always figured it’s a polydactyl thing—sort of like a six-fingered discount?”
Allie laughed as Skye leaned forward and wrapped one of Allie’s curls around her finger, twisting it so it laid just so. “I still can’t believe you’re going to your reunion with the first guy you ever kissed. That’s so romantic.”
“It’s really not like that.”
“Not like what?”
“Not like we’re together or anything.” Allie nibbled her lip. “Not like that, anyway.”
Skye gave her a serene smile and nodded. “Still, I think it’s very sweet.”
“I guess. So are you dating now? Or is it still too soon after Brody?”
“Oh, I’m dating a little. A couple months ago I even tested out the waters dating women. Just a few Tindr hookups here and there, nothing serious.”
