Page 14 of Space Oddities

“I wanna do that too.” She rises up on her toes a few times but stumbles back. “But I can’t seem to balance my center mass in order to achieve the required vertical velocity.”

“Oh, sugar,” I say, not able to stop my own amusement from showing.

Flynn takes the two steps needed to bring him front and center to Jackie. “How about I help you out, darling?” Bending at the knees, he lifts Jackie in his arms like a little kid.

Instead of wrapping her legs around his waist, she simply dangles against him, head resting on his shoulder, her glasses cockeyed. “You’re the best, Flynn.”

Rose saunters over and plucks Jackie’s glasses off.

“Careful with those.” Flynn eyes Rose as she folds and places the glasses in her oversized purse.

“Dude.” Rose shakes her head. “You’re so weird about her glasses.”

“He likes when I wear them during sex,” Jackie mumbles, nuzzling Flynn’s neck.

My mouth drops open. Flynn turns red, making us all laugh.

“Hot damn, hooker,” Jules says, sliding off Holt. “I knew you had it in you.”

“Ugh.” Rose rolls her eyes. “And people thinkI’mthe perverted West sibling.”

Flynn’s face still flushed, he stammers, “I… it’s not…” Giving up, he snaps his mouth shut and hefts Jackie over his shoulder, fireman style. With a spin on the heel of his cowboy boot, Flynn marches out the door.

“Such a drama queen, I swear.” With a smirk, Rose slides her feet into her sandals and follows after them. “Later, bitches,” she calls out as she exits, hand in the air.

“You Wests sure are entertaining.” Having already changed into my clothes, I bend down to grab my heels, then eye the white sequined dress I’d tried on earlier. I want it. Grabbing my purse from the couch, I pull out my wallet, ready to take the plunge. I need a dress to the black-tie event Ian’s roped me into anyhow. Might as well go in style.

“Hold up, Shortstack, you aren’t paying for your bridesmaid dress.” Jules shrugs into her leather jacket. “Remember, Holt has actualwedding fundsfor his siblings.” She snickers and kisses Holt’s cheek. He blushes.

“I know.” I smile kindly at a red-faced Holt. “Thanks, by the way.”

Holt nods, his hand sneaking down to pinch Jules’ backside. “No problem.”

She swats his hand. “Then why the wallet?”

“I need a gown for the event I’m going to with Ian.”

Jules tilts her head, eyebrow arched. “You’re going on a date with Ian?”

“I thought you knew.” I blink, trying to clear my head of all the champagne. “It’s for letting me park my trailer at his house.”

“You’re staying with Ian?” Holt asks, pulling his eyes away from Jules.

My eyebrows pinch together as I contemplate my friend. “You didn’t tell him?”

Jules snorts. “Please, girl. Hoes before bros.”

“Oh.” I try smiling at Holt, but I’m sure it looks more like a grimace. “Please don’t say anything to the others.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make it worth his while to stay quiet.” In a girlie move I never would’ve seen coming from the hardass astronaut, Jules grabs Holt’s hand in hers, intertwining their fingers. Holt’s eyes light up like he won the lottery.

A pang of jealousy shoots through me.

“Thanks.” I pull out my phone. “I’ll just call an Uber.”

“No need.”

Swinging my head in the other direction, I blink a few times more to focus on the delicious, tall drink of man standing in the archway. Ian’s wearing shorts, an unusual occurrence. A pair that highlights his muscular calves. I’ve never thought about calves as being sexy. Now I do.

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