Page 8 of Lime Gelatin and Other Monsters
Grab? Oh, damn. Lunch. Way to look out for your new partner, numb nuts.“Sure. There’s stuff along the way.”
“Burger King or something’s fine. I’m not picky.”
Great, the lieutenant had saddled him with a carnivore. Not that he often ate lunch, anyway. Too much of a hassle and he got too busy and forgot. Vikash sauntered inside when Kyle pulled up to the curb. When he returned with a bag, he offered Kyle one of the sandwiches of dubious meat.
“Um, thanks, no. I can’t eat meat.” Kyle reached into the glove compartment and fished out a Snickers bar.
“You want me to get you something else? Fish sandwich? Veggie burger? Salad?” Actual worry seemed to have crept into Vikash’s expression. “You can’t just have a candy bar.”
“I sure as hell can. I’m a grown-up. I get to eat what I want.” Kyle tried to amend his belligerent tone. “Nah, it’s okay. I can’t eat from somewhere like that. Who knows what they’ve grilled with what and what’s in half the shit?”
“Strictly vegan?”
“No. I can’t eat meat.”
The little smile was back. “You’re allergic or something?” Then Vikash’s eyes widened. “Oh, crud. You are, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. So?”
“So is it a runny nose, tearing-up, rash kind of allergic orget me to the hospital before I diekind? TheI have epi pens on handkind?”
“Geez. Settle down, Mom.” Kyle couldn’t help a chuckle, glad to see that Vikash could become more animated. “It’s the rash kind if I touch it. Theyou might have to call for an ambulancekind if I eat it. Which is why I have to be careful.”
“Just red meat? Was it a tick bite? I read about that happening.”
Kyle shrugged. “Just started happening. It’s any meat.”
As they pulled back out into traffic, Vikash lapsed into silence, eating his lunch in small, overly civilized bites.Wait for it…wait for it…
“So how do you get your protein? Besides peanuts in candy bars?”
This was too bizarre. Kyle wasn’t certain whether it was simply ravenous curiosity or whether Vikash really was worried for him. Stupid, of course. No one worried about someone he just met. “Cheese, milk, eggs—I can have all that stuff.”
Vikash was shaking his head. “But instead of planning ahead, you scarf down a candy bar.”
Kyle shrugged. “I get good takeout sometimes. Make peanut butter sandwiches. Don’t cook much for myself, though. You know, you get home and you’re beat. Who wants to make food?”
“You could come over some night. I’m happy to cook for company. Lots of good family recipes. Aloo gobi, some great curries, korma—”
Kyle gave him a sideways glance as he pulled through an intersection. “Wait. You said… You lied to me?”
Ice coated Vikash’s voice as he said, “I don’t lie.”
Uh-oh.Kyle just had time to recall that pissing his partner off was a bad idea when that weird charged feeling raced up his spine again. A pop sounded. The car lurched and Kyle had to fight the wheel to keep from careening into oncoming traffic. “Damn it, Vikash.”
His partner actually sank down in his seat while Kyle found a spot to pull over. “I’m sorry. I hope it was just one tire.”
“Well, since you made it blow, you can get out and change it.”
Vikash didn’t utter a word in his defense as he got out of the car, walked around to check the tires and held up a single finger. All right. One tire was fixable. Kyle was ticked off enough that he wanted to sit in the damn car while Vikash struggled through changing the flat. But he watched his partner roll up his sleeves neatly and retrieve the jack and tire iron with the same serene grace that he did most things and damn it if he didn’t feel like an asshole. With a sigh, he got out and lent his hand to getting the lug nuts loosened.
Even his biceps are perfect. Christ, those arms.Kyle did his best not to stare at the flex of long, lean muscle. There was even the hint of a tattoo peeking out under his left sleeve. “So what was that all about? Telling me your family’s not from India?”
“You asked if one of my parents was.” Vikash grunted as he pulled the tire off, the sound doing bad things for Kyle’s concentration. “They’re not. My dad’s from Minneapolis. Born in Norway. My mom’s from London.Herparents are from Bangalore.”
“So you were just kinda messing with me.”
“Yes.”
