Page 34 of Rules in Love
“The Flying Nun?”
“What? No!”
“Madonna?”
“Love her but wrong decade. Think more superhero.”
Then it hit me, a 70’s female superhero.
Fuck no. Fuck yes.
“Holy shit, Red. You don’t mean…Wonder Woman?”
“Bingo! She was so strong and independent. Didn’t take shit from anyone. Super sexy too. What do you think?”
I know what my dick thinks.
“Uhh, honestly? I think that’s a very inappropriate costume for someone like you. I don’t think my heart can take it.”
“Finn! What the hell? You’re crazy. I don’t even know if I can pull it off.”
“Don’t worry. You will. As will I and any other bloke that sees you.”
Scarlet’s eyes widened as she laughed and slapped my arm. “Oh my God, you’re out of control. You really are feeling sick, aren’t you?”
“I am. I think I have a fever. I must. It’s the only explanation.” She leaned closer to me, her nose close to my cheek, and laid her soft palm against my forehead. If the chicken pox didn’t kill me, it felt like Scarlett’s touch might. Like if I didn’t kiss her right then, the world would end.
“You do feel a little warm, but no raging fever. If you don’t feel good, you should take yourself off to bed.”
Something else is raging. Wanna come with me?
I heard the thought so clearly in my mind that, for a moment, I wasn’t sure I hadn’t said it aloud. I cleared my throat and brushed some crumbs from the table. “Any ideas what costume I should wear? Should we make it a superhero double act?”
She slapped me again. I fucking loved it. “That would be fun. Imagine the Lycra…and the gossip. We could cause quite the scandal, Finn Austen.”
“That we could, Scarlett Grant.”
I had a contagious, possibly fatal disease, but Scarlett—insisting she was immune—sat way too close, for way too long, chuckling over something that wasn’t funny. The urge to kiss her increased with every freckle I counted on her nose and only paused when Evie appeared. “Finny, I’m just popping down to the shops. Do you need anything? Masculinity? A freaking clue? More ice cream? You’ve only eaten fifty-eight tubs this week.”
Ignoring the barbs, I replied without taking my eyes off the rosy-hued cheeks before me, “Ice cream sounds good. Vanilla, please.”
“Boring!” Evie yelled as she headed out the door. “Nice to meet you again, Scarlett.”
“You too, Evie.” Scarlett smiled, and a million tiny little bubbles of adoration inflated inside me.
“You know, I can always tell when I’m in the presence of someone truly special when my sister doesn’t roll her eyes or call them an idiot within the first five seconds of their acquaintance. You got a “goodbye” and a “nice to meet you.” I suspect you can walk on water, Red.” I gave her a thumbs-up, then noticed chocolate on my nail.
“Hardly. I…” Quieting herself, she pressed her finger against her lips and watched me suck the chocolate off, extricating it from my mouth with a pop that had her twitching and blushing. After blinking at least a hundred times, she cleared her throat and began to speak again. Of course I then noticed my other thumb was dirty, so I cleaned that one too. Scarlett stopped, shook her head, and tapped her hands to her thighs. I enjoyed flustering Scarlett way too much. “Well, I need to leave now.”
“Are you sure? Maybe we could—”
“Yes, I think it’s best. I need a cold shower— I mean, you need a shower, I think, to ease the itch, and then rest up those muscles to be right for the party. After all, we need a strong and healthy superhero buddy for Wonder Woman.”
Enticements to stay were forming in my brain, but then I remembered Iris was in her room, napping. I could be busted at any moment. I wanted to tell Scarlett about her, but not like that. “That’s right. I need all the help I can get in the muscle department.” I flexed my biceps and delighted in the widening of Scarlett’s eyes. “And I will go back to bed. I’m knackered, and I was in the middle of a movie Evie has been bugging me to watch for about ten years.”
“What movie?” Scar asked as she rose from her seat and collected her things.
“Uhh, some damn chick flick period piece that’s eroding my manhood as I watch it—mainly because I love it,” I added in a whisper.
