Page 16 of August Heat
“I’m pretty sure you dated her.” Siobhan scoffed. “I mean, she was a huge, homewrecking jerk, but I don’t take too kindly to those who helped her achieve those results.”
“Like I said…” Krys lowered her mouth, growl rumbling in her throat. More shudders overcame Siobhan’s body, but she couldn’t say if they were from the dark memories flooding her mind or that low, deep growl rumbling through her ears. “I don’t remember no Emily. I definitely don’t remember dating someone who already had someone. If I did, then they never told me. Some people are like that, yeah? They keep their real selves hidden away so nobody can ever find them.”
Was that a dig at Siobhan?You asshole.She attempted to keep her cool, but anger burned her cheeks. “You don’t remember her? Well, she probably doesn’t remember you, either, but I remember the both of you pretty well. She ruined everything we had, and did it right after we moved here. I don’t care if you knew about her or not. The fact is, I don’t…”
“Emily House,” Krys repeated, her whole body moving out of the way. She stood in the main office, a little too close to the computer and file cabinets for Siobhan’s liking. “How long ago was this? Two years? Three years?”
“What does it matter now?”
“I’m trying to remember, okay? I don’t want you going around town thinking I slept with your girl if I really didn’t. I’ve gotsomereputation to protect, you know.”
What? That you’re easy?No, Siobhan would not say that out loud. “Reputation? I don’t care about your reputation. I care that you might have slept with my ex. While she was with me.”
God, where was this coming from? Siobhan didnotdump this on people. She didn’t dump it on her aunt! Gabriella had spent years trying to get the whole story out of her niece’s mouth, but Siobhan had clamped it down before anyone had the chance to reopen her wounds.Krys Madison is the last person I would talk to about this. Screw her.Not literally. Figuratively.
Tears appeared. With shame and disgust for herself dripping down her cheeks, Siobhan turned away, the back of her hand covering her face.
“Hey…” How dare Krys sound so soothing right now? Didn’t she realize what was going on? She was being accused of stealing another woman’s partner! Did that not mean anything to her? “I’m sorry that happened to you. That’s a shitty thing to do to somebody you supposedly love. I don’t play like that, though. I’ve dated around a lot, yeah, but that doesn’t mean I don’t gotsomemorals. I don’t fool around with cheaters. First of all, that’s a dick move. Second of all, why would I want to date someone who cheats? They’re just gonna cheat on me, too, right? ‘Cause that’s what cheaters do. I ain’t no cheater, and I try to avoid dating them like they’ve got the plague. They do, right? They’ve got a plague that wants to take my sanity down with them.”
Siobhan barely understood what Krys said. “Even if you didn’t know… I don’t flirt with players. So I’d appreciate it if you stopped using these kittens as bait to get to either me or some other woman. They’re living creatures, thank you very much.”
“Hey.” That wasn’t the tender, reassuringheyfrom earlier. That was a“excuse you very much”kind ofhey.The snap was heard throughout the whole shed, not that there was anything beyond Siobhan to receive the force in her ears. “I ain’t using animals to get toanybody.You think I don’t care about them? You think this has all been an elaborate rouse to flirt with you and get you to go out with me?” She scratched the back of her head. “Maybe a little.”
Siobhan’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?” She hadn’t actually meant it. Not with any real certainty, since she knew she was another potential notch on Krys’s bedpost. She didn’t care abouther,Siobhan O’Connor.I’m a pretty face for her to fool around with until she’s bored.That’s how players operated. That’s how Emily had operated, and Siobhan was well-acquainted with what kind of playershewas.
Krys was halfway out the door by the time she replied. That take-it-or-leave-it attitude both infuriated and impressed Siobhan, who had expected a more lackadaisical response to her accusations. “Sorry if I got the wrong impression of you. Here I was worried about thinking you were gay when you’re really not. Instead, turns out you hold some grudge against me for something I didn’t do. My reputation precedes me, as usual.”
“Are you saying youactuallyintended to ask me out this whole time?”
“I mean, I like animals, okay? It’s not like I scrounged around for some kittens to use to get to you, Dr. I-Never-Met-Before-the-Other-Day. Now I’m not sure I want to ask you out. You seem like more trouble than you’re worth.”
Siobhan gasped.That’s what I’ve been thinking about you!
They were at an impasse. Krys remained in the doorway, but she was in no hurry to leave. Siobhan stared at her as if she were an intruder. Upon her property? Not as much as she was an intruder upon one woman’s bruised soul.
“Ah, what the hell!” Krys flung herself against the doorframe, eyes rolling up toward the ceiling as she smacked a hand against the wall. “You wanna go out sometime? Dinner? Movie at the park? I hear they’re playingBut I’m a Cheerleaderthis weekend. You know you wanna go. With me.” She cleared her throat, a flicker of doubt betraying that exuding confidence. “How’s that? Is it working?”
Siobhan had such dire whiplash from that spiel that she clutched the back of her office chair. “I… I have never seen that movie. So I don’t know if I want to see it or not.”
“So… you haven’t seen it before…” Krys flicked her fingers down toward the floor. “That means you should go…” They slowly raised again, index fingers pointing while the rest balled into a fist. “With me.” Both tips of Krys’s index fingers jammed into her chest.
Siobhan could only gape at her.
“That’s how it works.” Krys sniffed, resuming the stance of a woman who knew how to get a date. “You have not seen an iconic lesbian movie. That means you need to come with me to go see it. What time am I picking you up Saturday night?”
The chair squeaked beneath the pressure of Siobhan’s knee. “What time does it start?”
“Eight, I presume.”
“That’s kinda late…”
“What? You work on Sunday mornings?”
“Sometimes. If I get a call. Farm animals don’t wait to get sick or injured, you know.”
Krys grinned. “Hey, if you hate the movie, you can leave early.”
Siobhan weighed those options while Krys continued to linger in the doorway. The slamming of a door in the distance meant the oncoming nosiness of one Aunt Gabriella. Siobhan had to think fast, Preferably, to rid herself of this nuisance clogging up her office. “I’ll drive into town around 7:30. If I think you’ve picked out a decent spot, I might hang around. For cinematic purposes, of course.”
