Page 11 of Instant Heat
"Helllooooo." My friend's annoyed voice and snapping fingers pulled me from whatever hole I'd fallen into.
I blinked a few times until I could focus on her face."Huh?"
"Oh geez, Rae, you zoned out."
Embarrassment had my cheeks heating up, and I guessed they were red too. I shook my head and scrunched up my nose."Sorry." Snatching my bag from Lacy's grip, I stuffed it along with the other one into my locker.
"You're going to make me ask, aren't you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Barely managing to hold my laugh, I pushed past my friend and headed to the break room. I didn't have to look to know Lacy was short on my heels.
Once I busied myself with the makings of coffee, I could feel her eyes burn a hole in my skull. Still, I refused to look at her. Not because I was ashamed, though. Nope, the huge smile that refused to leave my lips since the early hours of the morning would be a dead giveaway of the fantastic time I'd had.
And that would just have Lacy rubbing my nose in the fact that she and Brie had been right all along.
I grabbed the milk along with a yogurt from the fridge and after slowly whitening my coffee, I turned to face my friend. How I managed to keep my composure with her looking at me like she was ready to take my head off, I would never know.
"Would you like some?" I held my coffee mug toward her, and I swear steam came out of her ears.
"What I would like,Rae—" she tucked her arms under her huge boobs and impatiently tapped her foot. "—are details."
Apparently, I was feeling incredibly brave because I just poked a ticking time bomb when I took another leisurely sip of my caffeine.
"Oh, come on!" Lacy complained."This isn't funny anymore."
My smile grew wider when I exchanged my coffee for some yogurt. After two spoonfuls, I took pity on Lacy and motioned for her to join me at the table by the window.
I'd never seen my friend take a seat that fast before.
"Tell me everything." Leaning forward, she rested her arms on the surface in front of her. The excitement rolling off her zapping like a live wire in the space between us.
"It was—" I chewed on the inside of my cheek not only to torture Lacy but to keep myself from over-excitedly spilling all the details. Lacy and Brie had been in my life for as long as I could remember, I loved them about as much as I loved Thatch—some days maybe even a little more.
But as much as they meant to me, I didn't want to share Griffin with either one.
That thought freaked me out more than a little. No man had ever been off limits when it came to my friends. Hell, they'd known I'd slept with Rob minutes after it'd happened.
When Lacy impatiently drummed her fingers on the table, I realized I hadn't finished my sentence.
"—nice," I finally said.
Seeing a grown woman roll her eyes more dramatically than a teenager was something to behold."Nice? Really, Rae?" She sounded exasperated."You don't have a better word thannice?" I opened my mouth to say something, but she silenced me by stabbing her index finger in the air."Everyone at the bar saw that bone-melting kiss and from our vantage point, it looked a whole lot better thannice."
This time I didn't hide my smile as the memories of that kiss—and the other toe-curling things we'd done—came flooding back."Fine, it was amazing.Hewas amazing."
"That's more like it."
Laughter bubbled from inside and spilled over my lips."Yeah, yeah, don't get too excited; I'm not giving you a play by play."
"Aah, you're no fun anymore." Scrunching up her nose, she pursed her lips. The disappointment on her face only made me laugh even more.
"I can tell you that he's Irish and his kisses made my toes curl."
Lacy reached forward and snatched my yogurt from me."Poor Mr. Bishop is going to be devastated when he hears you're off the market."
Mr. Bishop was one of our oldest residents at Shady Oaks, the care facility for the elderly where Lacy and I worked. I'd never intended on staying on this long when I'd started helping out during the summer of my senior year.
When the time came to go off to college, I simply couldn't bring myself to leave the people who'd taken up such a big space in my heart. And because Thatch never pushed me to go either— helicopter brother that he is, I fully believe his only reason for not pushing was so he could continue to keep an eye on me—I stayed.
