Page 53 of Pucker Up
Mel and I had plans to meet for lunch, so I tucked her hat in the pocket of my jacket. “Come on, Morton. Let’s go to work.”
With all ofmy subjects on a plane to the Sunshine State, I spent my morning reviewing the recordings and compiling data. Since Morton came with me to work, Mel and I opted to go for a dog walk instead of a restaurant for lunch.
The snow had stopped falling and the sun shone in the clear blue sky overhead. It was one of those perfect winter days where the snow crunched underneath your boots, and the sun warmed your face. Morton trotted beside me, basking in the winter wonderland.
Mel met us downtown and held up a tinfoil-wrapped sandwich in each of her hands. “Shawarma or falafel?”
“Mel.” I groaned. “I’m going to wear that if I try to eat it while we’re walking.”
She pointed to a bench at the side of the Lakeshore trail. “Have a seat.” She took off her gloves, set them down on the bench, and plopped down on top of them. “It’s not too bad.”
I followed suit, sitting on my wool mittens. She was right; it wasn’t so bad. Morton chose to dig a hole in the snowbank beside us and curl up in the snow. Mel filled me in on all of her real estate deals. There were tales of seized-up lockboxes and frozen plumbing pipes. “It sounds like a nightmare,” I said.
“It’s been a tough week. I can’t wait until summer.”
“Me too.” I finished the falafel and cleaned my hands off with a napkin. “Although, you can’t beat a day like this.” The sun glinted off the buildings, and if I closed my eyes, I could almost imagine that I was with Ace, sitting on a bench on Miami beach.
Mel pulled her black cable knit hat lower on her head. “It’s better than yesterday, but my toes are still freezing.” She pointed to her leather boots. “Come on, let’s start walking.” She slappedher hand on my thigh. “You have to tell me all about your night with Ace Bailey.”
I laughed and brushed the crumbs off my coat, amazed that I didn’t have tahini all down the front. “I was hoping that you forgot about that.”
She looped her hand through my elbow. “My best friend gets photographed smooching the Tiger’s all-star in front of a taco shop? Yeah right. I’m going to need the details—all of them.”
“How did you know that we kissed on the street?”
The memory was a bit blurry, but when I thought about the way Ace slammed me against that building, my body remembered every second. I cleared my throat as I tried to shake the scene from my mind or, rather, my body.
Mel pulled her cell phone out of her handbag. “You’re in theToronto Tattler.”
“What?” I grabbed at her phone.
The photo was grainy, and must have been taken from someone in line at the bar. If I squinted, I could make out my T-shirt. Ace was still holding my coat, and my back was to the crowd.
There wasn’t much of a story, and I breathed out a sigh of relief when I read the title: “Number 11 Celebrates Win with Mystery Brunette.”
“Don’t read the comments.” Mel swiped the phone from my hand.
“I’m sure they’re cruel.” I shrugged. The scrutiny the players’ girlfriends went through in the public eye was disgusting. I hadn’t even thought about that angle, discovering another good reason to keep things with Ace a secret.
“Sooooo.” Mel zipped up her handbag. “Is he proportional?” She held her hands out as if measuring something about twelve inches wide.
“I wouldn’t know.”
Mel cackled. “You’re a terrible liar, Goldie Girl. So, it is big.”
I looked around to make sure no one would overhear our conversation. “The biggest I’ve ever had.”
“I knew it.” She clapped her hands together. “Was it good?”
It was all about the sex with Mel. How could I describe the connection I’d felt with Ace? Yes, we’d had sex, but it had been so much more. “I’m going to keep that between us.”
Mel stopped and grabbed my arm. “No, Goldie Girl.”
“What?” I thought that she’d be excited for me, but she sounded the opposite.
“You’re falling for him.”
“I didn’t say that.” My cheeks burned. What good was it trying to hide the truth from your best friend when they could read every little micro expression on your face?
