Page 23 of The Tip-Off
“No, but you obviously are. You can’t even keep your eyes open.”
“Just tired,” he says and runs a hand over his head. It makes the coolest sound as his palm moves back and forth over the short hair.
“So why did you come then?”
“Just looking out for you. Nathan bailed and I don’t trust these guys to keep you out of trouble.”
“Looking out for me?” I repeat it and mull over his choice of words. It suddenly feels way too hot outside for a fire. “Keep me out of trouble?”
“Yeah, I promised Blair I’d keep an eye on you this week.”
My cheeks flame with embarrassment, and I stand and move into the house draining what’s left of the warm beer in my hand.
Zeke’s loud steps sound behind me. “To be clear, no one forced me to be here tonight or the other night. Blair was just—”
I face off with him, arms crossed over my chest, and he stops talking. “I don’t need a babysitter.” But… lemons meet lemonade. If he wants to be my chaperone, then so be it. “But, since you’re on duty, I need your help.”
He doesn’t move as I ransack the bathroom and return with two rolls of toilet paper. I hold them out and ask, “Any other bathrooms in the house? Upstairs maybe?”
“Stocking up?”
“No, silly, we’re going to TP them.”
He shakes his head and takes a step back. “Uh-uh.”
“Come on. It’ll be awesome.” I stick my bottom lip out, but unsurprisingly Zeke doesn’t react to my adorable pouty expression except to shake his head again.
“Fine. I’ll do it myself.” I march out of the house and to the front. Looking around at the houses and the cars driving by, my nerves arrive to the scene. I make a mental plan, complete with design aesthetic, and am just about to move to action when I hear the front door open and close behind me. The smile on my face can’t be helped.
“Good. I’m going to need your height,” is all I say as I hand him a roll.
“This is a bad idea.”
“Oh, lighten up. It’s just a little toilet paper.”
I lead us to the tallest tree in the yard, a mesquite that’s bent and curved toward the neighbor’s house. “Lift me up.”
I expect more excuses when his hands are suddenly at my hips, lifting me as if I weigh nothing. I falter with the roll in my hand.
“Any day now.”
“I don’t know what to do,” I admit.
My body is hoisted higher and then my ass makes contact with his shoulder.
“Unroll it a bit.” I do as he instructs, and he nods. “That’s it. Now hold the free end and toss the roll.”
I’m frozen, feeling unsure. Maybe he was right. This might be a terrible idea.
“If anyone asks, I’m denying I had anything to do with this.” He lets his roll go and it sails through the air in a perfect arc around one of the highest branches and then comes down the other side as my laughter echoes into the night.
* * *
Zeke
It takes her three tries to get the toilet paper around the tree. Her aim and power are god awful, but the giggle and smile that accompany her efforts make a perfect beeline to the left side of my chest.
She’s reckless and naïve. So desperate to make a mark on the world she doesn’t realize she already has. Everybody likes her. The guys think she’s hot, of course, but it’s nothing as shallow as her looks – it’s just her.
