Page 16 of Man Hands
“How isthatfine?”
“You leave after the fucking,” she says with ashrug.
“There won’t be any fucking,” Ipointout.
“Mmh,” she says. Either it’s a dodge, or she’s enjoying my quiche. It could really go either way. “Drinks tonight?” she asks. “I think seven o’clock would be a good time for some tikidrinks,no?”
The subject change is awfully abrupt, and I feel the tiniest prickle ofsuspicion.
But Sadie brightens up immediately. “I could do drinks. Decker is watching the girls. I tried to get him to call a sitter and go out for dinner with me, but he said he was tootired.”
See? Men =dicks.
12Pining & PupuPlatters
Brynn
Ishould have been moresuspicious when Ash insisted on taking me lingerie shopping that afternoon. And I should have been evenmoresuspicious when she insisted that I wear my purchases out of the store. But it saved me from having to unlace the wacky corset thing she’d picked outforme.
And, man, my boobs are so perky! It’s like having extra storage space. I could shelve books upthere.
We swing by Sadie’s house to pick her up. She practically ejects from the front door like a rocket when Ash’s car pulls up in front. She runs down the front walk, leaps into the backseat, and says, “Steponit.”
Ash, being a good friend, floors it. We blast off from Sadie’s quiet little street like Thelma andLouise.
“Problem?” I ask over the roar of theengine.
“Decker didn’t want me to leave. He’s spent exactly one day with his babies in the last two weeks, and it’s—” She makes air quotes. “—too muchforhim.”
“Tough shit,” Ash says, tapping on the brakes just lightly enough not to kill us all as we turn the corner. “We have drinks todrink.”
“Where are we headed, anyway?”Iask.
“Tai One On,” Ash says, accelerating again. “We were supposed to be there at seven. And it’s already five after.” Ash gets crazy when she’s late foranything.
Wait.
“Supposed to?” I ask. “If it’s just the three of us, whocares?”
Ashwinces.
“Ash?”
“Mmm?” she says, eyes ontheroad.
“Is it just the threeofus?”
“Mmm.”
“Ash!” I’m squawking her name as she pulls up to Tai One On, a Tiki place we visit on a semi-occasional basis. “What’s happeningrightnow?”
“Maitais.Duh.”
I grab her arm before she can get out of the car. “What are you not telling me?” Her eyes grow wide, and I justknow. “He’s in there, isn’t he? My gardener is inthere.”
She gives me atinynod.
“OMIGOD!” I shriek. “No. Nope. No.Uh-uh.”
