Roam didn’t but his eyes were shining. “Later?” he said to Vance.

Vance nodded again.

They took off.

I turned to Vance.

He didn’t look ready to commit murder anymore. He was staring at the front door of King’s where Roam and Sniff had disappeared and he looked like he was thinking about something.

“You okay?” I asked.

His eyes came to me. “That boy’d lay his life down for you.”

I blinked.

Then I realized he was right. Not a lot of people would throw attitude at Vance like that especially when he was promising physical retribution.

I felt that velvet shroud coming around me again and I mentally snuggled into it.

I looked at his empty hands. “I thought you were bringing lunch?”

“I left it in the Explorer. Saw you with Roam and Sniff and didn’t have a good feeling about the body language.”

He’d come to my rescue.

“I want to kiss you right now,” I blurted.

Oh jeez.

Why did I say that?

Before I could take it back or affect a head crackin’ mamma jamma pose, Vance’s face went soft and sexy and his arms came around me, drawing me into his body.

“Don’t,” I said, “we’re standing right out front, everyone can see. I already had a public display of affection with May this morning. I can’t take another direct hit to my street cred.”

His head was descending, completely ignoring me.

“Your street cred?” he asked, his voice silk again this time in a good way. His eyes were amused.

“Yeah.”

“Fuck your street cred,” Vance said against my mouth and he kissed me. Not a touch of the lips but full-on, open mouths, lots of tongue. I had no choice but to wrap my arms around his neck and when I did, he leaned in, I bent back and we went at it like teenagers.

It took awhile for the cat calls and wolf whistles to penetrate our invisible fortress. It was around the time a kid yelled, “You go, dawg!” that I pulled away.

Vance and I looked to the entrance of the Shelter and at least a dozen (maybe more), kids were standing outside the door. May was there beaming from ear to ear. More kids, Stu and Andy were looking out the windows.

We received an ovation, more whistles, cat calls, shouts of raunchy encouragement and full-on clapping applause.

“God dammit,” I whispered to Vance’s neck, trying to pull out of his arms but they just went tighter.

“I think that should do it,” he said to me and I looked into his eyes.

“What?”

“Don’t expect anyone will think you’re dumped anymore.”

Oh.

Well.

I expected he was right.

I relaxed in his arms and smiled at him, street cred be damned.

He smiled back.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Toiletries and Tiaras

This was my afternoon and evening:

About ten minutes after Vance left from lunch came call number one, Indy. “Hey, what’re you doin’ tonight?”

“I have to go to the mall,” I told her. “Vance made me leave my lotion and stuff at his house so I need to double up on toiletries.”

“That is so cool!” she shouted so loud I had to take the phone away from my ear.

“Um… you want to come to the mall?” I asked.

“Wish I could celebrate doubled toiletries but I’m meeting a couple of friends of mine, Andrea and Marianne at The Hornet. Want to pop around there after the mall, have a drink? They’d love to meet you and we can toast the toiletries. Or are you out with Vance?”

“Vance has an uncertain schedule tonight,” I explained. “He’s gonna come to my place whenever he’s done. I’m thinking about going out and crackin’ heads later anyway. Probably shouldn’t have impaired judgment.”

Or more impaired than normal.

Indy laughed. “Probably not.”

“Um…” I hesitated again, “did you ever double up on toiletries with Lee?”

“Negative, sister,” she replied, “I moved in with him the first night we were together, kind of.”

“Wow,” I whispered.

“I know,” she said. Then she giggled then for some strange reason I giggled too.

About an hour before leaving work came call number two, Jet. “Hey, what’re you doing for Thanksgiving?”

Something felt funny in my belly, not exactly the flutter, something else, a flutter mixed with a whoosh of happiness. This was because I was hoping I’d be spending Thanksgiving with Nick and Vance and that would be cool.

“I don’t know,” I told her.

“Well, Eddie and I are going to Eddie’s Mom, Blanca’s house and since Mom and Tex are together, he and Mom are coming and since Tex is Roxie’s uncle, she and Hank are coming and since Ally is Hank’s sister, Ally and Hank’s parents are coming. Blanca asked me to ask you if you, Vance and Nick want to come.”

“I’ll have to ask Vance and Nick.”

“Okay, let me know. Eddie and I are going over there for dinner tonight so just give me a ring.”

“Cool,” I said then, “um… Jet?”

“Yeah?”

“Vance asked me to leave my lotion and stuff at his place this morning.”

“That is so cool!” she shouted.

I grinned at the phone. “Did you ever double up on toiletries with Eddie?” I asked. “One set for his place, one set for yours?”

“No. Didn’t have to do that. I moved in with Eddie after a few days and never moved out.”

Yikes.

What was it with these guys?

I was heading to the mall when call number three came, Daisy. “Hey Sugar. What’s shakin’?”

“I’m on my way to the mall,” I told her. “Vance said to leave my lotion and stuff at his house so I’m doubling up on toiletries.”

“That is so cool!” she shouted.

I started laughing.

I flipped the phone shut after listening to Daisy telling me about how her masseuse was coming that night. It was only after I hung up that I realized I’d just talked to a drug dealing, gun running, pimp’s wife and I had no problem with that.

None at all.

How weird was that?

Call number four came about five minutes after Daisy. It was Tod.

“Girlie! You’re doubling up on toiletries?”

Someone was obviously talking and that someone was either a redhead, a platinum blonde or a honey blonde. I was guessing platinum or Daisy.