Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 130380 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 652(@200wpm)___ 522(@250wpm)___ 435(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130380 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 652(@200wpm)___ 522(@250wpm)___ 435(@300wpm)
I left myself out of the equation, but hoped she saw when she gave me a look that said brown-noser that I meant me, too.
“I’m sure it’ll be fun.”
“Do you drink?” I asked.
“That’s a very forward question.”
“I just haven’t seen you in all the time you’ve lived with us.”
She shrugged, fanning herself with one hand. I noted the bead of sweat gathering on her neck, wondered when it would start its descent along the ink that disappeared between her breasts. “It’s not really my preference. I’ll have wine with the girls sometimes, or a good cocktail, but I much prefer my buzz to be of the herbal variety.”
Mary cocked a brow at me like she wasn’t sure I’d catch the reference.
“Ah, how fitting. Mary loves the Mary J.”
We ducked inside another booth with her smirking at me.
This one had free samples of different dips made from the spice packets they were selling. They sold it with direction to just add sour cream or mayonnaise. I tested a spicy red pepper one while Mary dipped a pretzel into a sour cream and ranch. She closed her eyes on a hum that reminded me of when she had my tostones, and I was almost jealous of the older gentleman who lit up behind the sample table.
“Good, right?” he asked.
“So good.” Mary grabbed another pretzel and tried a dill one next. “How much are they?”
“Three packs for ten dollars,” he said. “And just add to whatever base you want — mayo, sour cream, even Greek yogurt works.”
I saw the hesitation in Mary as she reached for her wallet.
“You know what, we should get some of these for the party tonight,” I said, fishing mine out of my back pocket before she could. I handed the man a twenty-dollar bill. “We’ll take six.”
Mary gaped at the transaction as if I’d just bought her a car.
The man grinned as he bagged up our choices, and when we fell back in line with the other people wandering the market, Mary slapped me hard across the shoulder.
“Ouch!” I rubbed the spot. “What the hell was that for?”
“For acting like I’m some sort of charity case.”
“I was just being nice.”
“Yeah, well, it’s weird and I don’t like it. So stop.”
I chuckled, and then as the crowd started to thin where we were walking, I noticed she was on the side of the path closest to the street. I slowed my step until she passed a little in front of me before I came around the back of her and she had no choice but to scoot over closer to the tents and have me between her and the street, instead.
She gave me a look. “What was that for?”
“What?”
She wiggled her finger between us. “Whatever that little dance just was.”
I shrugged. “You haven’t heard of the sidewalk rule?”
“The what?”
“You know, the guy always walks on the side closest to the street.”
Mary stopped walking at that, and when I turned, she pegged me with a bored expression before she blinked slowly like I was stupid.
“You’re kidding, right?”
I pressed a hand to my chest. “I’m nothing if not a gentleman.”
Her face warped with the restraint of holding back a laugh, and then she started walking again. “Please. As if your body would stop a car from plowing over me.”
“It might,” I said, puffing my chest a little. I smirked down at her over the top of my sunglasses. “You don’t see what I do in the weight room.”
She poked my side hard enough to deflate me and then smiled in victory when it worked, skipping a few steps ahead.
“You wanna be chivalrous?” she asked, spinning to face me as she continued walking backward. Her ponytail swung with the motion, and something tightened in my chest at the sight of her so light and carefree. “Go to a women’s march. Vote for a female to take office. Read a book on feminism. Stop using pussy as an insult.”
“Hey, I already learned that lesson. Only took you telling me once.”
She leveled me with a look. “You’re telling me you haven’t said it since that day?”
“On my mom’s life,” I said, holding up two fingers in a solemn swear.
Mary just shook her head with a smile, whipping back around and giving me that glorious view of her ass in those cut-off shorts again.
And I reveled in the feeling that she might actually enjoy having my company.
We walked the market for about another hour before we were both sweating profusely and ready for air conditioning. Mary had parked in the same garage as me, so we walked toward it together.
We were almost to it when a scraggly, too-thin cat sauntered out from under one of the buildings and directly into our path.
I paused and said, “Ick,” at the same time Mary bent and said, “Aww!”
She glared up at me as I barked out a laugh, and then she was holding her hand out and trying to woo the thing.