“Of course. Hold still while I put your phone away. I don’t want to touch any of the bits and pieces.” Charlie picked up his burner phone.
“Only you would think of secret pockets in the skirt for phones.”
She rolled her eyes. "Every woman who wears a skirt has to figure out where the heck to put the phone. Do you know how many skirts come without pockets?" She carefully inserted the phone into the hidden pocket on his thigh. "And we have now reached the most action I'm going to be getting this week."
"Really" You?" He'd been under the impression that Charlie was quite a busy dater among men and women.
"Nope, me, three bowls of ice cream, and a weekend Julia Stiles marathon. I think I'm starting with10 Things I Hate About You. The way he sings to her is my favorite part. Any guy who sings to you gets a special reward in heaven."
He snorted. "Yes, one of my older brothers was so into that movie that he had us start a band to play Can’t Take My Eyes Off You and all the Sister Hazel songs."
"Oh, that's cute. I hope you played the tambourine."
"I played the drums. My older brothers played the guitars and were the lead singers. My little brother got to hold the tambourine."
"All of you redheads?"
"Every one of us. Sunscreen till the day I die." Sean checked his painted-over freckles.
"Me too. I'm planning on dying alone with my cats."
"Do you have a cat?"
"No, I’m thinking of getting a goldfish. Something to mourn my passing."
"Then you’d better pick something longer living. Go with the cat,” he suggested. “You're being serious about not dating? Especially since you're the one who advised us on how to get emotionally close to people?"
"There's a difference between gaining someone's trust temporarily and having a permanent relationship. I am a flirt. I do date around, but I get shut down a lot more than you think. Hell, I got the phone number of three different firefighters once and not one of them called me."
"For that same firehouse?"
"Yeah, two guys and a girl. We were doing a training exercise at Kormos's girlfriend’s fire station. I probably should have paid more attention to the part where two of them were roommates. They didn't seem like the type to cross streams."
"But you cross?"
"Sometimes. Depends on my mood and who it is. I want someone fun, funny, and not threatened by me if I'm in a ball-busting mood, but strong enough to stand against me. Someone who I can be friends with but also has passion… Sorry, I sound like the worst dating profile."
"Can you see my profile? 'Undercover cop seeks woman good with a stick and interested in being emotionally vulnerable.’"
Bringing the conversation back to Lillian was a mistake because Charlie lost her teasing air. "Only if you aren't the emotionally vulnerable one. You have a job to do."
“I know.”
“I don't care how good she is with the stick, you best keep that gun from firing on, around, or in a good doctor.”
“I know,” Sean repeated. “I know.”
Chapter11
Lily had a powerful sense of having entered the Twilight Zone after she rode her Uber over to the bar. Google had instructed her to put her hair up in some type of 1960s beehive and the short, red, long-sleeve number was completely bootylicious, and boobalicious for that matter.
She felt naked in other ways because she’d opted against wearing a bra. The neckline of the dress was low enough that it likely would show.
And Gene had seemed to love her breasts, so if this were a game about temptation and want, she should better do her part.
Though she still wondered why he sent her a riding crop and what on Earth ‘green’ meant.
Both of those questions were answered quickly, because the press of people waiting outside of Cherries were various colored space aliens. Even the host was wearing bright blue and had two antennas coming out of his head.
