“We weren’t.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Wheels.”
Before I could tell her exactly what would help me sleep at night, the door beside me opened.I was out of the chair before the hinges stopped moving.
Goldie stood in the doorway with one hand wrapped around the edge of the door.Her hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun that looked like it had survived a tornado.She was still wearing the same wrinkled T-shirt and shorts from yesterday, and her face had that soft, confused look people got when they slept too hard and woke up not knowing what century it was.
Her eyes moved from me to Tempi, then down the hallway.Then she looked at the wall clock mounted near the stairs.Her eyes widened.“It’s 12:07.”
“Yeah,” I said.
“How?”
Tempi leaned against the wall.“Well, that’s kind of how time works.The little hand goes around—”
Goldie held up a hand.“I know how time works.I meant, how did I sleep until noon?I haven’t done that since I was in college.”She tipped her head to the side and frowned.“And that only happened when I drank way too much.”Then she pointed at me.“Did you drug me?”
I leveled my gaze at her.“I’ve never had to drug a woman in my life.I’m not starting with you.”
Tempi pressed her lips together, but her shoulders shook.
Goldie blinked at me.For a second, I thought she might snap back.Then her mouth twitched.Not a full smile, but close.
Tempi jumped in before either one of us could say anything else.“It was probably all the fresh air on the ride back.Knocks you right out.”
Goldie stared at me for a beat, like she still wasn’t fully convinced.Then she turned her attention to Tempi and stuck out her hand.“I’m sure you know I’m Goldie, but I don’t know who you are.”
Tempi smiled and shook her hand.“I’m Tempi.I own The Badger’s Den, and I’m dating Twister.”
Goldie nodded.“I’ve been to The Badger’s Den a time or two when I was in college, and I met your…” She tipped her head to the side.“Twister last night.”
Tempi laughed.“Yeah, he is my Twister.”
Goldie’s eyes softened just a little.“That makes sense.”
Tempi glanced at me.“It does?”
Goldie shrugged.“He looks like the type of guy who’d belong to somebody who says that with a straight face.”
I barked out a laugh before I could stop it.
Tempi pointed her mug at Goldie.“I like her.”
Goldie looked surprised by that, like she hadn’t expected anyone to like her.Or maybe she hadn’t expected to care.
We all stood there for a second, the three of us taking up too much space in the narrow hallway.
Goldie shifted on her feet and looked down at herself.“Uh, well…”
“Are you hungry?”Tempi asked.
Goldie looked up.
“I mean, you should be since you just slept for hours, and I doubt you ate while you were on the run,” Tempi rambled.
“We weren’t really thinking about eating on the way back,” I said.
Tempi held up her free hand.“I’m not judging here.I’m just offering a cheeseburger and maybe a beer.”
