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“Hi,” I replied, hopping onto a stool, “what are you doing?”
“Oh, Austin brought a bunch of his friends home. He never acts like it, but it means a lot to him if I prepare some food for them. Gotta do it, all those kids like to eat, you know.”
I grinned. “He got a girlfriend down there?”
Shelley sent a radiant wink and a grin my way. “That’s my thinking too. Maybe we should ‘investigate’ later, hmmm?”
“Looks like homemade pizza,” I murmured, watching her take a pan out of the oven.
“Oh, hmm mmm. Austin’s favorite. Mandy always liked the same. They have the same tastes in a lot of ways. Pizza, lasagna, and now Mandy loves salads. Poor thing.” Her eyes lit up. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry, Taryn. I forgot to ask how your friend is. The one in the hospital?”
“Uh—” I didn’t even know, except that he was a liar. “He’s…in rare form again,” I replied, with a hint of sarcasm.
“Oh good. I was worried about you, you know. I know that you’re having a hard time with moving here from Pedlam. You must have a bunch of good friends back there. I’m sure you miss it.”
“Yeah,” I said softly, realizing that I did. At times I missed it so much that it was painful. Right now I wished I could just turn my back on it, forget it ever existed, but it was hard.
“Hey, I was thinking,” Shelley said brightly. “Why don’t you and I go swimming again this evening? You know, after Austin and his friends eat and everything? I thought it would be fun. What do you think?”
“I—” I started, but she interrupted me before I could blow her off.
“Great! Let’s plan on heading out in two hours.” Then she was at the stairway, calling, “Austin! The pizza’s done, guys. Come and get it.”
A second later, I had just enough time to step out of the way when Austin and five pubescent boys and three girls rushed upstairs, zeroing in on the pizza in record time.
The girls were slower, looking a bit uncertainly at the pizza. I knew how they were feeling. They wanted it, they were salivating for it, but being skinny meant not eating. Especially in front of boys, who were inhaling the food without chewing.
“Hey, your sis is hot, man!” one guy said, his mouth moving around a mouthful of pizza. He nudged Austin. “You never told us that.”
The girls were staring at me intently, raking me up and down, checking me out.
“Shut up, dick,” Austin retorted, wiping his mouth.
“Austin,” Shelley reprimanded, looking stern, but just failing. You could see the way she adored her son.
“Whatever.” Austin rolled his eyes. “Mom, where’s the pop?”
“Oh. I’ll go and grab some. I left them in the car.”
“Why don’t Austin and all his friends go and get them?” I suggested, staring down one of his friends, seeing a hand reaching out to cop a feel, he was getting perilously close to my ass for his own livelihood.
“Oh, come on!” Austin cried out.
“Go,” I ordered. And they went, but Austin flicked me off—it was becoming his favorite gesture—just as they slipped out the door.
I looked at the girls. “Okay. Quick, grab a few pieces and head downstairs. I’ll hold ‘em off for a while.”
Each looked gratefully at me, giving me looks of godlike idolatry as they grabbed their plates and darted downstairs.
“Well,” Shelley gave me an appraising look, “I didn’t even think of that.”
I leaned a hip against the counter. “I’m a girl and I remember what it was like when I was that age.”
Pretty soon, the guys bounded back inside, each with a twenty-four pack in their arms. Unloading them on the counter, they each grabbed another piece of pizza. I tapped one of the boxes. “These can go in the pantry, where the pop always goes.” I gave Austin a pointed glare. The kid was testing the boundaries right now, he knew where they went. I knew he was only acting like this because his friends were here, but Shelley was just letting him get away with it.
Fine. I’ll be the bitch.
Grumbling, Austin showed them where to go—half of the guys knew where they went anyway—and when they came back, I saw his hand slowly raising, his finger was inching upwards…
