AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Lauren nibbled her lower lip. “No, I’m ok.”
That was code for yes. He stood up and replaced the tea on the seat and buckled it in. Heaven forbid something happen to Denver’s three gallon container.
“Half hour warning.” Denver raised her voice. “We’re stopping in Portland for a refuel and hour food break. All the girlie types may want to beautify or you know, pee or whatever.”
“Yes!” Juliet transferred a pile of magazines onto Elle, hopped off the couch, and ran to the back of the bus.
Elle struggled up and dumped the pile on the couch. “Do not lock me out of that bathroom, Jules!”
Lauren’s eyebrows went up. He held out his hand to help her out from under the sliding grip of Cosmopolitan, Vogue, HGTv, and W.
“Are they always like that?” She tugged down his Bowie shirt. Unfortunately, she’d put her damn bra back on.
“Molly doesn’t know we’re stopping yet. It gets worse.” He led her to the kitchen and pulled down his box. “Need a pick-me-up? We’ll stop and get food when we get off the bus.”
“No, that’s okay.” As she said, it her stomach rumbled.
He grinned down at her as he held out a granola bar. “You were saying.”
She blushed. “Thanks. I’ll pay you back, I promise.”
“Stop with that, all right? I’m doing okay. I don’t mind playing boyfriend for the next few days.”
Lauren broke off a corner of the cinnamon and oats bar and nibbled on it. “Boyfriend, huh?”
He shrugged. “Dating? Dude pays?”
She smiled around the piece before closing her mouth to finish chewing. “I’ve never had a guy pick up the tab for me. At least not more than once or twice.”
He knew her situation, but she was far too hot not to date at least. She must have seen his thoughts on his face.
She finished off the rest of the bar and brushed the crumbs off her fingers over the sink. “I’ve been on a few dates, but rarely with the same guy more than a couple times and I usually insisted on chipping in my share. Even when I’m broke as a joke, like right now.”
“I think you mentioned something about being between jobs?”
“Yes. They never seem to last long.”
He grinned and tugged her closer. “Between clown school and the mortuary, hard to imagine why.”
“They weren’t bad. I like being challenged.” She looked down at the leather necklace he wore. It was usually under his shirt, but he’d been helping Mal with moving bags under the bus on the last stop. She traced the small brass compass charm on the cord.
“Why a compass?”
He shrugged and tucked it back under his shirt.
“Now there’s a story,” she said as she flattened her hand on his chest over the charm.
“Maybe for another day.” He laced his fingers at the small of her back. “How many jobs have you had?”
“I lost count.”
“Unlikely.”
She tucked her hair behind her ears. “Forty-seven.”
He barked out a laugh. “How?”
“I get fired a lot.”
