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Tawny broke out in her big booming laugh, startling me and making me realize the conversation had moved on while I’d been lost in thought. I looked down and saw that my hands had moved on as well. Somehow, I’d added an extra eye to my penguin. You know what? I was going with it. Maybe somewhere out there, a penguin with three eyes would finally get his own action figure. I picked through shades of black and dark grey wool to blend together for the penguin’s sides, listening to Jeanie reminisce in that soft voice she had.
“When my James came to pick me up for dates, I’d get so nervous I’d make my sister get the door for me. Until I realized he thought I was trying to set him up with her.”
“Did you two fight over him?” Tawny asked.
“Oh, no. My sister had her own boyfriend. He drove a motorcycle, and he had a tattoo on his arm of a sea creature taking down a ship. He worked in the dockyards, you see. And his name was Jazz. Spelled just like the music. My parents hated him. I thought he was great.” Jeanie looked scandalized at her own admission. “He was nice, and he made her happy.”
“What’s his last name?” Tawny asked. “Jazz what?”
“Tawny,” Jeanie scolded. “He’s taken. Married a gal from our town years ago and had eight kids. And my sister is happily married, too. It all worked out the way it was supposed to.”
Tawny shrugged. “Another dream dies. Carmen, does your man have any tattoos?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Have you seen him with his shirt off?”
I paused, and five sets of eyes stared at me while my mind replayed Isaac stripping off his shirt to get in the hot tub. It wasn’t just finding out he had a really nice body hiding under there. It was also one more boundary coming down, one that had previously let me keep him in a special box marked ‘platonic friend only.’
Their stares turned to grins. Oh, why couldn’t I just lie? My face always gave me away.
“She has seen him! I guessed right.” Tawny threw her hands up. “Oh shoot. My oven timer is going off. Don’t you say a word until I get back.” She jumped out of her chair and ran out of view.
“She’ll be highly disappointed,” I muttered. “He was in swim trunks. This is not life-ending news.”Although it might have stopped my heart for a second.
“Ah, gal. We give you way too much grief about that boy.” Belinda gave me a sympathetic smile. “How many more weeks until your parents take over bingo pickups?”
“At least two or three.”
“Well, I bet they appreciate Isaac going with you in the meantime.”
“I wish he didn’t feel obligated to come. Winnie keeps telling me she’s busy.”
Belinda snorted. “She’s not going to volunteer when she knows Isaac will go. True friend right there.”
That had actually never occurred to me. The little stinker. Matchmakers were everywhere. And now that I thought about it, Ally and Kimber suddenly signing up to play volleyball with Saturday night games seemed a little suspect, too. They weren’t sporty at all. Although it was a co-ed thing, and that was definitely their style.
“I’m back!” Tawny sat down out of breath. “What kind of pectoral definition are we talking about? And does he have sexy shoulders?”
“Tawny, if we continue this, first I want to hear about that time you got stuck between the vending machines at work, and your hot janitor had to rescue you. I feel like that topic has not been fully explored. Am I right, ladies?”
It was the perfect distraction, as everyone agreed with me, and Tawny loudly protested.
“What will it be, Tawny?”
She covered her face with her hands. “Oh my. I’d forgotten about that day. He’s been leaving me little sticky notes on my car window since then, wishing me a blessed day. Do you think that means something?”
“Yes, dear,” Belinda said. “It definitely means something.”
Once we got her started, she forgot all about the shirtless Isaac thing. My diabolical plan worked. Plus, I got to hear about Tawny being pulled out of a tight spot by the hands of ‘a real man.’ Her words, not mine.
My phone chimed with a text, and I swiped to read it. No words, just a gif of a guy knocking on a door, followed by the sound of Isaac actually knocking. “Very funny,” I muttered. “Gotta go, ladies. Isaac is here.”
“Wait!” Tawny pointed an accusing finger at me. “You cheated! I want to know about his abs. Are they washboard, or is there a little bit of huggableness to him?”
“Somewhere in between.” I winked and hit end call. That was all she’d get.
Isaac was hanging out with the ladies by their hen house when I stepped out on my porch and locked my door.
