"I'mso glad you guys made it! This might be my first double date since high school."She grinned and leaned against Derek.
"Wouldn'thave missed it for the world," I lied through my teeth. "Hey, Derek."
"Dot."He gave me a small smile.
"Youremember Jimmy?"
"Thefireman. Yes." He reached across the table and shook Jimmy's hand.
"So,what's new and exciting?" I asked Sherry, not Derek. Wanting to get theconversation going and away from Derek.
"SinceI saw you a few hours ago? Not much. Thanks for fixing the war zone."
"Mypleasure."
"Warzone?" Derek leaned forward a little, his curiosity piqued. Even Jimmy wasstaring at me. I probably should have told him, too.
"Yeah.Had a visitor this afternoon. The flaming sword wielding kind. Downtown tookthe brunt of the damage."
"Waseveryone okay?" Jimmy asked concernedly.
"Well,it was close. Not every day you get your ass handed to you by an arch angel. Imanaged to dodge most of it, but Yuki learned what it felt like to go in like awrecking ball."
"Anarch angel?" Derek asked dubiously.
"Yeah.They don't like me very much."
"Howdid you kill it?" That was my Jimmy. Straight to the point and assuming I'dwon.
"Ididn't. Believe it or not, Candace came flying out of the Bistro we were havinglunch at and scared it away." I cocked my eyebrow, still uncertain how shehad managed to pull it off. She was about as scary as a Pomeranian in a tutu.
"Well,just try to keep the fighting to a minimum. We don't want a repeat of the othernight, either," Sherry said absentmindedly as she perused the menu.
"Theother night?" Derek asked. With every question, his eyebrows moved closerto his hairline.
"Vampireattack on an anti-witch coalition. Fun stuff. You should hang out more,"Jimmy answered him with a chuckle.
"Itwould appear so." He took a long pull from his dark beer and didn't soundhonest at all. For the first time since we had broken up, I felt asthough he might be glad. Which was good.
"LadyDorothea!" The bubbly, non-human, blonde waitress that I always seemed tofind myself saddled with, the one whose name I could never remember, stopped atour table. "Good to see you again! The usual?"
"Please."I shrugged. I was kind of starving, and sixty-four ounces of steak sounded likeit would fill me up quite nicely.
"Jimmy?"She blushed when she said his name.
"Notfor me. Just the porterhouse, please."
"Beer?"
"Youbetcha." He flashed a smile at her. I gripped his knee and gave it alittle squeeze.
Sheturned to Derek and Sherry and took their orders before flashing Jimmy a demuresmile and heading for the kitchen. "She wants me," Jimmy saidjokingly.
"Probablybetween two pieces of bread with a light coating of mayonnaise," Ianswered him warningly.
"Well,I'm safe. The only person's lips who are touching my exquisite flesh are yours,love." He grinned and kissed me.
"Keepflirting with her, and I'll carve some of your ass off for her sammich."
"Me?I never flirt."
Hiscousin scoffed.
"What?"
"Youflirt. You just don't realize it. Nor do you pay attention when girls flirtwith you, which makes you doubly dangerous."
"Right?"I nodded at her.
"Don'tknow what you're talking about," Jimmy answered defensively.
"Idon' think he was flirtin'," Derek agreed.
"Youshush. You're twice as bad with that honey-dipped accent," I said with alaugh. Sherry grinned and nodded.
"Idon't think they appreciate the fine subtleties of the finer points of ourpersonalities, Jimbo."
"We'retotally unappreciated."
"Slavesto the women we love…"
"Love?"Sherry's eyes grew twice as wide as she turned to him and stared at him like adoe in headlights.
Itwas at that moment that Derek realized he fucked up.
Chuckling,I curled up into the crook of Jimmy's arm to watch the show. But not beforewhispering, "Just remember. You can't flirt if you're dead."
Chapter 18
"Well, that was fun," I said asI got back into Jimmy's truck, half meaning it. While it had been nice to hangout with Sherry, spending time with my ex had been more than a little awkward.No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop imagining the feel of his fingers,the taste of his kiss, or the sound of his voice as he whispered in my ear. Ifound myself staring off into nothingness more than once as we finished ourmeal.
"Whichpart?" Jimmy asked softly, shutting the door and walking around the truck toget in. It took me until he started the engine to realize he was expecting ananswer.
"Hangingout with your cousin. I really like her."
"Good.She likes you, too. What about Derek?" He asked as he put the truck inreverse but didn't let go of the break.
"Youwant the truth?"
"Iwouldn't have asked if I didn't."
"Evenif the truth sucks?"
"Youstill have feelings for him," he stated flatly.
"Notso much as feelings for him, just the memories of the time we shared arerather…"
"Vivid?"
"Yes.Vivid. Vivid and happy."
"So,you don't want him?"
"Oh,hell no. He had his chance. Two of them in fact."
Heleaned across the truck and planted a gentle kiss on my cheek. "Well, ifyou change your mind…"
"Iwon't."
Heheld up his hand. "The heart gets what the heart wants, Dot. Just do me afavor and try not to devastate my cousin. You saw her face when he mentionedthe L word."
"Idid. More importantly, I saw his face when he realized what he said. Tell youwhat, I'll make you a deal."
"What'sthat?"
"Ipromise not to hurt her, but if he hurts her, we can hurt him together." Igrinned proudly.
"Sucha deal." He winked and backed out of the spot and headed for Main.
"Wantto go back to my place?"
"Maybein a little bit. I have something else planned…"
"Fuckme." I sighed and slumped in the seat.
"Oh.I will. I will." He grinned mischievously.
"That'snot the part I'm worried about."
"Oh?What is, pray tell."
"Who'sgoing to be watching…"
"Iwould never do something so dastardly…" He feigned shock and put his handover his heart.
"Bothhands on the wheel, mister."
Hekept driving, taking us closer and closer to the center of town. My heart stoppedwhen he pulled in the parking lot of the bookstore. "Uh. Why are we here?"
"Ifigured you could use a coffee…"
"Jimmy,so help me goddess. If you cause a scene in my store, I'll flog you."
"Youpromise?" He sounded a little too hopeful for my tastes. "Come on. Itwill be fun!" He flashed his famous, patented, boyish smile and opened hisdoor.
Icounted to ten and then once again while I waited for him to open my door. Ifhe was going to drag
