It’s useless to argue with a woman.
But fuck…
Can’t help myself.
“There’s a lot of things I don’t know. I just know a lot of things.”
She smirks, “Uh huh,” pulling my sun-visor down to check her face in its small mirror. “Yikes! Why didn’t you tell me my mascara was a disaster??!”
“Are you afraid of it being a disaster?”
Side-eyeballing me, she smirks, “Nice try,” and slaps the visor up like it’s a lost cause. “I don’t like looking like a ghoul on Sunday morning is all!” She freezes. “I’m supposed to be at church!”
I didn’t expect that coming from the redhead who dragged me off my barstool after pouring beer on her cheating boyfriend’s crotch.
“What time does it start?”
“It already started!”
“What do you need me to do?”
With a deep frown she twists in her seat as we drive the mild hills of old Huff Road. “If they took Zoe’s car I’ve got my keys and I can drive over. But if Sam drove our car, I am totally screwed.” Pointing at me she warns, “Don’t make a sex joke. It won’t be funny right now!”
I raise my free hand. “Wasn’t going too. Where do you guys park?”
“In the lot. That’s my complex on the left — Avana Westside.”
“I see it.”
“Can we drive though the parking structure? Would that be okay?”
“Yep. You have assigned spaces?”
“No! It could be anywhere.”
“I’ll drive fast.”
She starts mumbling to herself, “I can’t believe I forgot,” pulling out her phone, switching off airplane-mode. “I bet they texted me a thousand times. This is awful.” Lexi closes her eyes and starts tapping the phone against her forehead.
I turn left into a well-maintained apartment complex of four buildings, two left, two right, balconies climbing up their sides, with an active dog run at the far end of the drive, a yellow ball caught mid-air by a black lab, its owner clapping and encouraging its return.
“Which lot?”
“On the left, Gage, thank you!”
She groans as her phone starts blowing up, rapid-fire replying, muttering to herself, “Oh man, do I have time to change?”
“You look great. You’re wearing jeans and a pretty shirt. Classy boots.”
She sighs, drops the phone on her lap and snaps the visor open, licking her fingers and rubbing away the tiny bit of mascara that didn’t wash off in our shower. “Nobody knows I wore this last night except Sammy and Zo and they’d never rat me out. But these curls!”
“How do we get in here?”
Climbing over me, Lexi reaches the keypad and taps in their secret code while I avert my gaze out of respect for her privacy. “Sorry!”
As her breast rests against my bicep, I smirk, “Don’t be.”
Lexi looks at me, stretched across my lap, a momentary frown darkening her expression before she crawls back and sits down.
Great.
I drive fast, eyes out for pedestrians, but there aren’t any. Tons of parking spots available, too.
Lexi shouts, “That’s Zoe’s!” instantly wilting and covering her head with both arms. “Oh no! They drove ours! What am I gonna do? I haven’t missed church in two years and the last time I was really, really sick.”
“Where is it? I’ll take you.”
She drops her arms, her face a war of hope and guilt, “Aren’t you going to be late? I swear I wasn’t trying to—”
“—I know you weren’t. It’s no problem. This is obviously important to you. I can be late once.”
“Oh thank you! Seriously, Gage, thank you!”
She gives me the address and, as soon as we’re out of the lot, my boot is on the floor as I mutter, “Don’t want you missing church for the first time in two years because of me. I don’t need that kind of Karma.”
I break every speed limit as sunshine warms our skin. Lexi explains during the short drive that none of their brothers go to church because they don’t believe in organized religion. Their parents — Zoe’s too — let them decide for themselves. “But we really took to it because it makes us feel good to be there. And we don’t mind that they’re not into it since they don’t push their beliefs on us, either. But feeling good — I thinks that’s the right reason to do anything, don’t you?”
Not religious myself, I nod, “Doing what feels good is a great philosophy. I should do it more.”
“This is it!” She prepares to hop out, glancing over to me with a smile. “You don’t have to open the door. You’re already late for work.”
“I don’t mind.”
Tilting her head, Lexi gives me a silent, Come on, you really don’t have to.
“It makes me feel good.”
A beautiful grin spreads, followed by a laugh. “Touché”
I hop out, making it to her with quick strides. I’m not one to jog, but this is what I can do for her.
Taking my offered hand, she glides out. “Thank you so much! I’m sorry it made you late, but I really do appreciate it,” and races away, breaking into a sprint with me watching her go. What an interesting way to end our one night together.
“Hey Cherry!”
Her fingers grasp the church’s iron handle as she turns, curls bouncing, eyebrows raised in question.
“If there is a God…pretty sure he’s just glad you showed up.”
She tilts her head, smiles, and disappears.
Chapter Nine
LEXI
Z oe, Sam and I are outside of our church enjoying social hour after Mass, where the congregation happily clusters over coffee and donuts — one of my very favorite things about Sundays. Today, it’s so pretty out — warm sun, occasional breeze, familiar faces, most of them smiling, others gathered in gossip they should keep to themselves, but oh well.
I’m happy to be here.
Holding a chocolate Old-Fashioned with one bite missing, my sister whispers, “Did you see my face when you slid in next to us?”
With a delicious, greasy Apple Fritter hovering near my lips, I sigh, “You had to pick the second pew,” and chomp.
Zoe reminds me,
