“A warlock like I did?”
“This was past your medieval phase.” Tempest slides her arm through mine as our footsteps learn to keep time. “What else did she want, Zia, think!”
I throw a nod to one of my aunts knowing we’ll hug later. “A ginger?”
“Yes!”
My feet freeze. “Her new boyfriend’s a ginger?! Those are so rare!”
“I know,” Tempest grins. “But I wouldn’t call him a new boyfriend. That implies a guy in line before the last boyfriend gets here.”
“What?” I blink, shaking my head like I understood none of that. Because I didn’t.
“When you say new it implies there are others. Her new one. And then this is her new one. And that one’s old because now this is her new one.”
Scanning the beverage table as we pass, I ask with longing, “Can I get a glass of wine before we do this?”
“Later.”
Christina, in a gorgeous red dress with black strappy heels, spots me and practically shouts, “Guess who you get to meet tonight!”
I hug her, “You look beautiful. But what I want to know is,” I separate and hold her happy gaze with one of feigned reproach, “why did I have to find out about him from my mom?”
“I’ve been busy!”
Leaning close with a naughty smile I whisper, “Busy Tucking your brains out, you mean?”
Christina bursts out laughing, inspiring heads to turn and mine to grin. Pointing at me, she fakes suspicion, “Have you been spying on us?”
Tempest grumbles, “I have forgotten what that is like.”
Me too, until James.
But I’ll save that poisoned apple for later.
“So I hear the Law of Attraction really works.”
Christina tilts her head. “Sorry?”
“The ginger you always wanted.”
“I did!” she grins, absolutely radiant!
Tempest smirks, “The Law worked so well you got two of them.”
My head swings back. “Two gingers?!”
Christina’s enthusiasm is contagious as she cries out, “There he is!” and points.
I laugh to Tempest, “No playing coy for her!” and turn to meet Mr. Ginger come true. But my smile fades as up walks a well tailored suit flanked by two of the handsomest friends I’d never expected.
Tempest steps closer to me, staring, too, but for a different reason than I am. Her fingernails are digging into my hip as she stares at the brooding dark-chocolate haired model walking up on Bennett’s left.
My time-stamped crush, the tall, dirty-blonde drink of get-in-my-bed is on his right, still in torn-up light blue jeans, but now there’s a light jacket over his t-shirt. The knees that normally support me quite nicely nearly buckle as he grins, more attractive than ever in the moonlight, “You work at the museum! Zia, right? I remember.”
It just got hot up here.
My cousins stare from me to him.
Bennett pulls Christina close, “You look beautiful,” and kisses her like we women all want to be kissed, distracting her, and inspiring Tempest and I to share a look that communicates many things in a matter of two seconds.
I casually — I hope it’s casually! — toss back, “Where are your sons tonight, gentlemen? Babysitter?”
My favorite dad jogs his chin toward the food. “Christina said all ages welcome. Dogs, too.”
Tempest and I look over to see the three boys from my tour today, Joe, Will and Elliot, eagerly surveying the food and blowing my mind. Bennet’s son holds the leashes of two havanese dogs who are equally grill-curious, and equally cute.
The sound of Christina’s voice splinters my jagged focus, bringing me back to her. “We should tell Grandma and Grandpa to bring Hank next time! You guys went to the museum? When? Oh, and you haven’t met my sister.”
“I’ve met your sister.”
She kisses Bennett, “Not you! Them!” Pointing to the model, she says, “Josh, this is Tempest. And that’s our cousin, Zia.” She directs her index finger at my pulse-rate-multiplier, “and that’s Nax.”
Temp smiles, eyes on Josh, “Hi.”
Tilting my head I clarify, “Max?” and receive an easy grin.
“Nax. With an ’N’ as in no, not Max.”
That smile is contagious. “I’ll never forget.”
Tempest says to Josh, “Christina tells me you’re Bennett’s best friend?”
He nods once.
That’s it.
Zero smile.
In fact, I think that cloud he brought with him to the museum, just darkened.
Nax
Bennett and I exchange a look, one of dozens since I arrived in New York. Patience is what our buddy needs. You don’t suffer a tragedy like his and bounce back quickly. Let him be, I figure, and cross my arms, still surprised at running into our hot tour guide. “Cousin, huh? How many of them are you?”
She smiles, “We total ten all told.”
“Now that’s a tongue twister,” I chuckle. “Ten Tucks all told.”
“You know our last name?”
Jogging my chin to Bennett I explain, “He told me about your name game for swearing.”
Christina slides her arm around him. “You’re getting really good at it,” to which he replies with a brief kiss.
My gaze is brought back to Zia as she asks me, “So, did you all go to Cafe on 4?”
“We did. Cute place. And when we passed that cafeteria on our way to the train I was really glad I asked you for a recommendation.”
“Our only flaw is the junk food,” Zia frowns. “We get a lot of money from big name brands in things like cookies, chips, sodas, but it’s all junk food. None of it’s healthy for the kids. I’ve been talking to management about changing that.”
I nod, impressed she’s making the effort. “Have they listened?”
She pushes shiny black hair back from a frown, eyes losing their light. “Hard to argue with funding. It’s expensive to run a museum. Not just staff or cleaning, but research. Also, maintaining artifacts costs money. Time decays them even behind glass.”
Tempest sighs, “But they have to think about how many kids come through there. Soda is just poison.”
Christina motions to her sister. “Ever since Tempest upped her yoga game she’s become ridiculously health conscious.”
“Ridiculously? I’m just
