this.”
“We can stop now,” David said. He cleared his throat. “I could still go.”
“You sure you can walk?”
“I could probably limp out of here.” He took a deep breath. “Seriously, Lucy, if you want me to go, I’m gone. We still have to work together. I’m not saying I haven't dreamed about this- okay, fantasized about this-from day one, because I have. But you made it clear a long time ago that it was never going to happen and I’ve accepted that.”
“Have you?” Lucy said, looking down at the tent in his pants.
“Yeah,” he said. “Intellectually I have. Maybe not so much physically. But I can still walk out of here and never say another word about any of it.”
“Really?” she said, gently bouncing her leg right where his dick was straining hard against the thin fabric. “Just walk right out of here?”
He closed his eyes with a little moan and said, “I think I can.”
“You sound like the little engine.”
“Are you just torturing me or is there a point to what you're doing?”
She answered his question by taking him by the hand and leading him into her bedroom.
There was a pause after she rolled off of him. They lay side by side on their backs, eyes closed, breathing hard. And then he said, “I thought I could, I thought I could,” and they both cracked up. “Uh-oh,” David said suddenly. “We're not alone.”
Lucy opened her eyes. David the kitten was crouched on the end of the bed watching them. “Here, David,” Lucy cooed. “Here, kitty. Don't be afraid.” He came walking toward her, picking his way carefully among the folds and lumps of the quilt. Lucy held her hand out to him and he came closer and cautiously sniffed at her fingers. “Now that he's seen some very grown-up things, I think we'd better explain the facts of life to him, don't you?”
“Definitely. Let me.” He scritched behind the kitten's ear and said, “Kid, stay away from girls. They'll only break your heart.”
“Hey!” Lucy propped herself up on her elbow. “That's so not true.”
“Been true in my experience.”
“I’d say you were the one with some explaining to do. Didn't you leave some cute little undergrad back at Starbucks, sobbing into her extra-foamy decaf latte?”
“I have to assume she's gone home by
“Seriously,” Lucy said.
“I can't help it if I like you better. And I didn't actually leave her there, you know. I dropped her off at her place.”
“You like me better?” she said.
“Always have,” he said. “But you were never available or interested.”
“I’m both now,” she said.
“I can't believe it,” he said. “I should have given you a cat a long time ago.”
She reached down for the quilt and pulled it up over both of them. “You want to stay the night?”
“You really want me to?”
“Yeah. That way, in the morning- Oh, my God! The morning!” She sat up. “I’m going to Hawaii in the morning!”
“You're kidding.”
She shook her head.
“Jesus, Luce, when were you going to tell me? You can't just take off on a vacation-we have a ton of work this week.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I swear I was going to call you as soon as I got home, and then the whole thing with David happened and I totally forgot.” She told him about Kevin's call.
“All right,” he said. “I guess you kind of have to go if your friend's getting married. But you can't stay any longer than that, no matter how beautiful it is there.”
“I won't. I promise.”
“Wish I could go with you.”
“Well, you can't,” she said. “Which is a good thing.”
“Thanks a lot.”
“No, I mean, it would be nice to have you there-but if you're here, you can take care of David for me.”
“Yeah, okay,” he said. He scooped David up in his hand. “Looks like it's going to be just me and you for the next few days, buddy. Let's have some fun. Let's go find us some
“I knew that sooner or later you were going to make that joke,” Lucy said. “You are so predictable.”
“He thinks I’m funny.” He held up the kitten. “I mean, he's trying to keep a straight face, but you can tell that on the inside he is totally losing his shit.”
“You're a nut,” Lucy said. She flung back the quilt and swung her legs off of the bed. “I’m going to pack as quickly as I can, and then I’m coming back to bed, and you both better still be here. Understand?”
“Understood,” David said. “Do we have to be awake?”
“Nah,” she said with a grin. “I think I can figure out a way to wake you up.”
He wasn't asleep when she came back, but he pretended he was.
8.Knit Two Together
I
You know,” Lucy said, craning her neck to get a better view, “I don't think we need to bother trying to go see a volcano. The most impressive rock formation in Hawaii is right here in front of us.”
“It's not bad, is it?” Kathleen said, moving her hand so the diamond caught the light and released its hidden rainbow of hues. “A little heavy on the finger-”
“Are you complaining?” Lucy said. “Because if it's too heavy for you, darling, I could be persuaded to carry it around a while.”
“Just don't expect to ever get it back, Kath,” Sari said. She tilted her face up to the sunlight. “Man, this is the life, isn't it?” They were sitting on beach chairs on the sand, the ocean booming and crashing just feet from their toes, the sun warm, the breeze soft, and the sky an intense turquoise blue. They wore bikinis and sarongs and were covered with sunscreen, floppy hats, and sunglasses.
Lucy sighed with pleasure and dug her toes into the sun-hot sand. “Kathleen, you are no idiot.”
“That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me.”
“I can't believe Kevin actually owns this place,” Lucy said. “It's beautiful. It's beyond beautiful. It's what Eden would have been like if it hadn't been a garden, and I’ll take the ocean over some dumb flowers anyday. If you don't marry Kevin, I will.”
“I never knew you were so materialistic,” Kathleen said.
“I don't think it's materialistic to want
“A minute ago, you were appreciating her diamond,” Sari said. “Any more appreciation from you, and Kathleen better start looking over her shoulder. Especially now that you're back on the market.”
“I’m off the market again,” Lucy said. She lifted up her chin to let the breeze cool off her neck.
“You and James make up?” Kathleen said.
“No,” Lucy said.
Sari said, “She even destroyed the sweater.”
