Part 24 (1/2)
”Yes. I know this little restaurant. Very private, great food. You'll like it.”
”Pretty sure of yourself.”
”About some things.” For a moment, Deo looked uncertain. ”I will see you tonight, right?”
”Yes.” When Deo started to turn away, Nita grabbed her hand again and stopped her. Then she kissed her. She had wanted to kiss her since the instant she'd seen her, but she had been afraid. Afraid of where it would lead. Afraid of losing control. Afraid of the wanting overpowering her reason. But Deo hadn't pushed her, and now she wasn't afraid. Deo's lips were soft and warm, her tongue a gentle sigh * 175 *
RADCLY fFE in Nita's mouth. Desire blossomed full and rich in her depths, and she welcomed it. Far sooner than she wanted, she drew away. ”See you at seven.”
”h.e.l.l, Nita. If I think about that while I'm up on the roof, I'll fall off.” Deo's chest rose and fell rapidly and her eyes glittered with arousal.
Nita tapped Deo's chest with one fi nger. ”Then don't think about it.”
”Yeah, right. I won't breathe, either.”
Laughing, Nita pushed her toward the door. ”Go. Stop distracting me.”
Deo opened the door, then grinned over her shoulder. ”Don't lie.
You like it, right?”
Maybe, Nita thought, maybe I do. Shaking her head, she pointed to the hallway. ”Go. ”
With a laugh, Deo disappeared.
y Deo wiped the sweat from her face with the bottom of her T-s.h.i.+rt, then clambered down the scaffold and headed around the side of the house into the front yard. Pia and Joey ambled toward her from the street.
”Two hours,” Deo said. ”You can eat a lot ice cream in two hours.”
”Oh, stop being such a tyrant,” Pia said. ”I got him back in plenty of time to do all the paperwork you need. Besides, it's my mother's birthday party this weekend and we had to pick out a present.”
”The list of the paint and drywall we need is in the kitchen,” Deo said to Joey. ”We have to get the orders faxed out today.”
”Aye, aye, Captain,” Joey said, giving a mock salute. He dodged as Deo tried to swat him and hurried off laughing.
”You're coming to the party, right?” Pia said.
Deo looked away.
”You have to.”
”I know.” Deo sighed. ”I'll stop by for a few minutes, okay?”
”My mother adores you, and she'll be heartbroken if you don't come. My father will keep an eye on how much your father's drinking.
* 176 *
Winds of Fortune It will be okay.” Pia slid an arm around Deo's waist. ”And I need you there. Otherwise, I'll drown in testosterone.”
Deo laughed. ”What about KT? Won't she be there?”
”She's going to try, but she's on call the night before, and sometimes she doesn't get out when she expects to. Besides,” Pia nudged Deo's hip with hers, ”KT makes my bones melt, but she rates right up there with my brothers on the macho scale. She'll probably spend the afternoon talking sports with Joey and Antonio.”
”What do you think I'm going to be doing? Discussing fl oral arrangements?”
”At least I can count on you to hang with me.”
”Okay, okay. I'll come.”
”You can always bring a date.”
Deo rolled her eyes. ”Yeah right.”
”Still seeing Allie?”
”Not that way. We're friends, that's it.” Knowing where the conversation was headed, Deo tried to extricate herself from Pia's grasp. ”Look, I have to get back to work.”
”Uh-huh,” Pia said, grabbing the bottom of Deo's T-s.h.i.+rt and twisting it in her hand. ”What aren't you telling me?”
”Nothing. Not a thing.”
”You looked just like this when you were up to your eyebrows in Calley O'Reilly a week before she was supposed to marry Jimmy Jones. You didn't want me to know you were fooling with her because you knew I'd kick your a.s.s.”
”She was a d.y.k.e,” Deo protested. ”She didn't marry him, did she?
And now she has a pregnant wife and so does Jimmy. It all worked out just fi ne.”
”That's not the point. Jimmy wanted to kill you.” Pia dragged Deo over to the porch and pulled her down onto the steps ”You couldn't hide the good stuff from me then, and you still can't. Who is she?”
Deo wanted to say no one, because technically it was true. She and Nita hadn't slept together and they certainly weren't dating. But denying her didn't feel right. ”I'm sort of in the middle of this...thing, right now. It's just temporary.”
Pia frowned. ”A temporary thing. Defi ne thing.”
”Jesus, Pia. Gimme a break, will you. I have to go back to work.”
”You're the boss. You should be sitting in a lounge chair under a * 177 *
RADCLY fFE tree telling the boys what to do. You can spare me fi fteen minutes.” Pia rested her hand on Deo's leg. ”You look like s.h.i.+t, by the way. What's going on?”
”I just had a rough night.” Deo stared hard at a sliver of blue water that was visible between two houses across the street. By day, the harbor looked beautiful, by night, its dark surface refl ected her tormented memories. ”I told Nita about Gabe, and it kind of twisted me up. That's all.”
Pia took Deo's hand and drew it into her lap. ”You told Nita.”
”Yeah.”
”You're seeing Nita?”
”Not exactly,” Deo said quietly.