Part 27 (1/2)
”Hey, Lily!” Anica hopped up and hugged her sister.
Jasper stood, too, and watched them. The hug seemed real, and not some loose, perfunctory embrace. The Revere sisters seemed to like each other better than Jasper remembered, and he wondered if the transformation problem had brought them closer together.
”So, this is Jasper,” Anica said.
Lily thrust out a manicured hand. ”It's good to meet you. I mean, really meet you. I realize we've met before, but . . .”
”I wasn't myself at the time.” He shook her hand.
She laughed. ”Well put.” Her gaze swept over him. ”How does it feel?”
”Temporary,” Jasper said. ”I think I have from six to six, but if I don't, then-” He shrugged.
”You've always had equal amounts of time on either side of midnight,” Lily said. ”This shouldn't be any different.”
”Logically, you're right. I suppose you have a policy about bringing animals in here, though. I'd hate to violate that.”
Lily waved a dismissive hand. ”It's not gonna happen, but even if it did, we'd bill you as a new street act we invited in. Give people a few drinks, and they'll believe most anything. Speaking of drinks, I need to get back. Why don't you two sit at the bar, so we can talk?”
Anica glanced over at Jasper. He decided to let her make the call.
”I think we're better off over here for now,” Anica said. ”Jasper's still getting his bearings.”
”Oh. Well, that makes sense. What'll you have? I'll send a waitress over with your drinks.”
”Sam Adams for me,” Jasper said. It hadn't been his brand before, but now that it was a.s.sociated with Anica and s.e.x, it was his favorite.
”Make that two,” Anica said.
”Anything to eat? We have some simple pub grub.”
”Onion rings?” Jasper suddenly had a taste for something fried within an inch of its life.
”Sure.” Lily glanced at Anica. ”Anything for you, toots?”
”I'll share his onion rings.” Anica leaned closer to Lily. ”Is Griffin here tonight?”
Lily blushed. Jasper hadn't been around Lily much, but he was positive blus.h.i.+ng wasn't something she did very often.
”He's at the table closest to the bar,” Lily said. ”That's the spot he and his friends always take. He's the one in the navy suit.”
Jasper glanced over. The guy looked way too conservative for someone like Lily. His hair was cut very short-not quite a buzz cut, but close-and the designer suit was all business. Then the guy laughed, and Jasper could see how maybe Lily was attracted. Griffin had the kind of contagious laugh that said Let's get this party started.
Anica nodded. ”He's cute, Lil.”
Jasper felt a pang of jealousy. He had no real claim on Anica, and yet he sure hated hearing her call some other guy cute. Maybe he needed to think about staking that claim if her comment mattered so much to him. Yes, maybe he should.
Lily rolled her eyes. ”Duh. You think I'd notice somebody who wasn't? Anyway, trouble over there. Some woman from the law firm has decided to join their little happy hour gathering. I don't like it. I don't like it one bit. Anyway, I have to get back. I'll send someone over with your beer and onion rings.” With a wave Lily walked away.
Jasper noticed she chose to walk past the table where Griffin was sitting. He glanced up and glanced quickly down again. Interesting.
”He doesn't want to look at her.” Anica sat down but she kept her attention on Griffin.
”Oh, I think he wants to.” Jasper settled into his chair. ”But he's afraid to.”
”Huh?” Anica stared at him. ”Since when is a guy afraid to check out a woman? I thought it was the national pastime.”
”It is, unless you're worried about the consequences.”
Anica's eyes narrowed. ”You think he's married? Or engaged?”
”Could be. Or he thinks Lily's too hot to handle. I might have thought from that reaction that he's shy, but nothing else about him comes across that way. What does she know about him?”
”Other than that he floats her boat? Not much.”
Jasper pushed back his chair. ”Wish me luck. I'm going in.”
”You are? I thought you didn't want-”
”I'm curious about the way he deliberately didn't look at her. And for purposes of this maneuver, we're going to be engaged, so Lily's my future sister-in-law. That okay with you?”
Anica's jaw dropped. ”I . . . um . . . sure.”
He left her looking stunned but not horrified. Good. She wasn't grossed out by the idea of an engagement.
He was making this up as he went along, but if he was being honest, the idea of marriage had been hovering in the back of his mind ever since . . . ever since he'd met her. Maybe her remark that Griffin was cute had prompted him to concoct this particular cover story, but he thought the impulse went much deeper than that.
Walking over to the table he cleared his throat. ”Griffin? Griffin Taylor, is that you?”
Griffin glanced up in surprise. ”Yeah, I'm Griffin.” He peered more closely at Jasper. ”But I don't think-”
”Jasper Danes. You probably don't remember me. We worked out at the same gym for a while, but then I left and tried somewhere else.”
”Mario's?”
Bingo. Jasper had pegged him for a guy who worked out and the gamble had paid off. ”That's the place. Anyway, I just wanted to say h.e.l.lo.”
Griffin stood and held out his hand. ”Good to see you, Jasper. Want to sit down and have a drink with us?”
”Thanks, but I'm over there with my fiancee, Anica Revere.” He gestured toward the corner. On cue Anica waved.
”Then go get her,” Griffin said with a grin. ”Veterans of Mario's torture chamber have to stick together. I left that h.e.l.lhole, too. I'm over at Fit and Flexible now, just off Michigan Avenue. You should try it. Anyway, go get Anica. We'll make room.”
”Okay, thanks.” Jasper couldn't keep the smile off his face as he made his way back to where Anica sat. ”Come on. We're invited to hang out with Griffin Taylor and friends.”
”How did you do that?”
Jasper started to tell her but then thought better of it. ”I refuse to answer on the grounds that it might incriminate me.”
”What did you tell him besides the fiancee part?”