Rock Chick Renegade

  “That didn’t take long,” he murmured as if to himself.

  “Shit happens. Now, get off.”

  The door opened and both of our heads twisted to it. Vance was standing there. He stood frozen for a beat, hand on the door knob.

  Then his arms crossed on his chest, his eyes went hard and his face got scary. “What… the… fuck?” His voice was low and as scary as his face.

  Luke looked at Vance then he looked at me. Luke’s face was blank but his eyes were active and I could tell he was thinking about something.

  I looked back at Vance. “He’s showing me some moves,” I told Vance.

  “Yeah, I can see,” Vance replied.

  Um.

  Yikes.

  Luke knifed off me and then grabbed my forearm and pulled me up to stand close to him. I didn’t move away because there were crackling-not-happy vibes floating around the room and I didn’t want to do anything to set them off. And anyway, I was feeling very weird around Vance. I’d broken up with him, he’d kind of accepted it yet we weren’t through. I’d become used to him being around, getting in my space, descending into what had become a familiar banter. This was just weird. It felt foreign, uncomfortable, wrong.

  We all stared at each other.

  Then Luke said, “You two over after the party?”

  Vance’s eyes sliced to Luke. My lungs squeezed painfully, my eyes widened and moved to him too.

  Vance didn’t answer. Neither did I.

  “You’re through with Law then you won’t mind me movin’ in,” Luke said, clearly not worried about fanning the flames of the crackling-not-happy vibes.

  Oh my God.

  I continued staring at Luke with wide eyes but my mouth had now dropped open.

  “You move in, we have problems,” Vance returned softly.

  “You move out, don’t seem like it’s much of your business.”

  The crackling vibes got red-hot.

  It was time for me to say something. “Excuse me but I am in the room,” I snapped. “I thought you said not many men like their women roaming the streets looking for trouble?” I pointed out to Luke.

  “Yeah, I did. Though I think it’s kinda cute,” Luke replied.

  Oh my God.

  “Well hurray for you but come tomorrow, you boys are off the job. I’m a single-act show again,” I returned.

  “You’re in for trainin’ tomorrow, same time,” Luke shot back.

  “No fucking way.”

  “Only a girl would turn her back on a good deal just because she got fucked in the process.”

  “News flash, Luke, I am a girl,” I returned heatedly, hands going to my hips.

  “Yeah,” he grinned, leaning back, “I noticed that.”

  Vance moved. Luke and I swung our eyes to him and I realized too late the red-hot vibes went white.

  His movement wasn’t distinguishable. He was still standing, arms crossed on his chest, but something about him went hostile.

  I waited. Luke (thankfully) was silent. The room burned.

  Then Vance said, eyes on me, “Five to eight.”

  Then he was gone.

  I whirled on Luke. “What in the hell was that all about?”

  He just grinned at me.

  “Stop grinning,” I demanded.

  “Tomorrow, after training, you and I patrol.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “I do. You aren’t going to learn shit on a mat. You gotta learn in the field.”

  “I said no.”

  He kept grinning. “You got a new partner now.”

  I rolled my eyes to the ceiling.

  These guys.

  * * * * *

  I wore a little black dress to the party.

  And it was little.

  It seemed like a good idea at the time, before the flowers, before my freak out, when I was in a happy birthday daze.

  It wasn’t a good idea now.

  I’d gone home from training, packed a backpack (better for the Harley), showered, done the whole makeup and hair bit. Subtle makeup, it was all I knew how to do and my hair was up in a messy twist, which I didn’t know how to do but luckily, after five tries, it worked.

  During the mall extravaganza as birthday presents Roxie bought me this lotion that made my legs look shiny and ultra-smooth. Jet had given me three kinds of flavored lip gloss (I’d made the mistake of telling her about Vance’s “you smell of melons and taste of cherries” comment and she got a bit overexcited), bubble gum, grape and of course cherry (I went with grape for the evening).

  My dress was clingy black jersey, to the knee, halter-necked, the front fell in a drape, low on my cleavage, the back also had a drape, super-low, exposing most of the small of my back. My shoes were spike-heeled, pointed-toe, open sides but with a full back and a thick strap across the very top of my foot, just under the ankle.

  I went with bare (Roxie-lotion-shiny) legs, my new bracelet on my wrist and Auntie Reba’s diamond at my neck.

  I was filling Boo’s food bowl, telling him he had to be a good kitty until I got home the next day when Vance walked in the backdoor.

  I straightened and stared at him.

  Hair back, leather jacket, black cowboy boots, thick black belt with a heavy silver buckle, jeans and a crisp shirt with subtle stripes of wine, navy, midnight and charcoal patterned into it. The shirt was opened at the throat.

  At the sight of him my mouth went dry.

  “You gonna be able to ride on the Harley in that?” he asked.

  I decided a snotty, “Well, hello to you too,” was no longer in order. I wasn’t sure, as I’d had no experience but I figured I’d lost the right to bicker when I told him we had to stop seeing each other.

  I also decided to ignore the clench in my gut that he didn’t rush me against the counter and kiss me like last time.

  “It’s stretchy,” I answered.

  His eyes moved the length of me then came back to mine. I couldn’t read them.

  “Get a jacket,” he replied. “Where’s your bag?”

  I put on my black leather blazer and the backpack and we rode to Fortnum’s.

  The lights were blazing in Fortnum’s windows and I could see the place was already packed. I was a little shocked; they’d only planned the party the night before and spent most of the afternoon with me at the mall and the Shelter.

  I hopped off the back of the bike, rearranged my skirt and then Vance slid the backpack down an arm. I whirled with it as he pulled it off the other side and I ended up facing him. He threw it over one of his shoulders.

  I looked up at him. His face was blank. My stomach had decided to settle into a permanent, painful twist.

  I turned away, biting my lip and feeling the weight in my chest that threatened tears.

  The sooner we got in there, the sooner the party would be over, the sooner the night would be over, the sooner I could face whatever challenge the next day brought.

  Or move to Nicaragua.

  Vance caught my wrist and swung me back around, his body moving toward me at the same time so I collided with it.

  He dropped my wrist, his arm went around me inside my jacket and his hand dipped straight into the drape at my back.

  My lips parted and his other hand went into my hair, pulled out the clip and my hair fell over his hand and my shoulders.

  “Crowe! It took me five tries to twist that thing in my hair.”

  I forgot about not bickering.

  He ignored my comment. “You get the idea to experiment with flirtin’ in front of me, think again. I won’t like it and you’ll be the one who’ll pay.”

  I closed my eyes, sucked in a breath then opened them again. “Can we just get through the night?” I asked.

  “We’ll get through the night,” he promised and something in that promise made me shiver.

  He stared at me, hand at my behind, other one in my hair.

  I became conscious of the fact that anyone could see us from the windows.

>   “Can you take your hand off my ass?” I asked, allowing myself a little shade of snotty. We were standing on a public street and in full view of the windows and Nick might be in there.

  Instead of doing as I asked, he pulled me deeper into him and he kissed me. This wasn’t a soft, sweet kiss but deep, hard and full-on tongue.

  When he quit kissing me, he whispered, “Grape,” against my lips and his eyes looked in mine.

  My stomach lurched painfully into a tighter knot at the memory of a better time.

  I held my breath wondering why I gave into tonight, to the party, Vance, everything. I was so much better on my own, dinners with Nick, Boo as my bed partner and my music to keep my company.

  Before I could find an answer to my mental question, Vance released me, grabbed my hand and we walked in.

  Everyone yelled happy birthday.

  Even though I felt like crying, I did my very best to smile.

  * * * * *

  “Methinks, even with the mini-make-out-session on the sidewalk, all is not well in paradise,” Tod said, standing beside me, both of us holding glasses of champagne. It was an hour into the party and I was trying to have fun (and not succeeding).

  They’d decided on baked Camembert and crackers, fruit trays, crudités, champagne and truffles. All the men (including everyone from Nightingale Investigations, except a guy I hadn’t yet met named Ike who had night duty in the control room) were there and wearing jeans and nice shirts or sweaters (though Tod and Stevie wore casual suits and Tex wore one of his normal flannel shirts). All the women were dressed to the nines, little dresses, lots of hair and makeup.

  Nick was there and seemed to be enjoying himself. Heavy and Zip were also there and both seemed a bit uncomfortable. Frank was a no show, not exactly the most sociable person one-on-one, he might have been able to do beers at a bar but parties were a no go.

  Tex surprised me because he was with a pretty blonde lady and they looked close. I wouldn’t have expected Tex to have a date, especially not a pretty blonde lady. I was further surprised (a nice way to say absolutely floored) to find out she was Jet’s mother, Nancy.

  Duke surprised me by showing up at all. He brought his wife, Dolores, and she was a cracker.

  Jet and Eddie had yet to arrive.

  I was avoiding Vance like I’d forgotten to wear deodorant (I hadn’t) and I didn’t want him to find out.

  I was avoiding Luke because Luke was a wildcard. I didn’t want him to flirt with me then me be the one to pay.

  Vance looked seriously unhappy. Luke looked seriously amused.

  I looked to Tod and he was watching me closely. “Everything’s fine,” I assured him.

  “Liar, liar, pants on fire,” Tod said.

  “No really, it is.”

  “Girlie, pu-lease. I had a hot guy like that I’d be all over him, embarrassing my friends enough to leave early so I could really be all over him.”

  “You do have a hot guy like that,” I told him.

  “Not the same ten years on. You two are in the first blush of romance. You should be going at it like rabbits.”

  “I broke up with him,” I blurted, do not ask me why, I shouldn’t have and I knew it.

  Tod blinked at me, face shocked.

  See? I knew I shouldn’t have.

  “What?” he asked.

  “I broke up with him when I ran out of the room after I saw the flowers. I called him and broke up with him. We made a deal, he gets tonight then we’re over.”

  “You said you phoned to thank him,” Tod told me.

  “I kinda… um… fibbed.”

  Tod looked at me. He opened his mouth then closed it and looked away. Then he looked back, opened his mouth again and yelled, “Are you fucking nuts?”

  Most everyone turned to stare including, to my horror, Vance.

  I turned to Tod, my back to the room (and Vance). “Tod! Keep your voice down.”

  “Girl, that boy is hot for you, not to mention that boy is just plain hot.”

  “Tod –”

  “You need a doctor. You need an intervention. You need Daisy,” Tod said and started looking around the room.

  “No! Do not call Daisy over here. Why do you think I fibbed to you earlier today? I didn’t want this kind of reaction.”

  “What’s going on?” Roxie hissed from beside us. She looked gorgeous, wearing a figure-skimming, strapless, little black dress of her own and her shoes were nearly as amazing as mine.

  “Jules broke up with Vance. It’s over. Done. Kaput,” Tod announced.

  “What?” Roxie screeched.

  This time I felt the room’s attention on my back at Roxie’s outburst.

  I closed my eyes (I really shouldn’t have told Tod) then I opened them. “Please, be quiet,” I begged.

  “Why did you break up with him?” Roxie asked in a low voice.

  “It’s too complicated to explain.”

  “But… he’s macho, he rides a Harley and he bought you flowers. Macho men who ride Harleys don’t buy women flowers. They take them to a roadhouse and get them drunk and get in their pants,” Roxie explained.

  “What’s happening?” Ally asked, she and Indy had arrived together.

  “Don’t tell them,” I said quickly.

  “Jules broke up with Vance. It’s over,” Roxie said over me.

  Both of them turned to stare at me.

  “That’s what she did after she saw the flowers,” Tod shared.

  “I thought you said you were thanking him,” Indy said.

  “She lied,” Tod told them.

  “Why on earth would you do that?” Ally (kind of) yelled.

  “Because I didn’t want this exact same thing to happen,” I said in a soft clip, giving up on getting them to be quiet.

  “Ya’ll, what is goin’ on?” May asked, pushing close and I could see Daisy on her heels.

  Damn.

  Daisy. Not good.

  And May. Worse.

  “Jules broke up with Vance. It’s over,” Roxie, Tod and Ally said together.

  “You are jokin’,” Daisy said, eyes narrowed and I moved back, not wanting to be in bitch-slapping-nail-scratching distance.

  “Where’s that cake? I’m takin’ back the cake. Lettin’ my grandchildren eat it. They aren’t crazy fools. They deserve it,” May announced.

  “Please don’t make a big deal if this. This is not a big deal. We’ve only been together a few days,” I told them.

  “A few days for these boys is a few months for normal men. He’s in deep, you’re in deep and you damn well know it,” Daisy snapped.

  “Yes. I do,” I snapped back, leaning into her and having… had… enough.

  It was my fucking life and it was my fucking birthday and I could do whatever the hell I wanted.

  At my tone and what I didn’t know was the look on my face, everyone leaned back a bit.

  “My whole family died in a car crash when I was six. My Mom, Dad and older brother. I was with them, got really hurt, spent a lot of time in the hospital but I survived. When I was ten, my new puppy was run over by a truck. Splat!” I clapped one palm on the other and everyone jumped. “When I was eleven, my grandpa, the only living grandparent I had left, died of Parkinson’s. When I was fifteen, my Auntie Reba died after having knee replacement surgery. Knee replacement surgery,” I hissed the last three words. “Four months ago, Park died. I found him in an alley. He was the best kid I’d ever met and I’ve met a lot of them. This morning, I saw the scar of the gunshot wound Vance got during some business he was doing for Lee. He was shot again a few days ago, protecting me. I will not lose another person in my life. I will not lose someone else I care about. I will not.”

  “Girlie –” Tod said softly.

  My eyes were blurry again and I just hated that. “I will not,” I repeated, turning to Tod.

  “What on earth is going on?” Stevie asked, coming late. “Everyone is staring.”

  My eyes moved to Stevie and my stomach
twisted tighter to the point where I thought I might be sick. “Could they hear me?” I whispered after I’d swallowed back the nausea.

  Stevie took one look at my face and blinked. Then he looked at Tod. Tod shook his head. Stevie’s eyes came back to me. “No, they couldn’t hear you. Are you okay?”

  “No, I’m not okay,” I said to Stevie and then looked at May. “Can you please, please…” I grabbed her hand and leaned into her, “please, just serve the cake? I really need that cake.”

  She didn’t argue, nodded her head and her hand squeezed mine. “Sure, hon, I’ll serve the cake.”

  I closed my eyes again, let out a deep breath and then looked at May. “Thank you.” May peeled off to serve the cake and I looked around at the concerned faces. “Can we quit talking about this and just enjoy this wonderful party?”

  Daisy came forward, her arm went around my waist and she held on tight. “Sure, Sugar.” Then she looked back at the gang. “I think we need more champagne.”

  “That’d be good,” I whispered, blinking a few times until my vision cleared.

  That’s when Jet arrived. She was smiling so huge it lit up the room. She walked up looking somehow dazed and completely unaware and oblivious to the undercurrents of the recent drama.

  “Hey guys,” she said then smiled at me and gave me a kiss on the cheek, “happy birthday Jules.”

  On closer inspection she didn’t look dazed, she looked dreamy.

  “Jet,” I asked, “are you okay?”

  “I’m okay. I’m way okay. I’m so okay it’s worth the fucking f-word. I’m fucking, fucking okay.”

  “What’s going on?” Ally asked.

  Jet turned to her. “Eddie told me he loved me tonight. That’s why we’re late. I, um… kinda pounced on him when he did it.”

  Everyone stared.

  My stomach twisted further. Hateful jealousy I wished I didn’t feel causing the pain even as my heart warmed for Jet.

  Daisy let me go and hugged Jet. “That is so sweet,” she said when she broke the hug. “Champagne! We need champagne! Right here!” she shouted though who she was shouting at I did not know, there weren’t any waiters, it was a help-yourself kind of deal.

  “I’ll get the champagne,” Indy offered with a hand squeeze for Jet and a quick, worried look at me.

  I ignored the worried look. I didn’t need any worried looks. I needed this night to be over.