“We’re going to be later. You telling me you never boinked the LC? Ever?”
“Charles and I were, are, friends. That’s it.”
McNab grabbed her arm, hauled her back a step. “You let me think you were boinking him.”
“No, you let you think I was.” She poked a finger into his chest. “And made an ass of yourself, which is a pretty short walk, really.”
“You—he—” He paced down the hall and back again. “Why?”
“Because we were friends, and because I was boinking you, moron.”
“But we broke up because . . .”
“Because, instead of asking what was going on, you accused and you ordered, and took that short walk to Assville.”
“And you tell me now, a minute before we walk in his door.”
“Yeah.”
“That’s cold, Peabody.”
“Yeah.” She patted his cheek. “I wait for payback, and I deliver. You were a jerk coming over here toasted and punching him, but I like that part. Which is why I was magnanimous enough to forgive you for sleeping with the twins.”
“I didn’t.” He tapped a finger on her nose. “Gotcha.”
“You didn’t?”
“I was going to, and I could have because we were on the breakup shuttle. But I didn’t want the twins.”
“You bragged about it.”
“Hey, I’ve got a dick. Man’s got a dick, he’s gotta have pride in it.”
“You are a dick,” she said, but with a sloppy grin. “Now I forgive you for thinking I was bouncing back and forth between you and Charles like some sex bunny.”
“She-body, you’re my little sex bunny.”
“Aw.” She flung her arms around him to exchange the sloppy grin for a big, sloppy kiss.
The elevator doors opened behind them. “Oh God! There goes my appetite.”
“Dallas.” Peabody sent a dreamy look over McNab’s shoulder. “We’re making up.”
“Next time make up in a dark, locked room. McNab, your hands are in violation of several civil codes.”
“Whoops.” Still, he gave Peabody’s butt a final squeeze.
“You start on the transit discs?”
“Eve.” Roarke laid a hand on her shoulder, aimed her toward Charles’s apartment. “Let’s at least try to make it through the door before you grill the detectives. Peabody, you look charming.”
“Thanks. This is going to be fun.”
They answered together, Charles Monroe, the urbane LC, and Louise Dimatto, the blue-blooded doctor dedicated to the downtrodden. Eve had to admit, they looked good together. He with his handsome vid king looks, and she with her polished-gold beauty.
It didn’t mean she didn’t consider it one of the oddest couplings of her acquaintance, but they looked good together.
“Everyone at once.” Louise laughed and reached for Eve, the closest. “Come in. It’s so good to see everybody when none of us is working.”