“You don’t get any?”
“Stan’s wife, Lynette, said I need to lose some weight or Lilith’s going to outlive me. And it will be a cold day in hell before I drop dead first. She’d sell my golf cart to some schmuck that actually plays golf!”
Lilith smiled at Jillian.
“How do you communicate with her?”
Dodge shook his head. “Fist pumps, flying middle fingers, eye rolls, and scowls.”
Jillian rolled her eyes. “I’ll get her some pie. Maybe she’ll share with me. It sounds better than the banana and granola bar I packed.”
Dodge grabbed his raincoat. “That’s a given. She likes you … and she hasn’t even seen you get the mail.” Dodge wiggled his brows and snickered as he slipped out the back door.
“Dirty old man,” Jillian murmured.
Lilith savored every last crumb of the warm apple pie, and Jillian found herself tempted to lick her plate too. Stan’s wife may not have made a lot of sweet treats for him, but her apple pie was a true slice of heaven. Jillian handed Lilith her book and took their plates to the kitchen.
“I had sex with Sarge yesterday, then I nearly broke his nose today. Luke would be so disappointed in me.” She kept her back to Lilith so she couldn’t see the tears that filled Jillian’s eyes.
“I don’t even know who I am anymore. I’m not the sappy lovesick heroine that says a man ‘completes’ her, but I was the best possible version of myself with Luke. Everything I feared before him just … vanished. I felt like a leaf falling from a tree and he was the wind whispering, I’ve got you. I’m here for my brother. I would have stayed … I would have died. It’s like the thrill seeker who goes full throttle all the time, never fearing death because eight seconds of that rush is worth more than eighty years of boring monotony. Luke was my eight seconds.”
*
Day
Kelly was the closest friend Jessica had made since Four stole everything. However, Kelly knew nothing of that time in Jessica’s life, nor her unconventional relationship with Dr. Luke Jones. In spite of the tragedy in Jessica’s life, she never lost her sense of humor. Once she found out Kelly and Gabe were “cheating on her” by training part-time with Luke, Jessica decided to see just how uncomfortable she could make her dear friend.
Kelly: Biking with Gabe tonight. Are we still running in the morning?
Jessica bubbled with orneriness as she read Kelly’s text.
Jessica: Yes. Mind if I ride with you two tonight?
It took Kelly much longer to text back than usual.
Kelly: Gabe invited a friend to go with us.
Jessica: Great! The more the merrier! Meeting at your usual spot?
Kelly: Ugh! This is so awkward. We totally want you to come too, but the “friend” is actually Luke.
Jessica: What?!!!
Kelly: Sorry, hun. I know you two didn’t hit it off, but he’s still Gabe’s friend.
Jessica: I see … Well I still need to bike so Dr. Stuffy Pants is just going to have to deal with me coming along too!
Kelly: O-kay … BTW please don’t call him that when we’re all together. I really like Gabe and if our two best friends can’t get along then it’s not going to be easy on us.
Jessica giggled to herself.
Jessica: I’ll be on my best behavior. I won’t even bite him this time ; )
Kelly: OMG! Wasn’t that crazy! I can’t believe he said that. Like you would ever bite someone.
It was crazy, considering Jillian kept her blood drawing technique to fingernails only with anyone Kelly fixed her up with. Biting was crazy to most normal guys, and they wouldn’t hesitate to call her out on it to everyone who would listen, but breaking the skin was not something that made the gossip loop. Most guys simply refused to endure the pain and the lasting marks, so those one-night stands ended with irreconcilable differences.
The devil pulled at the corners of Jessica’s lips as she ended the conversation and got ready for an evening bike ride with “friends.” She was the last to arrive which was unfortunate. Jessica wanted to see the look on Luke’s face when he found out she’d be joining them. Instead, her obsessive primping at the last minute made her a little too late for the surprise.
“Hey, Jess. You remember Luke.” Gabe scrunched his nose like she was a grenade and someone just pulled the pin.
Jessica’s brain sighed as she let her eyes drink in the vision of Dr. Luke Jones in his biking attire that hugged every line of his fit, lean body. She was still in a miserable dry spell and needed sex more than food by that point.
“Jessica.” Luke nodded with a polite smile as he fastened his helmet.
“Jones.” She smiled with a wink of mischief.
“Call me Luke.” His brow tensed a fraction, but only enough for Jessica to notice.