Hot Stuff

“Garrett,” I warn through a giggle. “We can’t do this here. We should get in the car.”

He nods against my skin, but he doesn’t back away. And frankly, I’m not sure I want him to, no matter what my words say.

Things are really getting good—i.e., his hand is on my ass and his tongue is in my mouth—when my phone rings inside my purse. Garrett ignores it, of course, and part of me wants to do the same. But I’m a doctor and a sister and an aunt and a daughter, and I can’t pretend I’m not any of those things, no matter how much I’m enjoying myself.

“Garrett,” I say, pushing him away as gently as I can manage. He nods. He already knows what I’m going to say, but I put the words out there anyway. “I’m sorry, but I have to get it.”

He sinks his face into my neck and breathes me in. It’s not permission per se, but given how worked up I know I was, I can only assume he was feeling the same. It’s possible he can’t bring himself to speak right now.

Somehow, I work around him and pull out the phone from my purse and put it to my ear without looking at the screen. It’s a dangerous action, and if it’s a telemarketer on the other end, I’m liable to lose my shit. But I know instinctually that I don’t have much choice before it rolls to voice mail. “Hello?”

“Hey, Laurie.” My dad’s voice is like a bucket of ice water poured right across my steaming hot vagina, and poor Garrett is the one to pay the price. By that, I mean…I jerk when startled.

“Owww,” he groans on the ground, his hands cupped over the balls I just struck with my knee. I mouth an apology and cover the mouthpiece on the phone desperately.

I’m so sorry.

“What’s that ruckus?” my dad asks, all the while Garrett howls some more.

I put my finger to my lips and stomp to get his attention before saying way too loudly, “I’m sorry, Dad. Just some guy on the street.”

“Jesus. Get away from the shithead, then,” he coaches, and I drop my head into my hands and groan. Everyone is a shithead in his eyes. Everyone.

“I am. Getting away from him now.”

“Good.”

“Anyway…what’s up?”

“Oh. Got something for you to mark down on your calendar.”

“Sure, Dad. What is it?”

“We’re doing a bachelor auction down at the firehouse on the Sunday after Valentine’s Day. Weird as shit day, I know, but don’t get me started. We’re raising money to pay for the Hotshot certification evaluation.”

“Okay.”

“Anyway, I figured since you’re single, you could come on down to it. Show some support. Up our numbers a little bit. No need to bid or anything. Just observe. I need you payin’ to go on a date with one of these assholes like I need a hole in the head.”

I roll my eyes as Garrett climbs to his feet, still limping from the unexpected strike to the family jewels.

I feel bad about hurting him, and just as a bonus, I feel bad about being on the phone with my dad and lying to him about who I’m with. All of it feels way too shady for a grown-ass woman, and the sooner I end the call, the better.

“Sure, Dad,” I say, knowing if I appease him, the conversation will come to a close much more quickly. “Whatever you want. I’ll be there. Just send me a calendar alert or something so I don’t forget.”

“You know I don’t know what the fuck that is.”

I laugh. “Fine. Send me a text message. Whatever. Just remind me.”

“You got it. Now get your ass away from wherever you are and go home.”

I roll my eyes but agree. Anything to end the call at this point. “You got it.”

“Love you, Laurie.”

“Love you too.”

I hang up the phone and take a deep breath, turning to the Suburban and leaning my head into the black paint.

Garrett puts a hand to my lower back.

“So, that was your dad, huh?”

I nod against the car, and he sighs.

“We have to tell him soon, Lauren. It’s time.”

“I know,” I agree with a groan before spinning around and replacing my forehead on the car with the back of my head. “I just don’t want to.”

Garrett laughs, sweeping the hair away from my face with the backs of his knuckles and settling a hand on my neck to give a tiny, brief squeeze. “I understand. Really, I do. It’s not going to be fun for either of us, but I want to try this with you. I want a real relationship. Out in the open.”

I want that too.

“And I really want to not get kneed in the balls every time you answer an unexpected call from your father while we’re in the middle of kissing.”