“Um, because they’re strippers
?” Jake lifted his hands into the air and shook his head. “Do you want my grandmother to die? Because I assure you, that will do nothing more than cause another stroke.”
Kacey paused. “Another stroke? As in she’s had a few?” Is that why Grandma Nadine hadn’t written her in a month?
Jake winced. “Yes, it’s been getting worse.” He ran his hands through his thick hair. “Will you help me or not? I’ll pay you—”
“You’ll pay me?” Kacey snorted. “Just like you pay your strippers? Why do I feel like I’m getting nothing out of this?”
Jake grinned. “Wow, I hate to pull out the big guns, but you owe me.”
“I owe you?” Kacey repeated. “Oh, please tell how I owe the great Jake Titus a favor. I’m dying to know, really.” She raised her eyebrows and tapped her manicured nail against the cup of cold coffee.
“Fine.” He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “Fifth grade, you wanted a dog. Your parents said no. So I, being the good friend I am, went to the store and bought you one.”
“Doesn’t count,” Kacey interjected. “You named him after yourself.”
“He had dark hair,” Jake argued. “Besides, you slept with him every night.” His grin was shameless, and Kacey wanted to punch him in the face for it.
She opened her mouth to say so, but he interrupted her.
“Eighth grade—”
“Oh, Lord.”
“Eighth grade,” he repeated with a wink. “You had a crush on Stevenson Merrit. I, being the friend that I am, told him that you were the best kisser in the entire school. You guys went out for a year before you dumped him for greener pastures.”
“Ah, so that’s how you refer to yourself now days. Greener pastures.” Kacey smiled patronizingly.
“Yeah, well, it’s true.”
“Not good enough.” Kacey sighed. He was so close she could smell his shampoo. A spicy masculine mix of mint and cinnamon that teased her senses with visions of a man she would never have again. Scratch that. Never had in the first place.
“Fine.” Jake shook his head. “I didn’t want to have to do this.”
Feigning boredom, Kacey merely stared back and waited.
“Your first year of college, you had a fish, named him Stuart. Ugliest fish that ever lived.”
“Hey!” She glared. “He was my best friend.”
“Who you also left at school for two weeks, assuming your Mother Theresa roommate would take care of it for you.”
“She always did hate that fish,” Kacey grumbled.
“So who took your fish in?”
Kacey looked down at her hands.
“Who took in the fish, Kacey?”
With a large sigh she answered, “You took in the fish, Jake.”
“So I win. And again, you owe me. Plus, do you really want my grandma to die? The very same grandma who helped you win homecoming queen? The one who actually wore your macaroni necklaces? It really is quite simple. Just do it for the weekend and I’ll be out of your hair.”
Refusing to answer him, Kacey stared at the coffee table and licked her lips. Maybe if she looked pathetic enough he’d just leave her alone. Just being in the same room with him was enough to cause her heart to clench.
“Kace,” Jake groaned. “You have no idea how important my image is to me.”