Page 53 of The Fast Lane
“Well, I have one now.”
“Are you on a lot of these sites?”
“Keenage Dreams and Senior Friends with Benefits are my big ones.”
Theo covered his mouth to muffle his laughter. I nudged him with my elbow.
“Senior Friends with Benefits?”
“I’ve met some very nice women. Younger women.” He waggled his eyebrows.
“Younger?”
“Sure. One I’m talking to right now is only sixty-two.” He pulled out his phone. “Let me show you a picture.”
“That’s okay,” I said hastily.
“The point is that I’m ready to get out there. I’m tired of hiding away. I don’t think Gracie would want that for me.”
He was right. Grandma wouldn’t want him to lock himself away. But still, I guess I couldn’t keep the sad look from my eyes.
Mack squeezed my arm. “She is always in my heart. Always. I’m not replacing her.”
I nodded. “I get it. I…this will be good for you. Mom will come around eventually.” After she takes to her bed for three days and then figures out how to stalk Mack online.
“I knew you’d see it my way.” Mack pushed his empty bowl to the side and picked up the check. “And to thank you, dinner is on me.”
“I’ll leave the tip.” Theo pulled out his wallet. I reached over his shoulder and snagged a twenty-dollar bill.
“Hey, that’s mine.”
“I know, but it feels better to spend your money.” With a wink, I folded the bill and tucked it in my bra.
Mack laughed. “When did you two say your wedding was?”
“No wedding. Not a couple,” I said. Again.
Mack smiled widely. “Sure thing, Ali-Cat. Sure thing.”
TWENTY-TWO
Note to self:
You can admire someone and
also want to cause them great bodily harm at the same time.
The only motel in town was called The Wagon Wheel, one of those theme places with a huge smiling cowboy on the sign and where the complimentary breakfast was served in “the chuck wagon” every morning. It looked like it had seen much better days. The VACANCY sign only read CAN, the cowboy was faded and tired and someone, probably some teenager on a dare, had given him a Hitler-style mustache and boobs so big, the guy had to have a backache.
While Theo helped Mack dig out Karen’s food from the trunk, I went to the office to get us some rooms. A woman who looked to be in her mid-thirties with pink-streaked blonde hair leaned against the counter. Her badge announced her name was Tammy. Tammy was currently chatting it up with someone on the phone. She didn’t acknowledge me.
“Pu-lease. I am so tired of the men in this town,” she said. “I’d take about anybody at this point.”
I stepped closer to the counter and tried to catch her eye. No luck.
“We need a girls’ weekend in Denver.” She giggled at whatever the reply was. “Oh, yeah. Definitely. I heard that place is a regular meat market.”
I tapped my knuckles on the counter. “Hi. I was hoping to get a couple of rooms for tonight.”