Indy said, “Holy crap.”

Roxie said, “Wow.”

Ally said, “Righteous.”

Stevie said, “Lordy.”

I said, “I know.”

“Oowee,” Shirleen said, getting off the couch and pulling her blouse in and out at her chest. “I need to go home and get me a cold shower before I go back to work. Child,” she said to me. “You did good. You held out. Then you got nailed. You’re a real Rock Chick now.”

Everyone watched her leave but it was probably only me who was, for the first time, wishing I wasn’t a Rock Chick.

“My favorite part is the cookie swipe,” Tod shared with the congregation.

“The cookie swipe was good,” Roxie agreed.

“That ain’t my favorite part,” Daisy put in.

“Mine either,” Ally concurred.

“I can’t believe you’re f**k buddies with Luke Stark,” Sissy’s tone was accusing and she was glaring at me. Obviously f**k buddies wasn’t where she thought this was heading. She likely had visions of wearing a bridesmaid’s dress and was planning my bachelorette party.

“I can’t believe it either,” Indy said but she didn’t sound accusing, she sounded amused.

“I wish I was f**k buddies with Luke Stark,” Tod told everyone and got a scowl from Stevie.

“Me too,” Ally’s voice sounded far away.

“Ally!” Roxie and Jet cried in unison.

Ally snapped back into the room. “I’m just saying.” She looked at Roxie. “Has Hank ever done a cookie swipe?”

Roxie looked away. “No,” she mumbled, obviously liking the idea of a cookie swipe.

“Eddie?” Ally’s gaze had moved to Jet.

“We did it against the wall once,” she hesitated. “Or twice,” she said in a low voice then her voice got lower. “Or maybe four times.”

Everyone stared at her.

Daisy gave a tinkly-bell laugh. “The wall is good.”

“So, what now?” Jet asked, moving attention away from wall sex with Eddie.

I shook my head because I didn’t know what now.

What I knew was that I’d always, since I was eight, wanted Luke Stark to want me to be his girl then his girlfriend and now I was “his woman”. I knew I’d had the best night and morning of sex in my whole f**king life. I knew that I liked moving around in Luke’s kitchen wearing his sweatshirt and kissing him while he sat on the counter probably more than he liked it.

I knew Luke was right. I was lucky, but not for the reasons he said. And I felt lucky. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

I also knew I was screwed.

Because worse than never getting what you always wanted was having it and losing it.

“Uh-oh, I don’t like the look on your face,” Tod said to me.

“What?” I asked, knowing exactly what he meant.

“I’m thinkin’ we’re not in the straightaway here, am I wrong Sugar?” Daisy put in.

She was not wrong. “I need more coffee,” I said to deflect conversation from me, mainly because I could take no more. I needed peace and quiet and alone time, something I hadn’t had in days.

Everyone looked at everyone else.

I got up and went to the coffee counter. “Set me up, Tex.”

He stared at me. “Darlin’…” he started and I just knew he was going to impart some sage piece of wisdom on me that I couldn’t cope with, not then, not ever.

“Set me up, Tex,” I repeated.

Tex ignored my demand and said, “He won’t let you do it.”

Whoa.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

I was not having this conversation.

“Set me up,” I said again.

“He’ll wear you down.”

“Set me up.”

“He’ll get through whatever defenses you put up.”

“Set me up.”

“He won’t give up.”

“Tex! Set me up!” I shouted.

Duke walked up beside Tex all the while watching me.

Tex turned to Duke. “Tell it to her straight, brother.”

Duke shook his head. “Not yet my time. I’ll lay the honesty on her when the time’s right.”

Tex nodded as if he understood this completely. I didn’t want to understand it. I wanted to get to a phonebook and start calling plastic surgeons to get quotes on a total face make over.

“Can I please have some coffee?” I snapped.

Santo walked up beside me and said his first words of the morning to me. “I don’t get it. I thought you were Ren’s woman.”

Someone! Please tell me!

Why me?

Chapter Sixteen

Milano Interruptus

After the Rock Chicks made plans to go see Stella Gunn’s gig the next night (Stella was a friend and The Premier Rock Chick on account of she was lead singer and lead guitar in a kickass local cover band called The Blue Moon Gypsies), Sissy took off with Lucky to inspect her house. She’d been delaying it due to grieving her Stephen Kilborn pottery.

I got a call from Jules saying she’d be over around lunchtime to hear the dirt on Luke firsthand. She warned she was bringing May.

I decided to hang at Fortnum’s because it seemed safe. I wasn’t all fired up to move from the Kidnapping and Getting Nailed Portion of my Rock Chick in Trouble Experience to the Shot At or Car Bombed Portion just yet.

I was standing behind the book counter when I saw Jules and May walk in. I gave them a smile as my phone rang. Seeing as I was on edge (and the ultimate dork), I jumped, knocked over a can of pens, a pot of paper clips and, unfortunately, a jar of pink and purple bouncy balls (which seemed a weird item to have at a bookstore but who was I to say, Indy had always been a bit crazy).

They went all over the floor, balls bouncing everywhere. I dropped to my hands and knees, fumbling with my ringing phone and scooping up balls, pens and clips.

I put my phone to my ear. “Yo,” I said.

A low laugh then, “Ava.”

It was Ren.

I froze on all fours then said stupidly, “Yo Ren.”

“Hey,” he replied softly.

Ren, too, had a sexy soft voice.

Crap.

Where were these guys during my senior prom, I ask you? No need to answer that, I knew. They were nowhere near Fatty, Fatty Four-Eyes. They were dating Skinny, Easy Cindy Too Much Lip Gloss.

“Hi,” I said and my voice sounded too high.

“Babe,” I heard said from what seemed like far away. I jerked, dropped the phone from my ear and it clattered to the floor.