There were some gasps. Unfortunately Al y was taking a sip from her Fat Tire when I answered and thus spewed it across the room forcing Ava and Roxie to jump wide of the beer spray.
“Your what? ” Al y semi-yel ed, stil spluttering.
“Wel , he wasn’t my boyfriend but he was, kind of. We were seeing each other,” I explained.
“Were?” Indy asked.
“After Mace and I, erm,” I bit my lip and my eyes slid to Vance who was studying his boots then I looked back to Indy. “Did it, ” I whispered to the girls and then went on talking in my normal voice. “We al had a showdown, Mace, Eric and me. During the showdown, Mace told Eric he f**ked me. Bluntly. Eric didn’t appreciate that.”
“I bet he didn’t,” Shirleen muttered, making eyes at Daisy.
“Why didn’t you tel us about Eric?” Al y demanded to know.
I shrugged. “Wel , Eric and I were together but we weren’t. It’s hard to explain. Then I found out he was a Fed
–”
“What? ” It was Daisy’s turn to splutter through a defunct swal ow of beer.
“Yeah, a Fed. He’s investigating Sid too and got close to me to do it. But he said he fel for me. Told me straight out, right in front of Mace, right after Mace told him he f**ked me.” I paused, not wishing to share further because sharing meant reliving. I was stil nursing a mini-buzz and I needed to keep it going for the last set and reliving that particular memory would kil the buzz dead. “It’s complicated,” I finished.
“It ain’t complicated, it’s f**ked up. That’s what it is,” Shirleen commented and she was not wrong.
“I can’t believe Mace told him he f**ked you. Did he use those words?” Ava asked and at my nod, she went on.
“That’s just rude.”
“That’s just the Hot Bunch. They’re al straight-talkers,” Indy reminded her.
“Stil , this Eric guy has a thing for Stel a. He could at least try to be sensitive,” Ava continued.
This made Shirleen, Al y and Indy burst into gales of laughter and Daisy, Roxie and Jet started giggling.
Shirleen wiped an eye. “Mace? Sensitive? Ava, girl, you are too much.”
Ava gave Shirleen a look.
I gave Vance a look wondering what he thought of al this.
Jules, again, had passed on the night out with the Rock Chicks, preferring to stay home and keep herself and her unborn baby safe.
This, I thought, was a good decision.
Vance had given up on his study of his boots and was now wearing a shit-eating grin and watching me.
Apparently what Vance thought about al of this was that it was highly amusing.
I rol ed my eyes.
His grin got wide.
Whatever!
There came a knock at the door and Vance went tense.
“Scout,” Hector’s voice said from the other side of the door and it was my turn to go tense.
“Scout?” Roxie breathed, her huge eyes swinging to me and al the Rock Chicks swayed with the excitement fil ing the room.