“It wasn’t exactly a date,” I told her, feeling weird, mainly because this was weird. “We watched Monday Night Football with my uncle and then talked.”
They all looked disappointed again.
“You were necking with him like a teenager in this very room just a couple of hours ago. I saw you my damned self,” May carried on spilling all my secrets.
I widened my eyes in a “shut up” look at her and noticed the hot chicks had all gone perky again.
“I bet he’s a good kisser,” Ally said.
“I bet he’s a good everything,” Daisy put in. “You get anything else from him?”
Was this really happening? I didn’t even know these people.
“Um…” I muttered. It wasn’t any of her business but I didn’t want to appear rude.
“Oh come on, share. You’re among friends,” Ally said even though I knew her less than the other four and I didn’t know the other four at all.
I didn’t do girl talk at least I hadn’t really done it since college. I didn’t know where to begin and anyway, it was important to note (again), I didn’t even know these people.
“Maybe you should understand something,” Indy said, watching me closely, “Lee and I are getting married.”
I just looked at her. I didn’t know how that information made anything more understandable. “Congratulations,” I said.
“Eddie and I are living together,” Jet put in.
I looked at her guessing she was talking about Eddie Chavez and wondering why she shared this information.
She kept talking. “We met, like, five months ago. Then I had this situation where a loan shark was after my Dad but came after me, then some other guy tried to rape me and then –”
“I’m still sorry about that, Sugar,” Daisy cut in.
“It wasn’t your fault, Daisy,” Jet assured her, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze.
“Still, he was workin’ for my husband. I feel responsible,” Daisy went on.
“Don’t,” Jet said on a dazzling smile.
I watched this conversation wondering if maybe they were a little crazy when Roxie butted in.
“I’m living with Hank, Lee’s brother. We met each other less than two months ago. I moved from Chicago. My ex was kind of a jerk –”
“Kind of? He was a first class jerk,” Ally threw in. “He was more like a grade A prime ass**le.”
Roxie smiled at her. “Yeah, well, anyway,” she looked back at me, “the point is he kidnapped me and then, after I was rescued, he stalked me. It was a nightmare. Vance was the one who rescued me. Tracked me down and found me handcuffed to a sink in a sleazebag motel in Nebraska. He was very cool about it, took me to an outlet mall on the way home and everything and I didn’t even have to ask.”
I nodded, not knowing what to say, stalking ex-boyfriends, kidnapping, ra**sts, outlet malls. It was too bizarre for words.
Indy smiled at me. “We know you know Lee. Well, Lee, Eddie and Hank, they’re all part of our tribe. Vance is too. What we’re saying is, you get sucked in by one of the boys, you’re part of our tribe too.”
“We’re the Rock Chick Welcome Wagon,” Ally put in on a grin.
“See, these guys move kind of fast,” Jet added.
“It can make you dizzy,” Roxie said.
“So you need your girls around you,” Indy finished.
I looked to May to see how she was taking all of this and she was smiling at me like a loon. Maybe she was a loon, maybe all of them were loons.