I ignored the bel y curl.
“We have a crisis,” I said.
Silence for another beat.
“Didn’t I drop you off about five minutes ago?”
“Yes.”
“How do we have a crisis in five minutes?”
“Tex isn’t at work. He says he’s hung over,” I told him.
“So maybe he’s hung over,” Eddie replied.
“He can’t be hung over and protect Mom! He’s fal ing down on the job. Mom has to move in with us.” More silence.
Then, “Your mother isn’t movin’ in with us.” There was no smile in his voice on that comment.
“Then we have to move to my place.”
“Last time I stayed the night at your place, your Mom knocked on the door when my hands were in your pants.
We’re not movin’ to your place and your Mom isn’t movin’ to mine.”
“Eddie!”
“Jet, my plan has two goals. One is to keep you and your Mom safe. Two is for us to have some privacy and time to get to know each other. Your Mom moves in, my second goal is in the toilet.”
“We can get to know each other when Mom’s around.”
“Not the way I want us to get to know each other.” My bel y curled again and I felt spasms in three different places. I took a breath and shook it off.
“I bet you’d hit the snooze button if Mom was with us,” I said.
“Yeah, but then we wouldn’t have time for a long shower.” Dear Lord.
I had to admit, I liked long showers, at least, I liked long showers with Eddie.
I didn’t tel Eddie that.
Instead, I said, “I’m pretty certain I don’t like you.” Then he said, “You’re so ful of shit.”
The smile was back in his voice.
I sighed and flipped my phone shut. What else could I do?
* * * * *
Indy strol ed in mid-morning. “How’d it go with Eddie?” she asked when she dumped her bag in the locked drawer behind the book counter. “Darius told on me,” I said.
She nodded, “He told on me too.”
“How did Lee take it?” I asked.
“Lee’s used to me doing crazy shit. What I want to know is, how’d Eddie take it?”
“He didn’t like it, but he got over it.”