“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.