other side. It’s about the only spot you won’t land in bushes or a tree.”
“Cool. Thanks.”
“Want me to come with you?” he offered, and I glanced over at him. Dean had been really kind, actually, when he found out Cary and I had an unfinished love story and I was intent on rewriting our tragic ending. Clearly, he cared about Cary.
“Really, no. I need to do this alone.” I looked at all their glassy eyes and rosy cheeks. “You guys are awesome, but I’m good. I’ve got this. I’m going full commando on this mission.”
“You’re not wearing underwear?” Xander said, and Courteney elbowed him in the stomach.
“Yeah. I’m climbing a fence in a dress with all of you underneath me and I’m not wearing panties.”
“Sweet,” Dean said, totally missing my sarcasm.
“I meant, I’m gonna strike fast and I’m not leaving until I achieve my objective.” I totally meant it. I’d really worked up my liquid courage at the bar. And trespassing on someone’s property, sneaking through the dark and scaling a fence was just fueling my hunger for victory.
“And what is your objective, exactly?” Danica asked gently.
“I’m getting him to open his door and talk to me,” I said, with one-hundred-percent confidence.
They all just blinked at me like drunk owls in the dark.
“Well… I’m getting him to open his door,” I amended, maybe downgrading to fifty-percent confident. “After that… we’ll see.”
“Okay,” Danica whispered supportively. “You’ve got this, Tay.”
I took a deep, fortifying breath. “I feel like I need war paint.”
“Try the no-panties thing,” Dean whispered. “It’ll be fierce.”
“Maybe on the other side,” I said dryly.
He flashed me a thumbs up.
“Cmon, let’s do this,” Matt said, lacing his hands together and lowering them in front of me. “Up you go.” Xander hunkered down next to him, offering his back as a stepping stone.
I stepped into Matt’s hands, then put a knee on Xander’s back, then my other knee on Matt’s as he turned around.
“That’s my eye,” Xander groaned as I grabbed at his face, struggling to get my balance.
“Quit moving, Matt,” I whispered.
“Sorry.”
Danica grabbed Matt’s shoulders to hold him steady, though she probably wasn’t so steady herself. I grabbed the top of the fence with my gloved hands and started trying to hoist myself up.
Then a pair of strong hands landed on my butt cheeks and squeezed, lifting me up.
“That so better not be Dean…” I grumbled, although the move was effective. “Or Xander.”
“It’s me,” Ash said. “Sorry.” As he lifted me, I scrambled up; I was able to hike one leg over the top of the fence and hold on. He gave me a final shove and I was all the way up, kinda lying on the fence. I clung to the top of it like a koala.
I peered down at them all. “You know, scaling a fence is a lot harder than it was when I was like ten,” I panted. I wiggled awkwardly on my stomach until I could get both legs over to the far side. “Ouch. I shouldn’t have done this in a dress.”
“You okay?” Danica whispered.
“I’m good. Here goes.” I pushed off and let go, dropping down into Cary’s yard. My feet hit sooner than I thought they would in the dark, and I fell awkwardly on my ass, sprawling on my back. “Oof.”
I looked up to find Ash peering over the fence. “Taylor?”
“Yeah.” I groaned, pushing myself up. “I’m good.” I got to my feet, brushing myself off. Actually, I was kinda dirty and I’d scratched my leg, and if I wasn’t semi-drunk that fall might’ve hurt more than it did. I gave him a thumbs up. “I’m going in,” I whispered.
“Okay. Kick ass, woman.” Ash’s head disappeared.
“We love you, Taylor!” Danica whisper-shouted through the fence.
“Don’t take no for an answer!” Xander said.
“And don’t forget the balls!” Dean said.
“What?” Danica whispered.
“Dudes like their balls handled,” Dean said. “Women overlook that.”
“Christ, would you shut up?” Xander said.
“Letssgo!” Courteney hissed. “You’re all drunk.”
“We’re drunk?” Xander said. “You’re slurring, babe…”
Branches cracked and I heard them whispering to each other and laughing as they stumbled back through the trees. I wondered if they’d get lost in the neighbor’s yard and just end up flaking out on the patio, smoking up.
Fifty/fifty chance?
I sighed.
Then I looked up at Cary’s house. The light over the front door was on, but it was always on. The windows along the front of the house were all dark.
I went over to the control room window. The shades were drawn and the light seemed to