Strong, Sleek and Sinful - By Lorie O'Clare Page 0,77
ass,” Mandy instantly defended Kylie. “They’re planning on meeting, but there’s no way you can let her mother know.”
“Mandy!” Dani hissed.
“What? You don’t trust me to tell me this?” Kylie leaned back, crossing her arms and staring Dani down. It was imperative she knew every detail about this person Dani might meet. What she wouldn’t have done for the social skills when she was a teenager that spilled out of her so easily now.
Dani stared at Kylie for a long moment, taking her time while chewing her lip. She looked as though she wasn’t sure how to respond, and the best way to get her to keep open channels was to stay quiet and wait out the silence.
“I’ll make you a deal,” Dani said, cocking one eyebrow. “Promise you won’t come to dinner tomorrow night and I’ll tell you about Petrie.”
“You don’t want me to come to dinner?” That one surprised Kylie.
“You want to come?” Dani sounded equally as surprised.
“If your mom wants to meet me, I don’t have a problem with that. I’d be curious, too, if some lady were hanging around with my girls.”
Dani snorted and the other girls laughed. Kylie glanced from one of them to the other, sure she’d just missed something.
“What did my uncle tell you?” Dani leaned back in her chair but then snapped to attention when she got an instant message. “We told Mom about you, and my uncle got all bent out of shape. That’s all Mom needs to think she can play matchmaker. It will be a totally humiliating evening with her making a big deal over you sitting by Uncle Perry and then scooting everyone out of the room so you are left alone with him. You don’t want that, do you?”
Dani didn’t want to share her uncle. Kylie believed Dani liked her. Actually, she had no doubts. But there was a line Dani didn’t want crossed. Her uncle wasn’t available.
“I don’t want to upset your mom by declining.”
“Just be busy or something. She’ll understand.” Dani typed a message and hit “enter,” sending the message up into the chat box. “Uncle Perry will be relieved if you back out,” she added, giving Kylie a knowing look. “He hates it every time Mom tries hooking him up with ladies. It’s not like he doesn’t have ladies all over the place anyway.”
Kylie pressed her lips together to keep herself from asking how Dani might know about her uncle’s social life. Did he bring women around his nieces? And if so, Kylie hated the rather possessive sensation suddenly rushing over her when she ached to learn more about all of these women.
She realized Mandy had disappeared and Nancy stood with her arms crossed, watching the interaction between Dani and Kylie with a distracted air of boredom. She looked as though she was trying to decide whether she should remain with them or join the kids in the other room.
Taking an indifferent air would be Kylie’s best move. The whole point of agreeing to meet Dani and her friends today was to learn where Peter was striking and to nab him before he captured another girl. If Kylie could do that here more so than at Dani’s home, then so be it.
“I’ll see if I can think of an excuse to convince your uncle and get out of it,” she said, and nodded toward the computer. “Tell me about who you’re chatting with.”
Dani accepted the arrangement and then began talking about everyone she chatted with. As if they guessed they were being discussed, many started talking to Dani online until she easily chatted with five different people, the computer screen full of chat boxes. Kylie straightened when Petrie instant-messaged Dani.
Homework sucks.
Mandy had returned and she and Nancy pulled chairs around Dani, instantly alert when Petrie sent the message. Kylie glanced at the three girls, realizing the other two knew a fair bit about Petrie. As well, Dani’s expression changed and she quickly typed: BRB into the other chat boxes and gave Petrie her exclusive attention.
“Tell him you’ll help him study,” Nancy encouraged.
Dani ignored Nancy, her gaze riveted to the screen, and typed: No shit. I’ve got Geometry.
Same here, and History. Like I care about what happened hundreds of years ago.
Dani appeared to forget she had an audience as she lost herself in her conversation with a boy who obviously she knew pretty well, in spite of never meeting him.
Mandy leaned around the back of Dani and whispered to Kylie, “Petrie is Dani’s boyfriend.”