Bodywork (9 page)

“
I guess.”

“So if you’re starting over, you might as well start with him. I’m not advocating a relationship.” Maggie lowered her voice. “But it would be nice if at least one of us was getting some, so we don’t both turn into the cat lady on the block.”

Shelby snorted. “Please, Maggie. We’re not even thirty yet. We have time to indulge in some good old celibacy and planning
for
the next Mr. Wrong.”

“See? That’s my point. You’re so negative.”

“I am not.”

“Prove it.”

“This is ridiculous. I shouldn’t have to go out with some guy
—
”

“—who kissed you.”

“Who kissed me.” Shelby glared. “Just to prove to you I’m not afraid to go out again.”

Maggie just stared at her while they walked, and Shelby finally gave in.

“Okay, fine. I’m sure if I don’t give him a shot, you’ll tell my mother.”

“Exactly.”

Somehow, getting Maggie’s encouragement loosened that ball of fear Shelby didn’t want to acknowledge. She could exploit this physical connection with a hot guy and leave it at that. No point in trying to indulge in a relationship that wouldn’t go anywhere. And after that kiss, she knew he wanted her sexually at least.

“
So I’ll have the power in this
—
it’s not a relationship.”

“Nope. Nothing to worry about. Just some harmless flirting, some fun, and if you’re lucky, some hot sex. That’s it.”

When Maggie said it, it sounded so simple. “So I’ll have the power in this
flingship
.
”
Control. Shelby prized power. She could handle Shane Collins.

Maggie blinked.
“Flingship
as
opposed to relationship
,
I take it?”
She
nodded
.
“
I like it. Yeah, Shel. And just think, if
he’s that good with his lips, imagine how good his other parts will be.”

Shelby
thought about it as
they headed back to the parking lot.
“
Thanks for the walk, Maggie. I’m not sure about the advice
, though
.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t charge you for it. This time.” Maggie winked. “Anything to get one of us out there, moving and shaking again.”

“For the record, thi
s isn’t a
dry spell.
I’m not dating anyone on purpose. I
’m still not sure I want to h
op in bed
with some guy I don’t know.
”

Maggie shook her head. “You know
where he works and what he looks like naked.”

“He wore a sheet.”

“
He’s not an ax-murderer,
we don’t think,
and he has a decent job. You could do a lot worse.” She bit her lip then added under her breath, “You have done a lot worse.”

“
W
itch.”

Maggie stuck out her tongue.

“Okay, Rick sucked. I agree.
But I do know I don’t want anything serious for a while.”

“Exactly.
You want a flingship
.
”

“Right.” The feel of Shane’s lips refused to go away. “
So where do
es that leave me?”

“It leaves you at ten o’clock
on a Wednesday night
in
a
parking at
Green Lake, standing with your best friend
after a smokin’ hot kiss from Buns of Steel.”

“Shane
Collins.”

“Whatever.
I should have your problems
.
” Maggie
stretched her arms over her head. “Now go home, stop worrying, and think about the next step in your flingship.”

Shelby
gave
her friend a stern
warning, “One call to my mother and I’ll get five cats, become a hermit, and tell everyone
I’ve gone gay because of you
.”

“
I swear I won’t call her. Cats aren’t my thing. But if this bad streak with men keeps up, I just m
ight
try
luck going to bat for the other team
.”

“So long as I still get to be bridesmaid at your
future
wedding, I don’t care who you marry, so long as he or she isn’t a
psycho
.”

“Or a prick like Rick. Same goes, Shel.”

Shelby grimaced and left with a wave. But as she drove away, she kept wondering about Shane. Good guy or bad?
And would it matter if she only intended to have sex with him?

Chapter Six

When Maggie arrived home
,
she called her brother’s
number, knowing he wouldn’t answer while on a job, and left a message checking in.
That done, her second call went straight to Mimi.
She didn’
t consider herself disloyal. Helping Shelby required the big guns, and though her best friend didn’t think Mimi would help, Maggie knew she was
exactly
what the doctor ordered.

Poor Shelby had been nursing a broken heart for far too long. Rick the
Pr
ick, as she liked to think of him, had broken down Shelby’s confidence one
block
at a time. He criticized her looks, her job, her friends and family. But he was subtle, never going straight into an insult so much as he danced around his unflattering comments and jibes, blending them with humor.

Personally, Maggie had always thought Rick
suffered from a bad case of
jealous
y
. She
lby was young,
had her own business
and
thriv
ed
in a town
that had a
massage clinic on nearly every corner. Beautiful, smart, and independent, she didn’t
need
Rick. And
that had bothered him.
Ech. The passive aggressive tendencies in that man had made Maggie’s head spin. But telling her best friend the truth hadn’t been easy,
not when she hadn’t wanted to alienate Shelby.

Li
ttle by little, Shelby had become a shell of her vibrant, outgoing self. Catching Rick cheating had been the best thing about their relationship, because Shelby had finally seen him for the asshole he was.

Maggie clenched her fists, still wanting to belt the creep.
She wasn’t alone.
Mimi
and Ron
had known all along he wasn’t the right man for Shelby.

Maggie had watched Mimi and Ron do their thing for five years. More than designing homes, they worked with energy. Sure, the
psychic stuff
was out there, but it
got results. Mimi and Ron did more than fix houses
for folks; t
hey fixed people as well. More than one couple had found
each other
and stayed together through
Vanzant Interiors
. Yet Shelby refused to
use
the help right in front of her.

Mimi finally picked up
on the eighth ring.
The woman didn’t believe in voicemail
.
“Hello?”

“Hi, Mimi.
It’s me, Maggie
.
”

“Maggie, how lovely. So what are you and my daughter up to on a
school night?” she teased. “It is Wednesday, isn’t it?”

“All day.”

“Uh huh.” A pregnant pause
.

Now to ask for help without asking, because
Maggie
had made a promise. “I just wanted to talk to a friendly voice after my long walk around Green
L
ake. I have nothing to say about
my best friend, who shall remain nameless
. I’m
also
not calling to tell you about her chance meeting with Shane Collins. Or that the man looks incredible in running shorts.”

“
Not calling to tell me any of that, hmm?” Something chimed in the background. Probably one of Mimi’s many bracelets
. Or maybe her wind chimes. Or her shrine to an air divinity aligned with Cupid. Who knew?

“Nope. I would never betray
my friend’s
confidence like that.
I
f I told you that he kissed her right there in the park, you
might
be tempted to interfere. And
my friend
would never forgive me if she knew I’d shared her secrets. I just called to say hello to my favorite other mom.”

Mimi chuckled. “I think of you as the
grateful
daughter I never had.
Thanks for sharing, dear. I’ll have to mull things over.
So tell me about
the
newest piece
you’ve been working on
.”

Maggie chatted with Mimi for a few minutes,
gave
her love to Ron,
who was no doubt nearby, then said good
bye. She closed her phone and smiled as she set it down.
She’d started the ball rolling.
Now
fate, ushered by unstoppable force of Mimi and Ron, could take over while
Maggie
watched from the sidelines, keeping everyone in play.

*
*
*

When Friday night came to a close,
Shane sighed with relie
f
.
It had been an exhausting couple of days since he’d been drafted to help on an overdue project at the office.
But now his weekend
awaited him
.
He had plans he’d decided to put in
to
motion.
He’d thought long and hard about his meeting with Shelby the other night.
As he
slipped into his house
, he knew he’d been right about her
.
Just one kiss from
those
sweet lips
of hers
had sent his pulse skyrocketing.

It had been far too long since he’d obsessed over a woman. Unfortunately, as much as he wanted to follow Mac’s plan of attack, he didn’t know if he could go through with it. He lusted after Shelby, sure, but he
’d
started to like her as well.

Low bass thumped through the main hallway, but he didn’t remember leaving his
stereo
on that morning.
Then he heard a familiar laugh and groaned.
Rounding to the kitchen, he found
George and Mac sitting
at the table
playing cards.

“Geez, Shane.
Could you work a little longer on a Friday night?
No wonder you’re so boring
.
”
His brother
shook his head
.

Mac smirked.
“Now, Geo, you know that’s no w
ay to talk to your big brother.
He’s probably working really hard so he can clear his schedule for the golden goddess down at Bodyworks.”

Shane shot Mac a look and contained an inner groan when George whipped his head
around and stared at
him with
wide-eye
s
.
“
Golden goddess at Bodyworks? Y
ou’re
making a move on my
Shelby
?
”

“Possessive much?” Mac took a swig of his beer.

Geo
rge
frowned. “
She worked on my knee
for weeks and really helped
.
I like her.
She’s nice, and
sh
e’s got a
body that won’t quit. I think she works out.” He sighed. “She’s
h
ot.
Older, but sexy. Like, a cougar who’s
a definite ten.”

“
A cougar if you’re seventeen.” Mac snorted.
“
So she’s that great, huh? Because y
our brother hasn’t said much more than that she has great hands.”

George
gaped
.

“I was talking about the massage she gave me. And you know it,” he
snapped at
Mac. He
pinched
the bridge of his nose
.
A headache was
brewing
.

“I
flirted with her some.” George’s gaze was curious
.
“But she didn’t take to it.
I think she
digs older guys.
Too bad, really.
”

“Maybe I ought to give her a shot,” Mac
suggested
.

“
Not your type
.
”
He hadn’t meant it to come out as a growl. Mac and George stared at him, then
gave each other a look
before focusing
their attention back
on
him.