Half to Death (17 page)

I grinned as I got up to check the steaks.

*******

“Are you sure this is okay?” Jade stretched her legs out and rested her feet on the coffee table, mimicking my pose.

I finished chewing a piece of steak and nodded. “Don’t you put your feet on yours?”

“Don’t have one. No TV, no point.”

“Speaking of,” I picked up the remote, “wanna watch?”

She shook her head and smiled. “No, I want you to tell me about your friends.”

I tossed the remote on the couch. “Well, there’s Miranda and her partner, Marty. Deb’s girlfriend is Angel, then there’s Lonna and Paige, but they won’t be there tomorrow night. We’re planning a party reception thing for them because they recently sneaked off and got married.”

Jade stabbed at her salad. “I’m looking forward to meeting them. They probably have stories to tell.”

“And they’ll all be before my accident. I’m not that woman anymore, so consider that when they start yapping because they will at the slightest provocation.”

“I think it’d be interesting to hear about the old Sloan. Will there be pictures?” she asked with an evil grin.

“Oh, please, don’t go there. Miranda has stacks of albums. It’s not a pretty sight.” I shivered at the thought.

Jade took a sip of her wine. “You have nothing to worry about. I like the new Sloan. I can’t imagine anything they might say or show me will change that.”

I felt a flush rise up from my neck. Her words thrilled me. I continued eating with a smile.

*******

Once the dishes were put away, Jade got ready to leave. I wanted so much to ask her to stay. Just sleeping next to her, not even touching, would’ve been a dream. When we were apart, I thought about her endlessly, and when we were together, I didn’t want it to end.

“Thank you for dinner.” She was standing by the door looking awkward, and I was fairly certain like me she didn’t know how to bring our evening to a close.

“Can I hug you?” I asked.

She tilted her head and smiled. “Can you?”

“I promise to pull away if I can’t control myself.” That statement had dual connotations because once I had her in my arms, I wasn’t sure I could let go.

She grinned for a second, then her expression turned serious. “I trust you.” She swallowed, and her voice sounded raspy. “I haven’t been able to say that to many people.” She opened her arms, and I rushed in.

Her body molded perfectly with mine and felt so warm and soft. I closed my eyes and pushed all thought from my mind and dwelled on what I was feeling.

“What are my emotions telling you?” she asked nervously.

“That’s a daring question for someone in your shoes. I don’t know if I would have the courage to ask if the roles were reversed.” I wrapped my arms tighter around her waist. “You feel…joy, warmth…like you belong right here.” I wanted to cry because that was exactly what I felt.

“Do you feel the same?” She pushed me back gently and looked me in the eye. I couldn’t speak, and I knew she saw the tears forming. I nodded. She pulled me back in and held me for a moment. I felt her reluctance to let me go. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow night,” she said as she backed away and opened the door.

I watched her go with a sad smile. I thought I understood then what Miranda was saying about the precipice. I was on the edge, and I knew she was, too. And in that moment, I accepted that I had been given an extraordinary gift…in more ways than one.

Chapter 16

At seven fifty, Jade walked out of the gym wearing a deep green T-shirt and a pair of tan cargo shorts. She looked magnificent. The dark green brought out the color in her eyes. I stared at her a minute or two when she got in my car.

“What?” she asked when I didn’t immediately drive off.

“You’re stunning.”

“I was thinking the same about you. Sometimes, I forget to say what I’m thinking. She looked at my shorts and T-shirt. “You look lovely tonight, but do you know when I find you most attractive?”

I shook my head.

She grinned. “When you’ve just finished working out and your hair is a mess and sticking to your face. It gets really wavy, and your face is flushed…” Her voice trailed off as she looked away. “It’s sexy.”

“
So
we’ll be running the air tonight,” I said as I switched it on and rolled up the windows. “You’ve managed to raise the heat index in the car by a hundred degrees.”

I left the parking lot with the sound of Jade’s laughter and my heart pounding a delightful beat.

*******

Deb and Angel weren’t due to arrive until eight thirty, and as planned, Jade and I arrived early, so we could discuss, as Marty said, “what not to say to Deb.” Marty and Jade seemed to hit it off the minute they met, but then again, Marty had that effect on people. She was so open and friendly that everyone fell under her charm, and Jade was no exception.

We gathered in the living room, and after some small talk, Miranda got down to business. “Sloan, Marty and I have been talking about something, and we’d like your take on it.” She looked over at Jade. “I’m sorry that your first visit with us might be a tense one. Sloan said she’s told you about the situation with Deb. We’re not gossiping about her. We’re worried, and we’re trying to help.”

Jade nodded. “I understand.”

Miranda looked back at me. “Marty and I think you should touch Angel. I think it’s the best way to find out what she knows without offending her and making a difficult situation worse.”

I wasn’t prepared for the request. “I don’t know.” I looked at Jade and wondered what was going through her head.

“Sloan, this is a gift,” Miranda said. “I know you don’t feel that way, but you can use this to help someone we care a lot about. We don’t want to know what you see, but if you can figure out Angel’s feelings on this, we’ll know if we have an ally or not.”

“Deb’s fiercely protective about her situation,” Marty said. “She won’t even come close to discussing it. We’re at an impasse, and I don’t know what else to do.”

We never had a chance to discuss it further. There was a knock on the door, then we heard Deb’s voice. “Hello, we’re here.”

Marty stood and greeted them warmly with hugs. Deb’s gaze moved to Miranda, and I watched them stare at each other before moving in for a big hug. It appeared that Deb had forgiven. Jade and I stood, and I moved around the coffee table, hoping to put a barrier between Deb and me. I introduced her to Jade, and Deb gave her a quick hug. Deb made a move toward me. I knew she was going to hug me, and I made a split-second decision.

Through her eyes, I saw her dressing and how she layered on clothes to hide weight loss that was even more profound than the last time I’d peeked into her mind. She hoped that we wouldn’t notice. She hoped that dinner wasn’t heavy. She hoped that Angel wouldn’t hear her in the downstairs bathroom after dinner as she pulled on another shirt.

When she released me, I smiled and backed away. I turned and took two purposeful steps toward Angel, and I hugged her tightly. She was lying on her side, holding Deb as she slept. She could feel the sharpness of Deb’s hip bone beneath her fingertips. The feel of it sickened me. It had been ages since they’d made love, Angel thought. She sighed softly as she wondered what to do about Deb’s secretive ways. What could she say? Could their relationship withstand her betrayal of confiding in another?

I feigned a coughing fit and slipped into the bathroom to compose myself when Angel released me. I looked at myself in the mirror and wondered how I could possess such information and not do something about it. I just didn’t know what that something should be.

“Are you all right?” Jade asked softly when I walked back into the room.

Miranda had Deb and Angel in the kitchen fixing drinks. Jade and Marty stared at me with worried expressions. I shook my head. “No, I’m not. It’s not good.”

Marty put a hand to her chest and exhaled loudly before joining the others in the kitchen.

Jade walked over and stood directly in front of me, blocking the view of the others if they returned. “You need to go back in the bathroom and wash your face with cool water. It’s very flushed. She reached out slowly, giving me time to prepare for her touch and stroked my cheek. “While you’re in there, take a few deep breaths and let them out slowly. Try to push the thoughts from your mind because it’s very obvious that you’re upset.”

“Come with me.”

Jade looked over her shoulder. “To the bathroom?”

“If I’m still flushed when we come out, they’ll think we were kissing or something. They’ll tease me, but Deb and Angel won’t suspect something’s wrong.” I turned and Jade followed behind me. When she closed the door, I sagged against the counter and folded my arms across my chest. “Jade, I can’t tell you what I saw, but it’s worse.”

Jade’s face showed compassion as she reached up slowly and stroked my hair. “Sometimes we have to hide our emotions. Put this in a box and shove it into the back of your mind for later. For tonight, recall a happy thought and focus on that.” A slight smile moved across her face. “If it were me, I’d dwell on our day on the coast.”

I couldn’t help but smile then.

“Where do they keep the washcloths?”

I pointed to the cabinet behind her. Jade opened it and took one out. She ran water over it and wringed it out before holding it to my cheek. “It’s just like acting, Sloan. Go out there and play your part.”

She moved the cloth to my other cheek, and I wondered how many times she’d coached herself that way and why.

*******

We did take some ribbing when we joined the others, and Jade played it up, taking the pressure off me. “We…um…will pay for the damages to your bathroom. I hope you have two. If not, everyone might want to consider the gas station down the street.” She looked at me with a mischievous smile. “I had no idea you were that acrobatic.”

“Oh,” Angel pointed at Jade, “she’s going to fit in perfectly with this group. You better hang on to her, Sloan.”

I winked at Jade. “I plan to.”

Over dinner, we discussed the plans for the party. We’d have it at Marty and Miranda’s since their place was the biggest. Deb volunteered to send the invitations and supply half the liquor. Miranda, Marty, and I would take care of the food and decorations. We picked a date according to Lonna’s work schedule, and our surprise was planned.

“So, Jade, how’d you and Sloan meet?” Angel asked as if she didn’t already know.

“I’m a personal trainer at the gym. Sloan and Miranda aren’t my clients, but I try to help whip them into shape anyway.”

“Whip is right,” Miranda said with a groan. “She developed an exercise plan for us that’s a killer. Don’t get me started on the diet.”

“Well, Sloan looks no worse for wear,” Deb said with a smile. “She must be into pain.”

“It’s not as bad as Miranda makes it sound. She’s just a weenie.”

Miranda wadded up her napkin and threw it at me. “All right, Ms. Leg Cramp, keep it up.”

“Oh, I get those a lot,” Deb said. “Especially when I run, they’re excruciating.”

“Hydration and nutrition are key to avoiding those. Protein is essential for someone who is working out or doing strenuous labor,” Jade said. “I tell my clients to drink at least sixteen ounces of water and a low sugar sports drink before they come in for a workout.” Jade draped her arm over the back of my chair. “I can tell who is following the diet plan by the way they perform. If they’re face down on the mat in the first ten minutes, I know they’re not fueling their bodies.”

“What’s on the diet plan?” Deb asked.

“Low sugar because it hypes you up for a short time but doesn’t provide fuel that muscle needs. Chicken and fish are the main meats, but the plan does allow red in moderation. You can have all the beans you want, but that tends to cause some embarrassment for some,” she said with a grin. “Spinach and broccoli are good, too, all of which makes you gaseous, hence the embarrassment.”

I looked at Miranda and laughed. Aside from cutlery, she had nothing else to throw. Marty moved her fork just in case.

“I’ll be happy to share the plan with you if you want,” Jade said, looking at Deb.

“I’d really appreciate that.” Deb flashed a look at Miranda, and I felt the muscles in my stomach tighten.

Marty quickly changed the subject. “Has anyone considered what we’re going to get Lonna and Paige as wedding presents? I mean, we can’t go with the norm. They’re already living together, so housewares are out.”

“Sex toys,” Miranda and I said in unison and laughed.

“That really is a good idea,” Deb said with a grin. “We could have a lot of fun with that.”

Marty the methodical turned a fresh page in her notebook. “So who’s getting what? We don’t all wanna show up with strap-ons.”

I flushed and cast a sideways glance at Jade. She was smiling back at me, seemingly enjoying my embarrassment.

“Oh! I call the strap-on,” Deb said. She looked at Angel. “You can handle the dildo, can’t you, baby?”

A chorus of “ohs” went around the table as one of Angel’s dark eyebrows rose.

Marty pointed at Deb with her pen. “You are so sleeping on the couch tonight!”

“I saw a sexy cop uniform the other day. Really kinky,” Miranda said. “I call that.”

“And where exactly did you see such a thing?” Marty asked, looking at her.

Miranda shrugged nonchalantly. “At Sloan’s store.”

Everyone looked at me, including Jade. I raised my hands. “She’s full of shit.”

“Actually, I saw it in a magazine at the station.” Miranda winked at me. “And what will you be bringing?”

“I dunno.”

Everyone at the table guffawed. “Don’t sit there in front of your new girlfriend and act all puritanical,” Deb said with a laugh. “We all know your reputation.”

“Expand on that please,” Jade said with a smile.

“I’ll bring vibrators and lubes,” I said loudly before anyone could comment. “And that draws this conversation to a close.”

*******

“Do you mind driving” I asked Jade as we walked out to the car.

“Can I squeal the tires?” She took the keys and batted her eyes.

“Not in the neighborhood, but you can burn off all the rubber you want when we get on the highway.”