“What about those two guys your… friends kept a hold of during all of this?” I ask.
“Oh, Bondage Boy and Sleepypants. Right…” Leland trails off.
“Leland?” Jackson asks. “Did you forget about them?”
“Maybe a little bit. It’s fine, Tucker’s much better at remembering to take care of people than me. They’re totally fine. I suppose we should let them go, shouldn’t we? I still kind of like the sleepy one. Oh, Ellis, you forgot your ugly little vase here,” Leland says as he tries to protect his cookies and ignore Jackson’s look of dissatisfaction.
“This is sooooo good. Can I have another?” Waylon asks as he holds his hand out.
“How about you share with those two, and I’ll make you another batch next week?” I say.
“Didn’t you say you’d never make those cookies again even if your life depended on it?” Tavish asks. “You said, and I quote, ‘I would rather ride on Fred’s lap than make these cookies.’”
“I know, but look how happy he is.”
“You’re such a sucker,” Tavish says. “Now come on.”
He plucks the vase up and tosses it to me.
I grab it and look at him in horror. “What if I hadn’t caught that?”
“It’s fine!”
“Do you understand how much this vase and I have gone through together?” I ask.
“Kind of.”
I hug it to me as I chase after him. “This vase and I… we skydived. We were threatened. We were both touched far too much by Fred.”
“You were the one with your dick pressed against Fred’s ass.”
“Don’t remind me,” I whisper.
Tavish laughs as we head out to the car where I hug the vase as he drives toward his home.
“You know… since your rental doesn’t allow pets… your bird has beenpissedthat you’re not at my place. I’m pretty sure she hates me.”
“She doesn’t hate you.”
“I’m just saying…like… maybe you start staying over some nights and stuff… so Jolene’s not lonely and will be happy.”
“Will Jolene be the only happy one?”
“Sure as fuck not.”
“I mean… I guess staying the night at your house here and there isn’t a big deal, right? Old me would have panicked and overthought this a million times, but I’m a new, slightly scarred and traumatized me.”
“Yeah?” Tavish asks.
“Yeah… like you want me to spend the night tonight?”
“I sure do,” he says as he pulls into the driveway. “I hope that bird stops screaming now that you’re here.”
“Has she been bad?”
“PISSED the moment you walk out.”
“Aww, she’s lonely.”
