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over one of the
chairs. She could easily use him as an excuse to get out of babysitting her
nephews.
    “Don’t be so selfish,” Tina said. “You got everything when
Dad died. All I want is one night out with my friends.”
    Erica got everything when Dad died because Tina already
owned a house and because Tina didn’t know a carburetor from a piston.
    Erica relented with a small sigh. “Okay. But I need some
sleep. You can’t be out late.”
    “I won’t be.”
    She pressed her eyelids together. A silent sigh slipped from
her lips at the singsong phrase Tina had regularly used in their youth.
    Erica massaged her temple with her left hand and put the phone
back with her right. She was going to need a beer to make it through the night
without tying her nephews to chairs.
    “Anything I can help with?”
    She jolted upright at the voice mere inches away. Drew stood
at the end of the counter, smiling far too brightly. How had he gotten up
without her hearing it?
    Erica started forward and hoped he’d move. “Just the pizza
crus—”
    He leaned in, blocking her path. The scents of fresh cotton,
costly fabric and male sweat mingled in her nose along with the tang of tomato
sauce. His head lowered as though he meant to kiss her. She stared,
incredulous and disgusted.
    For a split second she considered punching him for his
presumption. Curiosity won out. But when his soggy lips slopped over hers,
tongue jabbing at her mouth with the mastery of a pubescent boy, Erica wished
she’d gone with her gut. No wonder none of the women he’d called were willing
to help him out.
    One night. He could sleep on her cot for one night and then
he had to go. One way or another.
     
    “ Where did you learn to kiss? On
a blow-up doll?”
    Drew opened his eyes, finding hers already watching him. One
of her mocha brows lifted mockingly—a match to her biting tone. He stared
uncomprehendingly because he’d expected her to quiver not quibble.
    Before he could work out what had happened, Erica burst into
laughter, doubling over the counter in her mirth. She cast him several glances
beneath long, sooty lashes. Each new look sent her into a renewed peal.
    “Oh my god,” she hooted breathlessly. “You called like…a
dozen women today. And that is how you kiss?” She smacked the counter.
Another set of chuckles shook out of her chest. Then she drew upright, wiping
at moisture beneath her eyes. “Oh, honey. They were with you for your money.”
    Drew bit down on his tongue. Erica did the entirely
condescending gesture of patting him on the back as she made her way
around him. Several reactions played out in his mind, all of them ending with
her naked. Too quickly she was at the door.
    “Ah, don’t look so glum, chum.” Mischief curved her lips as
she gripped the doorknob. “Even if you’d given me the best kiss I’d ever had,
nothing could have happened. I have to babysit tonight.” She brought a purse
strap over her shoulder. “Please don’t destroy my garage because I teased you.
You’re better than that.”
    Drew rolled onto his heels, startled that she’d think he was
good at all.
    Erica gestured toward the garage. “There’s a closet in the
backroom with a few pillows and blankets. My sister Tina’s phone number is by
the phone.”
    “And your phone number?”
    She stared blankly for two seconds. “Um. That’s not over
there but I don’t think I want you putting me in your phone.”
    “Don’t worry. I only put women I plan to fuck in there,” he
snapped before he could stop himself.
    A full smile spread across her lips. “Perfect.” She hurried
back to the counter. She grabbed a pen, scribbling what he assumed was her
number. Too soon she strode across the office again.
    “Call me if anything else catches fire.” Erica was out the
door before he could respond.
    Drew fetched the sticky note with her number.
    And then he fed it into his phone.
    * * * * *
    The kids had finally fallen asleep. Six times, they’d