We got into Aiden’s Jetta, leaving for my house. I pushed his mother’s dirty looks from my mind and imagined next year. Aiden away at Washington State and me still cheering with the Smitten Kittens. We’d be apart, but we’d work it out—we belonged together. We were apple pie a la love.
“She brought up his dad?” Kira asked over the phone, sounding completely sorry for Aiden. I shifted the receiver to my other ear, listening for Aiden, who was taking a shower in the hall bathroom.
“I know,” I said to Kira, walking over to my mirror to check my lip gloss. “I felt awful for him. Just because his dad is a complete jerk doesn’t mean that all relationships are doomed to fail. That woman seriously needs some sunshine in her life.”
“Or maybe Prozac,” Kira said. I grinned and stepped over to my bed, dropping down and sinking into the pillows.
“Sorry about canceling the meeting. You sure you guys don’t mind waiting until tomorrow?” I hated blowing them off, but Aiden was here. There was no way for me to sneak out with him in my bed.
“No bigs,” Kira said. “But we have some pending assignments. Travis Murray is accused of hooking up with his ex-girlfriend, or at least, I think she’s his ex. Either way, it’s going to be a busy week.”
I sighed. “I know. And thanks for listening, K. About Aiden’s mom and all. She really messed with my head tonight. I wished Aiden lived here with me; it’d be so much easier.”
“Oh, I’m sure you’d take good care of him.” Kira giggled.
“Be quiet.” But I was smiling. She’d done one heck of a great cheer-up job tonight. The shower in the bathroom turned off with a squeak.
“You and Aiden are like Romeo and Juliet,” Kira said dreamily. “It’s like star-crossed lovers and—”
I furrowed my brow. “K, Romeo and Juliet killed themselves.”
She gasped. “Oh, my word! They did? That is so tragic!”
I held back my laugh. “Hey,” I whispered. “Aiden’s out of the shower. I’ll talk to you in school tomorrow.”
“Night, Tess. Give Aiden a big, sloppy kiss for me.” She giggled.
“Yeah,” I said. “Probably not sloppy, though.” Because that would be gross.
I hung up and set the phone on my side table just as my bedroom door opened. I sat up, admiring Aiden’s lean, wet body draped in just a towel. He noticed.
“Hey,” he said, leaning against the door frame, rubbing another towel in his hair. As I watched him, he wiggled his eyebrows and tossed the wet cloth at me.
It bounced off my shoulder, and I laughed. “Hi.”
“Who were you talking to?” He licked his lip, readjusting the towel around his waist.
“Kira.”
“What’s up with her?”
My insides were complete pudding right now. “She wanted me to give you a big, sloppy kiss.”
“Sloppy, even? That sounds sort of hot.”
I smiled and shook my head. “Quit teasing me and come over here.” I patted my bed. I wanted him. I always wanted him, and there was nothing his mother could say to change that. We didn’t need a break; she was wrong. In my heart, I knew she was wrong about us.
SOS CLIENT REJECTION
CLIENT: Becky Roth
SUBJECT: Corey Panchilla
Dear Ms. Roth:
SOS is sorry to inform you that your cheater request has been denied due to the rules of double jeopardy. Although we sympathize with your discovery of a “skanky thong” in the glove compartment of Mr. Panchilla’s car, we are unable to investigate further.
It may be in your best interest to confront Mr. Panchilla yourself or possibly terminate the relationship.
We trust that this report will remain confidential as some of the information contained within could compromise our top-secret status.
Please keep in mind that double jeopardy does not apply to your future relationships. SOS is still at your service, and we hope you’ll keep us in mind for referrals. Have a great day.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“UH, TESS?” KIRA WHINED AS WE PAUSED ON THE multi-color carpet of the restaurant aisle. “Why are we inside? We could scope this out from the car. My hair is totally going to smell like french fries.”
“Shh … we’re supposed to be incognito.”
“In what? I thought we were undercover.”
I rolled my eyes but then reached down to tug up the legs of my black stockings. Irk. These things were annoying. And fashionably hideous. I had to leave my utility vest in the car, but I still had on the black turtleneck and stockings that went underneath it. Right now, I looked like a mime—minus the white gloves.
Marcus dragging his date to the Applebee’s two towns over was inconvenient, but he wasn’t nearly as smooth as he thought. Not when we’d already bugged his cell phone. My breath caught.
“Snap, crackle, and pop!” I whispered harshly. “They’re early.” I ducked down, then dropped to my knees, pulling Kira under a booth table with me.
The carpet was rough, and I hadn’t expected the space under the booth to be so tight. Kira was practically sitting in my lap.
“Ew,” I said, trying to push her back. “Your hair does smell like fries.”
An immediate pout pulled at her pink lips.
“Is this table okay?” Leona’s sister’s voice announced. Her black sneakers paused in front of us. Her undercover work as a waitress was usually pitch perfect. But what was she doing? They couldn’t sit here! There was no room for their legs.
“Naw. How ‘bout the one toward the back?” Marcus asked in his usual smooth, confident voice.
I exhaled as I watched the feet move away, noticing the pair of red heels that followed Marcus’s sneaks. Really. Red? That seemed sort of tacky, even for Applebee’s.
“Wow,” Kira said, adjusting herself in my lap. “That was close.”
“Not as close as us right now,” I said, moving her over. I tried to unfold my legs in the darkened area under the table, but it wasn’t big enough. Well, this wasn’t very fun. And it wasn’t easy to stay in spy mode when I knew I could be at the movies or making out in the backseat of a car—something normal. I twitched my nose. “Is Izzie taking care of the video feed in the car?”
Kira nodded, trying to smell her hair. I’d let Izzie drive tonight. It helped her feel more involved. And even though she wasn’t great at things like math or science, she was awesome on the feed. Total pro.