Kincaid gave Taryn a wink. “We better head back to the starting line and get ready for the race. You boys running?”
“Nah, we’re going to hand out flyers to the crowd,” Rivers said. “I think this one is going to be more fun to watch from the sidelines anyway.”
Kincaid put her hands on her hips. “Chickens.” She dipped her head. “Be honest. You fear the unicorn.”
“Hell yeah, we do,” Rivers said. “That horn is pointy.”
“No costume for you, Jamez?” Lucas asked, his voice low, like it was just for her ears.
She met his stare. “Nope. I’ll be bait today.”
Lucas’s gaze skimmed over her at that, and Taryn felt every bit of it like a stroke to her skin. “Be careful out there.”
“She’s not worried,” Kincaid said. “She was a track star. She’ll probably outrun us all.”
“‘Was’ being the operative word. In high school. That was a long time ago,” Taryn said. “Now I just run numbers in research studies, but my goal is to not embarrass myself.”
“Solid plan,” Lucas agreed.
“We’ll be cheering for y’all,” Rivers added.
“Thanks,” Taryn said, and they exchanged quick goodbyes before Kincaid hooked arms with her and dragged her toward the starting line.
To Kincaid’s credit, she waited until they were at least a few yards away from the guys before she pounced.
“Jamez? What happened Friday night? I talked to you Friday night! You said nothing.”
Taryn shrugged. “It was after.”
“You must tell me everything,” Kincaid demanded gleefully. “Right now. Tell me what happened with the American Gladiator. Please say it was sordid.”
Taryn lifted a brow. “So sordid. You told me to think outside the box, and I just went for it. I saw Lucas from across the room, and we couldn’t resist each other. I told him I had one night to give and that we shouldn’t exchange real names. There was kissing in the dark and body shots on the bar and then hot, sweaty sex against a wall in the alley.”
Kincaid gasped. “Really?”
“Oh my God. No!” Taryn laughed. “Do you know how dirty alleys are? And have you met me?” She turned to her friend and put her hand out. “Hi, I’m Taryn, the forensic psychologist who studies murderers and would never go anywhere alone with a strange man from a bar.”
“I hate you,” Kincaid said with a pout. “I thought you’d had some kind of epiphany and had just gone for a wild and crazy night. That guy”—she jerked her thumb behind her—“would so be worth a one-night stand with no names exchanged. He’s probably got those abs you could bounce quarters off of.”
Taryn’s mind went there for a moment—Lucas without a shirt, quarters bouncing—but the thought overwhelmed, and she quickly dragged her focus back before she got too warm. She frowned. “Do you think the quarters would actually bounce? The physics of that seems off.”
Kincaid grinned. “Well, you should totally test that theory! Like immediately. He was checking you out. You should—”
“Slow your roll, girlfriend,” Taryn said before Kincaid went completely off the rails with this fantasy date. “I asked him out for coffee that night, and he turned me down, all right? It’s a no-go.” She folded the flyer Rivers had handed her and tucked it in her pocket. “As is this gym idea. I love that you’re looking for fun things for me to do. You’re sweet. But I don’t have time for that kind of commitment. Maybe once I get this pilot program rolling, we can figure something out. But I’m just too buried right now.”
“But on Friday you said—”
“Friday was a temporary moment of insanity after a bad date,” Taryn interjected, her lack of sleep making her words come out sharper than she intended. “I was signing checks I couldn’t cash.”
Kincaid’s mouth curved downward. “But, honey, you need a break more than anyone I know. This”—she waved her hand, indicating Taryn’s general person—“is not healthy. You really do look run down.”
“I’m fine.”
“T—”
“I’m fine. I promise. You don’t have to worry about me, okay?” She reached out and gave Kincaid’s hand a squeeze of thanks. “Now come on, we’ve got some running to do.”
But as Taryn headed to the starting line, she felt like she was running from more than people in crazy costumes. And she didn’t feel like she could run fast enough.