With a final wave, she went into Torque’s room and closed the door.
“And then there were four,” Joni said.
The night air was warm but not sweltering and I breathed in a deep breath.
“Will it bother you if I smoke?” Rachel asked. We shook our heads and Rachel pulled out a pack of cigarettes. “I really do need to quit.”
“Yeah, you do,” Joni said.
“Now, now, Nurse Joni. None of that.” She lit the cigarette and then took a drag. “Jesus. Nothing else relaxes me quite like a cigarette.”
“Not even an orgasm?” Shelly asked with wicked amusement.
“Well, not the same ballpark.” Rachel winked.
“Whoa, I think I need to sit down,” Joni said. “I had more to drink than I realized.” She plopped down on a picnic table bench and leaned back, resting her elbows on the table before looking up at the night sky.
I took advantage of the moment while Rachel and Shelly were in conversation to pull Joni’s attention away from the group. I took a step closer to her and blurted out, “Zip’s going to go with you to your shifts at the hospital.”
Her head snapped up. “What do you mean?”
“Colt doesn’t want you unprotected. Zip volunteered to be the one to drive you to and from work and sit at the hospital during your shifts.”
“That fucker,” she seethed. “So when he told me he’d leave me alone, he was full of shit.”
I nodded. “Full of shitandI’m pretty sure he’s on the edge. Don’t give up on him just yet. I think he’s close to breaking.”
“I’mclose to breaking.”
“Yeah, but what if you could finally get everything you want? What if you could really be with him?”
“I’ve tried throwing myself at him. He still balked.”
I nodded. “I know, but if Zip is going to be at your place of work, he’s bound to see you and the doctor who asked you out. Together. Make him jealous, Joni. Make him think he’s really lost you and the only way to have you is to take you from someone else.”
“That’s like my biggest fantasy come to life.” She grinned.
“He can’t take his eyes off you,” I said. “He stares at you when he thinks you’re not looking. Bring this shit to a boil and I guarantee he’ll be taking whatever Colt gives him. Just make sure when you get him into bed, he has no reason to leave.”
“Oh, I’m on it. There are years of sexual tension between us. We might burn the house down.” She winced. “Shit. Sorry.”
The humor on my lips died and I suddenly felt way too sober. “I think I better call it a night.”
She nodded. “It’s late. You need to be alert when you give Colt hell.”
Rachel finished her cigarette and Joni got up from the table. We walked inside the clubhouse and I paused. “You notice that Darcy never came back to join us?”
“She’s probably on top of Gray right about now,” Rachel said with a grin. “Come on, Shelly. I’ll show you the couch in the theater room. Darcy’s kids are probably asleep on the floor in sleeping bags, so don’t be alarmed if you see tiny people first thing in the morning.”
Shelly laughed. “Thanks for the heads up.” She hugged me hard. “I work tomorrow at nine, so you might still be asleep by the time I get out of here. I have to go home and shower and stuff before then. Can’t show up at the salon with mascara around my eyes and smelling like a tequila emporium.”
I laughed. “Yeah. That wouldn’t be a vote of confidence.”
“You’re okay though?” she whispered in my ear. “I mean, he treats you well? We never really did get to talk about him. Not in depth, and not in the way that we normally do.”
“He’s great.”
That was the truth.