“How is it?” he asked.
“Perfect.” I set my fork down and got up. “Water?”
“Sure,” he said.
“You cook?” I asked as I went to the cabinet.
“Nope. But I can follow a recipe every now and again.”
“How do you survive?” I teased.
“The Old Ladies usually feed me. I won’t starve. They won’t let me,” he joked.
“So, should I be flattered that you whipped this up for me?”
“Very flattered.”
I brought our glasses back to the bar. “What are you going to do to impress me in the future?”
He looked at me, his smile soft. “Damn fine question.”
Chapter 18
My alarm wentoff at four the next morning. The loud, high-pitched beep instantly woke me, and my hand shot out to hit the off button.
Boxer groaned. “Alarm clocks are the devil. It’s still dark out.”
“I warned you,” I said, searching for any part of him so I could brush a kiss across his skin. “I told you if you spent the night, I’d be up early.”
“There’s early, then there’s haven’t-gone-to-bed-yet in the morning.”
“Poor Boxer,” I crooned, rubbing my cheek against his whiskered one. “Not all of us can escape being a slave to time.”
“Don’t make fun of me, this is horrible.”
I let out a rueful chuckle and then reluctantly moved out of his warm embrace. Boxer slept naked, which made it a challenge to leave him.
“Don’t follow me into the shower. I can’t be late.”
I crawled out of bed and went slowly toward the bathroom, hoping I didn’t trip over anything. I wasn’t in the shower five minutes before Boxer joined me.
“Reverse psychology,” Boxer said. “I know I was manipulated, but I don’t give a shit. Now bend over. I want you to remember this morning all day at work.”
Somehow, I made it out the door on time. Boxer slid his tall frame into the passenger side of my car, and then I drove us to the hospital where he’d arranged for South Paw to pick him up. I didn’t know if the guy had hauled ass all the way from Waco or if he’d stayed in the Dallas area, just waiting for Boxer to call.
“You guys haze prospects like they’re joining a fraternity,” I commented, wanting to glean a little more about how the club hierarchy operated.
“That’s exactly what we do. It’s a rite of passage for them, and it’s also a chance for us to teach prospects how the club works. It’s not as simple as people think, but when South Paw patches in, he’ll get to treat another prospect the exact same way at some point.”
“Seems sort of antiquated,” I stated.
“Maybe. But this proves that South Paw really has what it takes to be part of the Blue Angels. It’s not an open club. We do reject people from time to time.
“I wouldn’t jump through any of those kinds of hoops. That’s why I never joined a sorority.”
He looked at me. “You didn’t join a sorority?”
“Nope.”