“Your face got that serious look. You looked worried. There’s no worrying on the dance floor. Did you know that I was a professional backup dancer for the Vigilantes?”
“Really?” Well, it would explain how she’d had angry, drunk sex with the lead singer.
“Really. Don’t you believe me?”
“Why wouldn’t I believe you?”
A funny look crossed Kiesha’s face then she smiled wide. “We are going to be best friends forever!” Kiesha wrapped her arms around Georgina’s neck.
Sadness filled Georgina. “We can’t be.”
“Why not? Because you’re an FBI agent? I promise I’m not on any wanted lists. Ed had to do a background check on me before I was allowed to work for the sheriff’s department.”
“No, it’s not that.”
“Is it because you live so far away? Because we can call and Skype and I can come visit. Maybe. If I ever get my license. I’ve only failed twenty-two times. Lucky number twenty-three!”
Georgina sniffled. “That’s not it either!”
“Is it because we have nothing in common?”
“Nooo, it’s because I kissed your boyfriend.”
Kiesha froze. This was it. Georgina braced herself to be slapped.
“What? Who? What boyfriend?”
“Your boyfriend. The sheriff. Ed. But I swear, I had no idea he was dating you when I kissed him and if you think about it, this is really his fault. Because he did know he was dating you. But I’m a terrible best friend so get it over with now.”
“What?”
“The slapping.”
Kiesha’s eyes widened. Georgina’s breath was caught in her throat. And then Kiesha shocked her by laughing.
She laughed so hard that tears raced down her cheeks, and she grasped hold of her tummy as though she was in pain.
“Why are you laughing? Don’t you believe me? I did kiss him.”
“I don’t care that you kissed Ed.”
“You don’t? But he’s your boyfriend!”
“Eww, no he isn’t.” Kiesha shuddered. “Take that back. You cannot just put those words out into the universe, you’ll give it ideas.”
“Who?” She was really having trouble following this conversation. Alcohol might not be the friend she thought it was.
“The universe. Telling it that I am with Ed. I mean, that’s really gross. Come here.” Kiesha grabbed hold of her, dragging her off the dance floor to a quieter area.
“Why is that gross?” she asked, feeling like she had to defend Ed.
“Because it’s Ed,” Kiesha said. “He’s like my big brother. My annoying, grouchy, way too overprotective big brother. There is no way that I could ever be with Ed like that!”
She froze. She wasn’t Ed’s girlfriend.
“But the way he acts around you. He leaned over and cupped your chin.”
“Yeah, Ed seems to think that he has some right to tell me what to do. It’s because our mothers are friends. He thinks I need guidance and boundaries. Or was it rules and discipline? I don’t know, I tend to zone out when he’s lecturing. Word of warning, he lectures a lot. Think he likes the sound of his own voice. Or the feeling of being important.”