Full Tilt (Full Tilt #1)(41)

“I’ll talk to you later,” Theo said, his voice suddenly stony. The phone went quiet.

Kacey emerged from the bathroom, wearing a T-shirt that came to mid-thigh and nothing else. I stared at her long, bare legs and the bottom edge of a tattoo peeking out from beneath the hem.

“Don’t look so scandalized, Fletcher,” Kacey said, hauling up her shirt. “I’m wearing shorts.”

I blinked. Yes, indeed, she was wearing shorts. Short shorts.

“Your tattoo,” I said. “What’s that called? A sugar skull?”

“A voodoo sugar skull. See the top hat? I love voodoo mythology and magic. Marie Leveau. Vevé.” She held up her leg for inspection and I pretended to study her skull that was done in vibrant colors and two large blue flowers in the eye sockets.

“It’s nice.” I coughed. “So…movie?”

Kacey clapped her hands together. “The original Nightmare on Elm Street. 1984. I’ve seen it twice. Johnny Depp is a baby in this sucker.”

I watched her move into my kitchen and begin bustling around with pots, opening cabinets, and turning on a burner on the stove as if she’d done it a hundred times.

“You’re cooking too?”

She dangled a bag of popcorn kernels. “Homemade. No fats or preservatives or—”

“Flavor?” I finished and then laughed at her huffy expression. “Did I have popcorn stashed somewhere?”

“No, I bought it today,” Kacey said. “Can’t watch a horror flick without popcorn. But I’m using coconut oil. Low cholesterol, heart healthy. And I got you this…”

She handed me a canister from the counter. The label read Milton’s Salt Substitute.

“Sodium free,” Kacey said, shaking the covered pot on the stove. “Fake salt. I’m going to use it on my popcorn too, out of solidarity. Oh, and drinks.”

Kacey rummaged in the fridge, and I was afforded a generous glimpse of the smooth, flawless skin on the backs of her legs before she turned around and handed me a bottle of green tea with lemon and honey.

“Green tea is the healthiest thing ever, apparently. Personally, I never drink iced tea unless it’s of the Long Island variety, but I thought we’d give it a shot.”

I set my bottle on the counter and watched her shake the pot that was now bursting with popcorn. “When did you go grocery shopping?”

“While you were at the hot shop this afternoon. I love Tania, by the way. She’s a quality human.”

“Yes, she is,” I said.

“Popcorn’s ready,” Kacey said. She dumped it all into a larger bowl, eyeing me up and down. “What’s with you tonight, anyway?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re kind of scattered. Something on your mind?”

“I’m just shocked you did all this.”

“That I went to the grocery store? Or that I braved the heat? I guess I have a lot of work left to do in the responsibility arena if buying popcorn and drinks comes as a shock.”

“Shocked was the wrong choice of words. I meant, I’m touched you did all this. For me.”

“It’s the least I could do since you let me crash here.”

She smiled at me and I smiled back, until the moment grew too long for friends to be smiling at one another. I tried some of the popcorn.

“How’s the fake salt?” she asked.

“Not bad.”

We moved our food and drinks to the couch. I sat at one end figuring Kacey would sit at the other. Instead, she set the popcorn bowl in her lap and curled up right next to me, tucking her legs under her. She was flush against me, shoulder to shoulder, her left breast soft against my arm.

“Is this okay?” she asked, taking up the TV remote. “It’s a horror movie, for one thing. And I’m kind of touchy-feely.”

“I noticed.” I could feel every place where we touched. “Why?”

“Ready for some pop psychology? My dad was a big believer in withholding physical affection. He hardly ever touched or hugged me. And he was always badgering my mom not to go overboard and coddle me. It would only make me weak and soft.”

“Are you serious?” My imagination conjured a sweet little girl, running up to her dad with a scraped knee or with an A on a spelling test and being coldly rebuffed. “Your dad never hugged you?”

She shook her head. “But his little plan backfired. Instead of making me tough, I went the other way. I want to touch everyone. To make contact, you know?”

“Is that why you hug people when you meet them? Like Tania, today?”

“I don’t hug everyone. Only good people. I have a sixth sense about it.”

“You didn’t hug Theo yesterday,” I said. “He’s a good guy.”

“Can you blame me? He looked like he wanted to bite my head off.” The glow of the TV turned Kacey’s eyes electric blue. “But he’s a good guy. I wanted to hug him but I don’t think he would’ve liked that. I don’t think he likes me.”

“He doesn’t trust easily,” I said. “I’m sure he likes you fine.”

Kacey turned to look at me, and because she was practically sitting in my lap, her face was inches from mine. Her face was open, her features even more striking this close, free of the elaborate makeup she usually wore.