Chapter 46
“Hey you,” Delaney said, flashing Tara a knowing grin over her shoulder. “Enjoy yourself out there?”
What did that mean? Had she heard Tara getting off with the loofah? “Um…”
“Nice, isn’t it?” Delaney hurried to finish the bed, pulling the sheets into place without much care about how well they looked. “I should’ve joined you, now that I think of it. Saved some water.”
Tara laughed. “Yeah, you should’ve. I sort of hoped you would.”
That earned her a wink. “Maybe next time.”
Which gave Tara hope this wasn’t the end of things between them.
She toyed with the idea of tossing aside the towel, flashing Delaney and offering herself to her new friend—really, what would Delaney say then? But before she could, Delaney nodded towards the overflowing closet and said, “Help yourself to whatever fits. I’m sure you don’t want to put on the same thing you wore last night now that you’re all clean. I’ll wash up real quick and then drop you off at your car. I’m sure you have to get back to your cousin’s before she sobers up and wonders where you disappeared to.”
Amanda, right. Tara sighed. “Yeah, I guess I should get back over there at some point.”
Giving up on the futon, Delaney came into the kitchen and draped her arms around Tara’s neck. “Hey, listen. I’m off tonight—big surprise, I know. I neverget off on Thursdays during shoobie season, but someone somewhere screwed up the schedule. I was going to complain and then I met you.”
Tara smiled, which earned her a quick kiss on the lips.
“What do you say we do something tonight?” Delaney asked, resting her forehead against Tara’s. This close, her eyes were as dark as twin pools of ink.
“Like what?” Tara asked softly.
With a shrug, Delaney said, “You were saying you wanted to do the whole tourist thing up on the boards—the rides, the games, all that. So let’s go, you and me. We’ll get hoagies for dinner at A & LP, then go to the boardwalk and hit all the piers. Marinerirsquo;s Landing, Moreyorsquo;s, even the waterparks. What do you say?srdquo;
Tara laughed. “Can we do all of them in one night?”
“We’ll try,” Delaney promised. “If not, we’ll come back Friday afternoon. My shift doesn’t start until six tomorrow, so maybe we’ll do the waterparks then. But definitely the Great White roller coaster and the Giant Wheel tonight. I hope you’re not afraid of heights?”
“Not as long as I’m not alone,” Tara said.
Delaney pressed her lips to Tara’s again in a lingering kiss. “You won’t be,” she whispered.
* * * *
Shark Bait was only a short drive away. Delaney drove Tara over to pick up her car and they promised to meet at the restaurant on East 15thAvenue around five to grab a quick bite to eat before heading out for a night of fun on the boardwalk. Tara made a Southern slip and called A & LP;rsquo;s a sub shopsmdash;Delaney slammed on the brakes so hard, Tara had to hold out her hands to avoid nosediving into the dashboard. rldquo;A what?” Delaney cried.
The road wasn’t as clear as it had been the night before, and a horn honked behind them. Tara felt her face heat up in embarrassment. “Sorry!” she said with a laugh. “We call them subs in Richmond.”
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,” Delaney muttered with a shake of her head. “Now I’ve heard everything. You’re lucky I don’t make you get out and walk for that.”
Tara didn’t recognize where they were, so she clasped her hands together and begged, “Don’t. Please don’t. I said I was sorry. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
“I’m sure I’ll think of something.” Delaney gave her a sly, sideways smile and took the next turn right into the Shark Bait parking lot. As she pulled to a stop beside Tara’s car, she teased, “Maybe another kiss, for starters.”
Tara obliged. It was a good five minutes or so before she managed to find the strength to unbuckle her seat belt, and even longer before she even got out of the Jeep. At the rate they were going, she wouldn’t have to go back to Marlene’s—Delaney could take her straight to A & LP;rsquo;s for dinner by the time they came up for air.