of her lip up in a sort of smile. “That turns you on, huh? The two of us…”
Ace shrugged.
Nina laughed. “Men don’t mind the idea of two women in bed together. You know why?”
Ace couldn’t help smiling. The way she rolled over you like a wheel, mostly hard parts but now and then enough of the soft showing through to keep you interested. “I got a feeling you’re going to tell me,” he said.
“Damn straight. It’s ’cause you can see yourself sandwiched in there with them, huh?”
Ace felt his face get hot. “I guess.”
She leaned across the table, her face softening, lips going mobile, probably from the whiskey. “But if I told you it turned me on to think of you and a guy naked together…”
The way Ace sat up straight, narrowing his eyes, put Nina on guard. Hit a nerve. But she pushed on, wagged her finger and said, “Double standard, Ace.” The joke withered in his cold stare and she was more careful now, signaling that she read the palpable heft of danger in his body language. She sat up primly. “Moving right along,” she said.
He studied her for several beats. “So what you gonna do, Nina Pryce?”
She tipped her eyes toward the bar. “Maybe I’ll go back to tending bar right here. I could talk about you with the sun-fried sisters.”
“I don’t think you’re up to all the sky, wind, wheat, barley, canola, and flax,” Ace said.
“You ever read that play Streetcar Named Desire? Tennessee Williams?”
Ace shook his head. “I read a lot of Louis L’Amour once.”
“Well, in Streetcar there’s this woman named Blanche who winds up alone, and she says how she’s always relied on the kindness of strangers.”
“So that’s me, huh? The kind stranger?”
Nina raised her shoulders and let them drop. “Maybe kind isn’t the right word. I just hope you’re not mean…Your friend with all the hair…”
“Gordy.”
“Yeah, Gordy, he strikes me as being on the mean side. I get the feeling he doesn’t like women.”
Ace watched her carefully; the way she cast it out there like a lure. Was this where she set the hook? Gordy probably had her pegged right. Some kind of cop. “Maybe he just don’t like you,” he said.
“But he doesn’t even know me.”
“You ready for another drink?” Ace said as he swirled the ice in the bottom of his glass.
“Yeah. Something stronger.”
They drank together and began the slow dance, bold with their eyes, less and less cautious with their words as one drink followed another and the tabletop became a field of interlocking water rings. They were coming up on the moment of truth.
“So what are we doing here? You and me?” Ace said.
The smoky eyes came up. “You can buy me drinks all night, Ace Shuster; don’t mean I’m going to give it up to you or anybody else for a long time.”
“I ain’t that ambitious. I mean, like where you planning to spend the night?”
“Motel, I guess.”
“Only one good motel in town and Jane’s in that. Course, so is your kid.”
“Let me tell you something. My kid could use a break. And Jane’s good with her.” Real direct.
“Speaking of Jane. I remember what she said back at my place about you needing to get loaded to be with a guy. Did that bother your husband? You drinking?” Just as direct.
Nina couldn’t stop the flush creeping up her neck. She lowered her eyes. “Not like I had to get falling down…”
Ace held up his glass of scotch and peered into it. “I don’t need the details. And sure, I’d like to fool around but I’d kind of like you to be sober. How’s that?”
Nina’s grin was wary and amused. “If that’s the wager then it looks like nobody’s getting laid.”
Ace shrugged, drained his glass, and signaled for another round. “You can stay at my place tonight. Got an apartment over the bar.No games, no bullshit, no hidden agenda. I already made up my mind to sleep on the couch. But tomorrow,” he winked, “we’re going to sober up, you and
Ace shrugged.
Nina laughed. “Men don’t mind the idea of two women in bed together. You know why?”
Ace couldn’t help smiling. The way she rolled over you like a wheel, mostly hard parts but now and then enough of the soft showing through to keep you interested. “I got a feeling you’re going to tell me,” he said.
“Damn straight. It’s ’cause you can see yourself sandwiched in there with them, huh?”
Ace felt his face get hot. “I guess.”
She leaned across the table, her face softening, lips going mobile, probably from the whiskey. “But if I told you it turned me on to think of you and a guy naked together…”
The way Ace sat up straight, narrowing his eyes, put Nina on guard. Hit a nerve. But she pushed on, wagged her finger and said, “Double standard, Ace.” The joke withered in his cold stare and she was more careful now, signaling that she read the palpable heft of danger in his body language. She sat up primly. “Moving right along,” she said.
He studied her for several beats. “So what you gonna do, Nina Pryce?”
She tipped her eyes toward the bar. “Maybe I’ll go back to tending bar right here. I could talk about you with the sun-fried sisters.”
“I don’t think you’re up to all the sky, wind, wheat, barley, canola, and flax,” Ace said.
“You ever read that play Streetcar Named Desire? Tennessee Williams?”
Ace shook his head. “I read a lot of Louis L’Amour once.”
“Well, in Streetcar there’s this woman named Blanche who winds up alone, and she says how she’s always relied on the kindness of strangers.”
“So that’s me, huh? The kind stranger?”
Nina raised her shoulders and let them drop. “Maybe kind isn’t the right word. I just hope you’re not mean…Your friend with all the hair…”
“Gordy.”
“Yeah, Gordy, he strikes me as being on the mean side. I get the feeling he doesn’t like women.”
Ace watched her carefully; the way she cast it out there like a lure. Was this where she set the hook? Gordy probably had her pegged right. Some kind of cop. “Maybe he just don’t like you,” he said.
“But he doesn’t even know me.”
“You ready for another drink?” Ace said as he swirled the ice in the bottom of his glass.
“Yeah. Something stronger.”
They drank together and began the slow dance, bold with their eyes, less and less cautious with their words as one drink followed another and the tabletop became a field of interlocking water rings. They were coming up on the moment of truth.
“So what are we doing here? You and me?” Ace said.
The smoky eyes came up. “You can buy me drinks all night, Ace Shuster; don’t mean I’m going to give it up to you or anybody else for a long time.”
“I ain’t that ambitious. I mean, like where you planning to spend the night?”
“Motel, I guess.”
“Only one good motel in town and Jane’s in that. Course, so is your kid.”
“Let me tell you something. My kid could use a break. And Jane’s good with her.” Real direct.
“Speaking of Jane. I remember what she said back at my place about you needing to get loaded to be with a guy. Did that bother your husband? You drinking?” Just as direct.
Nina couldn’t stop the flush creeping up her neck. She lowered her eyes. “Not like I had to get falling down…”
Ace held up his glass of scotch and peered into it. “I don’t need the details. And sure, I’d like to fool around but I’d kind of like you to be sober. How’s that?”
Nina’s grin was wary and amused. “If that’s the wager then it looks like nobody’s getting laid.”
Ace shrugged, drained his glass, and signaled for another round. “You can stay at my place tonight. Got an apartment over the bar.No games, no bullshit, no hidden agenda. I already made up my mind to sleep on the couch. But tomorrow,” he winked, “we’re going to sober up, you and
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