foreign accents and funny hats. This could end poorly.
The door swung open, and a bulky guy with acne and a shaved head beckoned them inside. “Yo, Jenkins, dude, how’s it hanging?” Adam asked, giving the guy one of those handshake/slap/snap things wannabe skater dudes exchange on MTV.
Harper tried not to roll her eyes. This could end very poorly.
“I’m Carl,” the guy said, extending a hand to Harper. “Carl Jenkins. Kane’s told me how much he likes beautiful women, but … wow.”
Harper knew she was supposed to be flattered, not grossed out. Fortunately, she was a better actor than Adam. Practice makes perfect, right?
“That’s so sweet, Carl,” she said, giving his hand a gentle squeeze before dropping it (and resisting the urge to wipe the grease off on her jeans).
“You mackin’ on my lady?” Adam asked, wrapping an arm around Harper’s waist. Without warning, he began to tickle her side—she squealed and sprung away. “You know you want me, Mandy,” he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her back against him. “I mean, uh, Sandy. I mean …” Adam gave Carl an exaggerated wink, and then shrugged. “Who can keep track? All I know is, she sure does come in handy!”
“I can imagine,” Carl said, with a low whistle. “You’re like my hero, man.”
“That’s why they call me LL-Cool K,” Adam joked. “Ladies Love Cool Kane.”
Oh. My. God . Harper buried her face in Adam’s shoulder as the giggles burst out of her, hoping Carl would mistake it for a sudden burst of affection for her man. She only wished Kane could be here to see exactly what Adam thought of him.
And imagining that, she began to laugh even harder.
Adam patted her heaving shoulders. “Her pet cat died this morning,” he explained. “Her name was Lady. So every time she hears the word, well …” He dropped his voice to a loud whisper. “You know girls.”
After a moment, Harper regained control of herself and looked up, her face stained with laughter-induced tears. Perfect. “I’ll miss her a lot,” she said, her breath still ragged and torn by the occasional leftover giggle. “But at least I’ve got Kane here to comfort me.” She patted him back. Hard.
“But there’s only one thing that would really comfort her, Jenkins, you know what I mean?” Adam winked.
“Oh … uh … I’d give you some privacy, but I can’t leave the booth—but there’s this storage room in the lobby where no one goes and—”
“Ew—no!” Harper shivered. She didn’t want any part of Carl’s gross fantasies. “I mean, that’s not what he meant. Tell him, Kane .”
“Tickets,” Adam said, and now he was the one choking back laughter. Harper could feel his body tremble. “For the Crash Burners tomorrow night—they’re her favorite. And when we talked on the phone, you said …?”
“Oh, yeah.” Carl rubbed the back of his neck. “Look man, I know I owe you, for that other thing you did.”
“Yeah, uh, that thing. That was rough,” Adam said quickly. “You definitely owe me, Jenkins.”
“And I thought I could deliver, but turns out these tickets are impossible to get.”
“There’s nothing you can do?” Harper asked, dropping the damsel-in-distress act. “There’s got to be something .”
“There’s one person who might be able to help you,” Carl said, giving Harper a shy smile. He tore out a page from his magazine— Guns and Ammo , Harper noted with displeasure—and scrawled down a name and address on the back. “She works at the Stratosphere, up top, on the coaster. Tell her I sent you, and maybe you’ll get what you’re looking for.”
Adam made another attempt at the lame handshake combo. “Thanks, dude. I’ll remember this.”
“So next time I need, you know … you’ll … you know?”
“Oh, totally.” Adam gave him a mock salute. “You’re my guy.”
“Awesome.”
“Yeah, yeah, totally awesome,” Harper added, impatient to get going. “Great to meet you and
The door swung open, and a bulky guy with acne and a shaved head beckoned them inside. “Yo, Jenkins, dude, how’s it hanging?” Adam asked, giving the guy one of those handshake/slap/snap things wannabe skater dudes exchange on MTV.
Harper tried not to roll her eyes. This could end very poorly.
“I’m Carl,” the guy said, extending a hand to Harper. “Carl Jenkins. Kane’s told me how much he likes beautiful women, but … wow.”
Harper knew she was supposed to be flattered, not grossed out. Fortunately, she was a better actor than Adam. Practice makes perfect, right?
“That’s so sweet, Carl,” she said, giving his hand a gentle squeeze before dropping it (and resisting the urge to wipe the grease off on her jeans).
“You mackin’ on my lady?” Adam asked, wrapping an arm around Harper’s waist. Without warning, he began to tickle her side—she squealed and sprung away. “You know you want me, Mandy,” he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her back against him. “I mean, uh, Sandy. I mean …” Adam gave Carl an exaggerated wink, and then shrugged. “Who can keep track? All I know is, she sure does come in handy!”
“I can imagine,” Carl said, with a low whistle. “You’re like my hero, man.”
“That’s why they call me LL-Cool K,” Adam joked. “Ladies Love Cool Kane.”
Oh. My. God . Harper buried her face in Adam’s shoulder as the giggles burst out of her, hoping Carl would mistake it for a sudden burst of affection for her man. She only wished Kane could be here to see exactly what Adam thought of him.
And imagining that, she began to laugh even harder.
Adam patted her heaving shoulders. “Her pet cat died this morning,” he explained. “Her name was Lady. So every time she hears the word, well …” He dropped his voice to a loud whisper. “You know girls.”
After a moment, Harper regained control of herself and looked up, her face stained with laughter-induced tears. Perfect. “I’ll miss her a lot,” she said, her breath still ragged and torn by the occasional leftover giggle. “But at least I’ve got Kane here to comfort me.” She patted him back. Hard.
“But there’s only one thing that would really comfort her, Jenkins, you know what I mean?” Adam winked.
“Oh … uh … I’d give you some privacy, but I can’t leave the booth—but there’s this storage room in the lobby where no one goes and—”
“Ew—no!” Harper shivered. She didn’t want any part of Carl’s gross fantasies. “I mean, that’s not what he meant. Tell him, Kane .”
“Tickets,” Adam said, and now he was the one choking back laughter. Harper could feel his body tremble. “For the Crash Burners tomorrow night—they’re her favorite. And when we talked on the phone, you said …?”
“Oh, yeah.” Carl rubbed the back of his neck. “Look man, I know I owe you, for that other thing you did.”
“Yeah, uh, that thing. That was rough,” Adam said quickly. “You definitely owe me, Jenkins.”
“And I thought I could deliver, but turns out these tickets are impossible to get.”
“There’s nothing you can do?” Harper asked, dropping the damsel-in-distress act. “There’s got to be something .”
“There’s one person who might be able to help you,” Carl said, giving Harper a shy smile. He tore out a page from his magazine— Guns and Ammo , Harper noted with displeasure—and scrawled down a name and address on the back. “She works at the Stratosphere, up top, on the coaster. Tell her I sent you, and maybe you’ll get what you’re looking for.”
Adam made another attempt at the lame handshake combo. “Thanks, dude. I’ll remember this.”
“So next time I need, you know … you’ll … you know?”
“Oh, totally.” Adam gave him a mock salute. “You’re my guy.”
“Awesome.”
“Yeah, yeah, totally awesome,” Harper added, impatient to get going. “Great to meet you and
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