a day.”
Jake was serious. “What about time for Berry?”
“I like my life.”
“I think you’re running on empty. When you say you haven’t got time for naked men—you’re right.”
“Naked men do not play an important role in my life.”
Jake grinned down at her. “I intend to change that.”
“Good thing for you Mrs. Dugan stayed home to do the laundry. I’d tell her you were talking dirty to me.”
“That isn’t talking dirty.” He leaned forwardand whispered some of his future intentions in her ear. He stepped back, grinning, enjoying the look of flustered embarrassment on her face. “Now that’s talking dirty.”
Mrs. Giovanni bustled past with a bottle of detergent in her hand. She shook her finger at Berry. “You got a nice young man there. You’re lucky to have a man like that to take care of you.”
Jake whispered in Berry’s ear. “See, even Mrs. Giovanni thinks I should take care of you.”
“I don’t need taking care of.”
“Of course you do.”
“Not the way you mean.”
“Especially the way I mean.”
Berry narrowed her eyes and put her fists on her hips. “I guess I know what I need and what I don’t need. And I don’t need what you think I need. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
“I suppose you are—but it would be much more fun if we did it together.”
“I didn’t mean…you know perfectly well…oh, jeez.”
Jake handed her the bag of trash. “Here, thisisn’t heavy. It’s scraps of wallpaper I scraped off the bedroom wall. You could take it downstairs for me. It’ll give you a chance to cool off.” He winked at Mrs. Giovanni. “Just being around me gets her all overheated.”
Berry took the bag and smacked Jake over the head with it.
Mrs. Fitz stood in the doorway of the Pizza Place and clicked her tongue at Berry. “You look like someone just stepped on your corns.”
“It’s that Jake Sawyer.”
“Isn’t he something? Um-hmmm.”
“The man has one thing on his mind.”
“You?”
“S-e-x.”
Mrs. Fitz looked at Berry. “Don’t underestimate him.”
Berry raised her eyebrows in question.
“He’s in love with you,” Mrs. Fitz said.
“We hardly know each other.”
“Sometimes your heart knows stuff your head hasn’t figured out yet.”
“He’s never told me.”
“Maybe he don’t know. Maybe he knows, but he’s afraid, like you.”
Berry squared her shoulders. “I’m not afraid.”
“Don’t tell fibs.”
“It’s just that I have this plan.”
“Bullshoot.”
“Mrs. Fitz! Such language.”
Mrs. Fitz laughed and slapped her thigh. “I know it. Aren’t I the ornery old lady, cussing like that?” She shook her head and returned to the caldron of pizza sauce bubbling on the stove. “You gotta be flexible, Lingonberry. Sometimes plans gotta change or you lose good opportunities. Isn’t every day a man like Jake Sawyer comes along. That man is fine .”
Miss Gaspich kneaded a huge wad of dough on the butcher-block table. A small smile hovered at her mouth. Her eyes twinkled. “And he’s got a great butt,” she added quietly.
Chapter 5
It was close to eleven o’clock and Berry’s street was dark. With the exception of the bar on the next block, this was an early-to-bed, early-to-rise neighborhood. Berry summoned her last ounce of strength and dragged herself out of the car. She glanced into the window of the Pizza Place, noticing that it was empty, except for Jake. Thank goodness. She didn’t have the energy to be nice to any more customers. She pushed through the heavy glass door, tossed the money bag onto the counter, and slumped into a chair. “Another day, another dollar.”
Jake gaped at her. “You look awful!”
Berry pointed to her wet ringlets and water-splattered shirt. “Water balloon.” She raised her leg to display torn jeans. “Dog.”
“Does this happen every night?”
“Some nights are worse than others. Where are the ladies?”
“I sent them home in a
Jake was serious. “What about time for Berry?”
“I like my life.”
“I think you’re running on empty. When you say you haven’t got time for naked men—you’re right.”
“Naked men do not play an important role in my life.”
Jake grinned down at her. “I intend to change that.”
“Good thing for you Mrs. Dugan stayed home to do the laundry. I’d tell her you were talking dirty to me.”
“That isn’t talking dirty.” He leaned forwardand whispered some of his future intentions in her ear. He stepped back, grinning, enjoying the look of flustered embarrassment on her face. “Now that’s talking dirty.”
Mrs. Giovanni bustled past with a bottle of detergent in her hand. She shook her finger at Berry. “You got a nice young man there. You’re lucky to have a man like that to take care of you.”
Jake whispered in Berry’s ear. “See, even Mrs. Giovanni thinks I should take care of you.”
“I don’t need taking care of.”
“Of course you do.”
“Not the way you mean.”
“Especially the way I mean.”
Berry narrowed her eyes and put her fists on her hips. “I guess I know what I need and what I don’t need. And I don’t need what you think I need. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
“I suppose you are—but it would be much more fun if we did it together.”
“I didn’t mean…you know perfectly well…oh, jeez.”
Jake handed her the bag of trash. “Here, thisisn’t heavy. It’s scraps of wallpaper I scraped off the bedroom wall. You could take it downstairs for me. It’ll give you a chance to cool off.” He winked at Mrs. Giovanni. “Just being around me gets her all overheated.”
Berry took the bag and smacked Jake over the head with it.
Mrs. Fitz stood in the doorway of the Pizza Place and clicked her tongue at Berry. “You look like someone just stepped on your corns.”
“It’s that Jake Sawyer.”
“Isn’t he something? Um-hmmm.”
“The man has one thing on his mind.”
“You?”
“S-e-x.”
Mrs. Fitz looked at Berry. “Don’t underestimate him.”
Berry raised her eyebrows in question.
“He’s in love with you,” Mrs. Fitz said.
“We hardly know each other.”
“Sometimes your heart knows stuff your head hasn’t figured out yet.”
“He’s never told me.”
“Maybe he don’t know. Maybe he knows, but he’s afraid, like you.”
Berry squared her shoulders. “I’m not afraid.”
“Don’t tell fibs.”
“It’s just that I have this plan.”
“Bullshoot.”
“Mrs. Fitz! Such language.”
Mrs. Fitz laughed and slapped her thigh. “I know it. Aren’t I the ornery old lady, cussing like that?” She shook her head and returned to the caldron of pizza sauce bubbling on the stove. “You gotta be flexible, Lingonberry. Sometimes plans gotta change or you lose good opportunities. Isn’t every day a man like Jake Sawyer comes along. That man is fine .”
Miss Gaspich kneaded a huge wad of dough on the butcher-block table. A small smile hovered at her mouth. Her eyes twinkled. “And he’s got a great butt,” she added quietly.
Chapter 5
It was close to eleven o’clock and Berry’s street was dark. With the exception of the bar on the next block, this was an early-to-bed, early-to-rise neighborhood. Berry summoned her last ounce of strength and dragged herself out of the car. She glanced into the window of the Pizza Place, noticing that it was empty, except for Jake. Thank goodness. She didn’t have the energy to be nice to any more customers. She pushed through the heavy glass door, tossed the money bag onto the counter, and slumped into a chair. “Another day, another dollar.”
Jake gaped at her. “You look awful!”
Berry pointed to her wet ringlets and water-splattered shirt. “Water balloon.” She raised her leg to display torn jeans. “Dog.”
“Does this happen every night?”
“Some nights are worse than others. Where are the ladies?”
“I sent them home in a
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