Dizzy(14)
Author: Nyrae Dawn & Jolene

“Yeah, like I’m going to eat food out of your hand.”

“Why? You scared? Thinking you’ll like it too much?” I wink at her for good measure.

“No, I’m just not an idiot.”

“It’s incredible.” I move it closer. “Strawberry. Come on, Hanes. Don’t be a wuss. We had a truce. I’ll be nice.” She licks her lips, and I could swear she’s doing it on purpose. “Like I said… Unless you’re scared.”

“I’ll be good, and even put it on a fork.” It’ll still work this way. I set the bite down before I put it on the fork and hold it out to her again. Ziah shakes her head, but then she opens her mouth and takes the bite.

I groan because that? Yeah, totally hot. Derrick gives me a quick look like he can read my mind, but I ignore him.

“You’re right. That was delicious. I’m marking it down as one of my favorites.”

I fork another bite and give it to her. This is torture, but sexy. And it’ll be a lot more fun in a minute. When I get to the third bite, I think she’s enjoying this just as much as I am. When she opens her mouth this time, I pretend I’m going to feed her the bite. At the last second I let the fork take a turn and get cake all over her nose.

“Dylan!”

She grabs a napkin to wipe it off her face, and all I can do is laugh.

***

By the time we hit the third bakery, I never want to see another damn cake again. Derrick and Lora have argued vanilla vs. chocolate, chocolate vs. strawberry, filling vs. no filling vs. blah, blah, blah. I’m really not seeing what the big deal is. It’s a cake.

“I want to die.” Ziah closes her eyes, her arms hung limp at her sides.

“Agreed.” I’m as low in my chair as I can get, my hands resting carefully on my bloated stomach.

“Three quickie locations, and then you two can do whatever you want.” Lora gives her sister a too-bright smile.

I groan. “Are there even any more cake flavors out there to taste?”

“It’s not about the flavor, it’s about how they’re made, too.” But Lora’s quiet. Maybe worried about how I’ll react or something.

“Lora. I can’t move. I’m serious,” Ziah protests.

Lora’s eyes widen. “I warned you when you were eating full slices instead of the samples that this was going to happen.”

Or when I kept feeding her extra bites off the fork.

“Get up, you big wuss.” Derrick mock-punches me in the gut, which means I flinch, which means I’m reminded of every bite of cake I’ve eaten since lunch.

Lora leans over and whispers in Derrick’s ear. His body slowly gets closer and closer to hers, and his smile gets bigger and bigger. I don’t even want to know what they’re planning. Thank God I can’t hear them. Nauseating.

I’m about to cough or something because I really don’t want them to start going at it in public, but then I decide I don’t do subtle. “Dude. Cut the foreplay.” I kick Derrick’s foot.

Lora smiles her sales-girl smile. I’m immediately suspicious. “Derrick and I thought maybe if you wouldn’t mind running Ziah home, we could do the locations tomorrow? So you two have a choice. You can hang with us and do locations and have tomorrow off, or come with us tomorrow to check out three spots.”

“I’ll do tomorrow,” Ziah says.

“Agreed.” With the way those two are looking at each other, I think they need some alone time, pronto.

I slowly stand. “It’s just you and me, Hanes. In a battle to make it home before I die of cake consumption.”

“Perfect! You’re a trooper, Ziah.” Lora plants another kiss on her sister’s head.

“Yeah. Yeah.” Ziah waves her off.

“I just don’t know how we’re going to decide.” Lora sighs as she surveys the table of half-eaten cake slices.

“Then don’t.” Ziah shrugs. “From the pictures you have pegged all over your magazines, the place will be full of flowers. Why don’t you just do a bunch of cakes, decorate them all a little differently but a little the same, stick them on a table, and then people can have choices.”

It’s actually a good idea, especially since no one around here seems to want to make a decision. Lora and Derrick exchange a look, and I’m willing to do anything to not have to re-test any more cake. “Great idea,” I add.

Both Lora and Derrick are nodding and smiling, and I’m thinking this is one part of this damn wedding I won’t have to do again.

“You’re a genius!” Lora grabs Ziah in a hug, making her groan. “I think we’re done with this part then, if that’s cool with you.” She bats her eyes, and Derrick eats it up.

“Cool with me, baby.”

“Great with me, because this means we can go already.” I give Ziah a wink before I really think about it, and then realize maybe I shouldn’t have. Then I remember what she looked like in that damn dress and the way she licked her lips before biting the cake.

Totally shouldn’t be going there. Why the hell did we have to go in that dress shop anyway? We could have texted them from the car out front, and then I wouldn’t be thinking about her so much.

***

“I keep forgetting to ask.” Ziah’s slumped low in Mary’s seat, hands resting on her stomach as I drive her home.

“About what?”

“Hanes?”

“Mmm.” I knew that would bite me in the ass eventually.

“Why do you call me Hanes?”

And now I’m back to conflicted, because we’ve actually started to get along. I’m not sure I want to risk angry-Ziah coming back if I remind her how she used to hate me. “My party. When we met. You got all pissed over a T-shirt, so I just thought of you as Hanes.”

“Been thinking about me for that long?” she teases, and I remember her saying that before. She’s been thinking about me. I like it until I realize what it might mean, and then I wonder if I should be panicking.

“We’re here.” I stop my car in front of her house, and I suddenly don’t want my night to be over. Or maybe I’m thinking I should run screaming.

“So, there’s this Hitchcock marathon on tonight that I’m gonna watch.” She almost winces. “Actually, that was probably a totally nerdy thing to admit.”

“Really?” Hell. I haven’t told anyone I watch old movies, and again, Ziah’s into the same thing.

“Wanna join me?” The words sort of sputter out, and that to me says she’s nervous, which in turn makes me realize I should be nervous, drop her off, and run away.

“Okay.”

What the hell? Why is it every time I try to say one thing to her, something else comes out? “I mean, I guess. Sure. I can participate in your nerdy activities with you.” Hmm, not too bad. Nice cover, Gibson.

Her eyes narrow at me. “You know what? Never mind.”

She’s definitely not supposed to say that though.

“I’m kidding! Plus, you’re the one who said it was nerdy. I just agreed with you.”

Forget the fact I’ve probably seen every Hitchcock movie there is. More than once. She doesn’t need to know that.

“You know you’re a bit spastic, right?”

I open my mouth to give her what’s probably a really stupid excuse that I haven’t even taken the time to figure out yet, but she cuts me off.

“But, considering it’s probably much more depressing to watch movies alone, I’ll take my chances at dealing with you and your personality flips.”

I have to hold in a laugh. She’s funny, but I’m not sure I want her to know that. “So basically it has nothing to do with you actually wanting to spend time with me? You just don’t want to be alone. I have that about right?”

“About.” She gives me a half-grin.

I return it. “That’s a relief because that’s pretty much the only reason I agreed. I mean, neither of us can hang out with our siblings because they’re attached at the mouth, and like you said, friends don’t let friends watch movies alone.”

“Except we’re not friends, remember?”

Damn, she’s good. “Acquaintances? Almost-strangers? Pizza-venting buddies? I’m running out of options here so take your choice.”

I hate to admit I’m kind of having fun with her. It’s the last thing I need or want, but as long as I focus on who she is and not who she is in the dress, maybe I’ll be good.

She gives me a girl eye roll. It’s almost like ‘the look.’ Not in the grumpy way, but in the how-do-all-girls-do-that-so-well way. “How about we just go inside before we miss the beginning of Rear Window?”

“Ugh. Always being logical.” I’m already opening my door and getting out. My body feels a little primed, like it thinks it’s going to be getting something it shouldn’t. Totally not going there. Not with Hanes.

Dress.

Okay. Probably not going there with Hanes.

“I think we’re two schmucks who let our love of cake drive us to run another wedding errand.”

“Agreed.”

Her house is small and kind of old-fashioned-looking. There’s this huge, floral chair in the corner of the living room that looks like it’s as old as us, but honestly, it also looks comfortable as hell, all pillowy like you could sink into it. Big enough for two, too. Chill out, Gibson. Totally not supposed to be going there.

“Not what you’re used to, I’m sure.” She eyes me as I look around her house.

“No, that’s not what I was thinking. I was…” Thinking we’d fit real well on that chair together. Yeah, I’m not thinking that’s a good idea. Not just because of the fact that she’s a girl, and as shitty as it sounds, I can’t make myself trust them. Not really.

But also because I’m really not looking for her knee to meet my balls. I can bet that’s what would happen. Because first of all, she’s not even sure if she likes me or not. Second, the James thing probably screwed her up a bit.

Oh, that gives me another reason to stay away. Screwed up doesn’t sound like something I’m able to deal with.

But I helped the other day…

“Let’s just say you don’t want to know what I was thinking.” I wink at her, and she turns pink. When all else fails, the embarrassment/compliment thing always works.

“Boys are so weird.” She shakes her head. “Makes me wonder all the more what my sister is thinking.”

She starts to walk toward the kitchen, and I follow her. It’s huge, and the only modern-looking thing about the house. “That only leaves one option. Thinking of switching teams?” I tease.

She cracks a smile, and her eyes crinkle at the same time. I can tell she’s not sure if she wants to be annoyed with me or if she thinks I’m funny. Personally, I think she should go with the latter.

“You’re ridiculous.”

“You like it.”

“No, I’m just using you for movies and because you’re my only ally on Team Sanity, remember? Everyone else is all pro-wedding and stuff.”