Think Before You Speak (30 page)

My evil plans to force Grady and Rochelle
together somewhat misfired when Grady sat on the far side of
Radioman, leaving Rochelle to sit on my right. ‘Course I sat next
to Radioman, so he could experience all my glistening glory. We
were on a date, after all.

Ah, hell. I’d already sweat through my
t-shirt and practically slid out of my daisy dukes soon after we’d
sat. Despite the cool-down, it was still Texas. In August.

What was the point of having a domed stadium
if not to protect patrons from the elements? Suppose for most
people that meant rain or cold, but thousand percent humidity in
the south made it difficult to breathe – and I wasn’t even one of
the poor souls all geared up on the field.

Our seats, however, were nothing to complain
about – completely awesome, sitting just off centerfield and
halfway up the stadium to offer a full-spectrum view of play. I
glanced around to the near-capacity seating and eyed the luxury
suites dotting various levels. The sperm donor, the De’Laruses and
their entourage were in one of the prime locales, drinking
champagne and eating fresh lobster flown in from the coast that
morning – at least I assumed, considering all the years I’d spent
in one of those goldfish bowls.

I loved sitting out here among the masses,
enveloped in excitement, swarmed by the raucous screams at
kick-off, the pungent scent of
eau d’ spilled beer
, and
vendors tossing dogs into the crowd with a tight spiral like a
quarterback in a last-ditch Hail Mary. The electricity generated by
these fans would light up the city for at least a week. I couldn’t
help the smile that stretched across my face until my cheeks
ached.

And this was just a preseason showcase.

Janine needed to experience this firsthand
next time Radioman procured extra tickets. Now who could I set that
girl up with?

“Looking for someone in particular?” Radioman
asked above the din.

“It’s just I’ve never experienced this
before,” I yelled.

“I thought you said you were a huge fan.”

Oops. My mouth runneth off without my brain.
If I was gonna keep my family connections a secret from this guy
for long, I’d better come up with a satisfactory explanation right
quick.

“You know, here near the fifty-yard line.
These are great seats.”

Yeah, that oughta do it.

“It’s one of my guilty splurges,” he
admitted. “Season tickets to the Cowboys don’t come up for sale
often.”

I wouldn’t know. “How did you get two more on
such short notice?”

“Seth. We snatched these suckers up the
moment they went on sale for the new stadium.”

The mention of Seth caught Grady’s attention
through the crowd uproar over a bad call on the field. Hey, it
didn’t matter if this was a game that statistically counted or not.
Cowboys fans were all about sportsmanship and fair play. Well, and
a great big ‘W’ in the win column, regardless of whether it came
through second and third string players.

I had no clue what Grady planned to do about
the information Seth had shared at the bar the other night. For all
I knew, the boss had already made contact or was planning to arrest
the attorney. With the connection to Radioman, I suspected that was
why he’d also readily accepted my invitation to the game – to keep
an eye on me while he grilled my date for information.

With my BS meter on high alert the other
night, I was pretty sure Seth would play on the right side. By
extension, Radioman remained in the clear – at least in my book.
Now Banker Boy? For now, I’d leave that man in Grady’s suspicious
hands.

That left Radioman’s hands all to me – and
this time, I planned to use all my feminine wiles to ensure they
got a proper workout.

***

That evening, I got laughs all around as I
reiterated events of donation Sunday before dropping Grady and
Rochelle off at their cars parked at the bar. At sixty-five dollars
a pop, why take more than one vehicle? However, I left out a few
things in the retelling, namely that Reggie’s donation had come
about because of blackmail.

There was also the fact that I’d stayed a
couple of nights with Zeke. I just didn’t think it’d be wise to
share spending the night with my ex-boyfriend – as platonic as it’d
been – with my new boy – er, friend. New friend. Someone I hoped to
see naked tonight. Maybe then I’d do a little measuring of my
own.

Think about it.

Radioman escorted me to my apartment and
glanced around when I popped the new door open. “Wow, you can’t
even tell where it happened.”

I still couldn’t remember exactly where Han’s
body had ended up and hoped that memory stayed buried forever. But
I got a pretty good idea when Slinky sniffed around the general
area where Reggie’s guys had replaced the carpet.

After ballistics verified our stories and the
police officially cleared me of any wrongdoing, Reggie sent his
team in on Saturday to work round the clock to make it look like it
had BHD – Before Han’s Death. They even put new carpet down the
length of the hall since Jimmy had bled all over the old.

The holy pillow – and no, I don’t mean
saintly – had disappeared forever. Since pillows reminded me of
Han, I’d stormed the apartment the moment I’d returned and bagged
up every pillow in sight before stuffing them in the far reaches of
my closet. Eventually I’d pull some out again, but when that would
be was anyone’s guess. For the foreseeable future, the only pillows
on display in my home would be the two I slept on in my bedroom.
And weren’t those the only ones you really needed anyway?

“I still can’t believe it,” I said. “I mean,
someone actually died in here.”

A shiver passed up my spine. Would Han’s
ghost return to haunt me? ‘Course I don’t believe in spooks and
specters, but that didn’t keep me from getting a little freaked
out, thinking of someone dying in my apartment. On my living room
floor. Near where I was standing.

The truth? I was a lot more than a little
freaked out – hence the
real
reason I worked so hard to
garner some nighttime company. I didn’t expect to sleep a wink
anyway, listening to every bump and creak. I half expected to hear
chains and moans instead of cat snores and was once again grateful
for my kitty’s presence. They say animals can sense the
paranormal.

I said I don’t believe in ghosts, didn’t
I?

Zeke had offered to let me stay another
night, but I was determined not to let my fears get the better of
me. I had to get over it sooner or later – I chose sooner. Yeah
right, silly me.

Radioman must’ve sensed my shudder and curled
his arms around in a firm embrace before planting a kiss on top of
my head. I leaned into his warmth and savored the strength in his
arms.

It was then I had a realization. I’d gotten
my date to cross the threshold from the hall and into my personal
abode. First success of the night. I snuggled into Radioman’s
embrace where it was safe, and thoughts of ghosts and gunshots soon
fled. I turned my face up to meet his lips. Heat plumed in my belly
and lit a fire that reached all the way down to my toes.

Radioman spoke around kisses. “Aren’t you
afraid…of being here…all by yourself?”

“A little,” I admitted breathlessly and
pressed my advantage by sneaking hands beneath his untucked
shirttail. Bare skin heated beneath my touch as I stroked up and
down his spine.

His voice hitched. “How many dates…is
this?”

“Two,” I replied. “Officially.”

“Unofficially?”

“We could always count…” My knees turned to
pudding as he trailed kisses to my ear and sucked the lobe between
his teeth. “…the times you asked.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“And when you’ve come to the bar.”

“Hell, yeah.”

My wording choice offered a very strong
suspicion I’d avoid dealing with those pesky fears a while longer.
Avoidance is my specialty, you know, and tonight other
sensations
took precedence.

“Up for some company then?” Radioman
asked.

Up? I let fevered kisses speak for me until
his mouth trailed down my neck, he lifted me in his arms, and I
wrapped my legs around his waist. Then with a free hand I swung the
door closed behind him with a satisfying thud before we stumbled to
the bedroom.

Saddle up, boy. This cowgirl’s goin’ for a
ride. Yee-haw!

Sometimes life emulates fiction.

Life is filled with tragedy and Ms. Bale's
writing reflects this reality. However, there is always a silver
lining...even if one must spend their entire life searching for
it.

In her previous career, Ms. Bale traveled the
United States as a Government Relations Liaison, working closely
with Congressional offices and various government agencies. This
experience afforded her a glimpse into the sometimes "not so
pretty" reality of the political sphere. Much of this reality and
various locations throughout her travels make it into her
writing.

She dreams of the day she can return to visit
Alaska.

Connect with her online

Facebook:
D-A-Bale

Twitter:
@DABale1

Blog:
DA Bale
Publishing

Email:
[email protected]

Additional Works by D A Bale

The Bartender Babe Chronicles:

Look Before You
Jump

Think Before You Speak

Knock Before You Enter coming Fall 2016

The Deepest Darkness Series:

Running into the
Darkness

Piercing the
Darkness

Rising from the
Darkness

The Study
,
a novelette