Spark Of Desire. Christa Maurice

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СКАЧАТЬ away from her in his chair and wouldn’t meet her eyes. She felt herself sinking into a pool of self-loathing. The last time she’d felt this way was her eighth grade dance when she walked into the middle school auditorium in her first pair of high heels only to discover that they made her taller than all the boys in her class. A lot taller.

      “So you lift three days a week, jog every day,” Kevin instructed, bringing her back from her adolescent insecurity and plunging her right into her adult insecurity.

      “You should do some running, too. Get your speed up.” Bobbie polished off her fries. “You know where that gym up the road from your store is?”

      “Yes.” Jessica’s throat dried up.

      Bobbie leaned on her fist, squishing her cheek into her eye. “You should join. You can’t be at Kevin’s house every day, and I don’t have good weights anymore.”

      “What about the tests I need to pass on the written exam?”

      “Don’t worry about that,” Kevin grumbled.

      “Why not?”

      He met her eyes for the first time since he came back from the restroom. “Because I said so.”

      “That isn’t a good enough reason.” Jessica heard herself baiting him and couldn’t believe it. She was provoking him into an argument just to make him look at her. This wasn’t the best way to establish a relationship, even a friendship.

      “Trust me. I know what I’m doing,” Kevin snarled.

      Jessica drew a breath to snap right back, but Bobbie cut her off.

      “Whoa.” Bobbie put her hands up. “Cut it out. It’s not even cute. Jessica, get your strength and stamina up and then we can work on drills.”

      “We?” Kevin turned on her.

      “Yes, we. You asked me to help, remember. I work a different shift than you, so I can help her when you’re on duty, and I belong to the gym I told her to join.” One side of Bobbie’s mouth curled up. “Jealous?”

      “No.” He turned to look at Jessica again, and she saw something flicker in his eyes. When he spoke again his voice was gentler. “We’ll work on drills starting in August. Plan to work out for at least an hour every day and study. The first test is the written.”

      “On September first.” Jessica felt his eyes searching hers. A strange surge of emotion welled up that she didn’t want to deal with right now, and she shoved it aside. Mindi showing up had really thrown her off her stride. It had nothing to do with Kevin. It couldn’t have anything to do with him.

      He clapped her on the shoulder. “You’ve got better than a five percent chance.”

      “Except for the tools,” Jessica said. She had to work to keep her voice even. The spot where his hand had touched her warmed. The waitress came around to pick up their plates and refill their drinks.

      “Tools?” Bobbie asked.

      “I’m not very good with tools. I can learn to use them, I just can’t tell them apart,” Jessica wasn’t embarrassed by her lack, but it did irritate her. Was Kevin embarrassed by it? Men grew up breathing tools, girls got dolls. When Jessica had been resuscitating her dolls, it hadn’t occurred to her that she might need a crowbar to get the doll out of her overturned Barbie Corvette.

      “Take her to the station,” Bobbie suggested to Kevin without looking up.

      “No!”

      Bobbie and Jessica turned to Kevin. Jessica had started to convince herself that he wasn’t acting odd around her and judging by the look on Bobbie’s face, this was very odd. “Why not?”

      “I can’t take her to the station.” Kevin shoved his chair away from the table and it rocked back on two legs. He grabbed for the table, but missed. Jessica caught the back of his chair and tipped it forward.

      “Slick move.” Bobbie clapped. “Going for the Olympic Chair Ballet team?”

      “No.” He slouched and his face turned pink as he studied his section of table like he wanted to lean on it. Bobbie was leaning on her elbows, and Jessica had her arms folded on her edge. There was still plenty of room if he didn’t mind being close enough to feel her body heat. Apparently he did. He folded his arms across his chest. Jessica found herself annoyed that he didn’t even want to touch her by accident, but pleased he didn’t want to touch Bobbie either. Neither emotion sounded like something a woman who wasn’t interested in a man would feel.

      “Well?” Bobbie snapped.

      “Well what?” Kevin snapped back.

      “Why can’t you take her to the station?”

      Jessica held her breath, waiting for the answer. She’d been so caught up watching him not lean on the table she’d forgotten there was a discussion going on. By the look on Kevin’s face, he’d forgotten too. Why wouldn’t he take her to the station? Was he embarrassed by her already?

      “They’ll eat her alive.”

      “So? They’re gonna do that anyway.”

      “No,” Kevin said. He focused on the ketchup bottle. “We’ll go to hardware store in the plaza by the bookstore and look at what they’ve got.”

      “That’s stupid. Sears won’t have an SCBA tank.”

      “SCBA tanks aren’t on the exam.”

      “How do you know? You haven’t taken the exam in sixteen years.”

      Kevin turned to Jessica, ignoring Bobbie. “Why aren’t you asking what an SCBA tank is?” His blush had become a deep red and there was a vein throbbing on his temple.

      “Because I know.” Jessica pressed back into her chair. He seemed to dislike her again. She wished he’d make up his mind. If he would make up his mind, she’d at least have an idea where to start making up hers.

      “I’ll take her to my station if you’re embarrassed,” Bobbie snorted.

      “What makes you think I’m embarrassed?”

      Bobbie rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry, Jess. We’ll go over everything until you’re comfortable. Mr. Shy will have to get over it.”

      “I’m not shy.” Kevin turned to Jessica. “Really, I’m not shy. I just don’t think it’s going to be useful to drag you into the station prematurely.”

      Bobbie put her hand beside her mouth as if she didn’t want Kevin to hear what she was saying and then stage-whispered so he couldn’t help overhearing. “He doesn’t want the guys to see you until he’s ready.”

      Kevin groaned. His face glowed red by now. “I’ll meet you at the bookstore tomorrow, and we’ll walk down to Sears. What time do you have lunch?”

      “Ten.”

      “In the morning?”

      Jessica СКАЧАТЬ