Invisibility Cloak (17 page)

“It goes in the crack.” Kelsey instructed her as she leaned against the doorway sipping from her wine glass.

What?
Amanda adjusted the thong as her friend directed. It was not comfortable at all and she scrunched up her nose. “This doesn’t feel natural.”

“Oh hell, can you at least go braless? Because there is no way you can get away with wearing a bra with this dress.”

“I can do that.” Amanda adjusted the thong. “But this is just wrong. And extremely uncomfortable. Do you really wear these?”

Kelsey laughed and nodded her head. “Honey, half the women in America wear those.”

“This feels like dental floss up my rear end!”

“Amy, if you have a panty line it will totally ruin the look.” Kelsey gave her a grim look.

“I do love the dress.” Amanda reached over to hug her. “Thank you, Kels.”

“Just keep the thong on tonight so you get used to it, all right? It really is a matter of getting used to it.”

“All right, I’ll give it a try.”

“And for the record, I never looked that good in it. You look
fab-u-lous,
Amy. Remember practice the thong. I do need to go or my mom will kill me.”

“Thanks again.” Amanda put her hand on Kelsey’s sleeve. “Just unzip me, please?” She noticed her daughter wasn’t around anymore. She must’ve found something more interesting to do than hang around a bunch of middle-aged women.

“Come here.” Kelsey pulled the zipper down and Amanda stepped out of the gown. As Kelsey hung it back up on a hanger, she asked, “Walk me down?”

“Of course, but let me get dressed real fast.” Amanda pulled on her jeans and the T-shirt she had on earlier, constantly adjusting the thong as she walked Kelsey to the door.

“Call me Wednesday morning. I want to hear all about it!” Kelsey hugged her.

“Will do.” Just as Amanda was closing the front door, Ryder’s car headlights swung into her driveway. Feeling goofy, she walked back upstairs to get Sammie and adjusted her butt at the same time. She had to get used to this thing.

Oops, it’s not a thing, it’s a thong. She laughed.

Thong
.
Thingthong.

Didn’t way back, they used to call sandals thongs? Man, she was more ‘out of it’ than she thought with the latest trends and fashion.

She took another sip of her wine and went to go tell her daughter that dinner had arrived.

Just as she rounded the corner of her daughter’s room she heard her talking on the phone.

“My mom has a thong, Zoe!” Sammie let out a tiny squeal. “And I’m going to get one now, too.”

Oh dear
. Amanda adjusted the piece of dental floss in her butt crack once more.

Chapter 10

“R
eady to eat, Nick?” Ryder glanced over at the fifteen-year-old.

“Yeah, starving.” Nick shifted his legs that balanced the two large pizza boxes. “Hopefully the women are done doing their
girlie things
.”

“Looks like it.” He noticed Amanda’s friend, Kelsey take off in her little black Volkswagen as he pulled down the street a few minutes ago.

“Let’s help your Mom out. “

Nick scrunched up his face. “Huh?”

“You know, like get out plates and cups and napkins.” His Jeep lights swiped along Amanda’s house as he pulled in their driveway.

“I guess.” Nick readied to open the car. “But after dinner I’ll be studying for my last set of finals.”

“I got the clean-up, dude.” Ryder clarified as he shut off the car. “Thanks for going with me, Nickel.”

“You got it, Ryder. We guys have to band together.”

“Hearing ya, bro.” Ryder jumped out of the car and reached in the backseat to get the last bag that held the two large Greek salads.

The guys walked into the house and found silence. Amanda and Sammie must still be upstairs, he guessed as they set the Pizza Palace packages on the kitchen counter. Nick got plates out and helped Ryder set the table.

“Salad bowls up here?” Ryder asked Nick after he set the twelve pack of Budweiser on the counter. Nick nodded, so Ryder flung open the cupboard and grabbed four bowls. After plucking two cans of beer out of the twelve pack, he snapped open the lid of one and set the second one in the kitchen refrigerator.

“Why don’t you tell your mother and sister dinner is here? I’m gonna take the rest of the beer downstairs to the basement.”

“Sure.” Nick flipped open one of the pizza box lids and grabbed a piece of pepperoni. Before jamming it in his mouth, he yelled, “Mom! Sam! Food’s here!”

Ryder heard Nickel’s hollers as he leapt down the basement stairs. By the time he came back up, Amanda and Sam were in the kitchen. They were giggling and arguing.

Women.

“
Puleeze,
Mom!” Sammie was saying.

“Ah, no.” Amanda grabbed her wine goblet and took a sip. “You are way too young. I don’t even have one! Well, I mean I do now, but they’re not comfortable at all.”

“Mom!” She pleaded to her mother. “Zoe has a few!”

“No. No. And just no!” Amanda finished up the
pinot grigio
in her glass. “Anyway, they are just
icky
.”

“What are icky?” Ryder asked.

Both the girls looked over at him and pursed their lips together. His eyebrows jumped up, wondering what he stumbled on to.

“Ryder,” Amanda stepped closer to him, quickly changing the subject. “Thank you for getting the food. What do I owe you?”

He scowled at her. “No problem.” Ryder scoped out the kitchen then asked, “Where’d Nick go?” The kid already booked on him? He needed some back up with these two.

“After cramming a few slices down his throat, he ran upstairs,” Amanda said then turned to Sammie. “Do you want some milk with your pizza?”

“No.” Sammie jutted out her lip. “I want lemonade with some fruit, still.”

“Okay.” Amanda turned back to the refrigerator and pulled open the door. “Go sit down, sweetie and I’ll bring over your drink. I’m going to have a glass of milk.”

Ryder had already filled his plate up with a few slices of pizza and a nice helping of the Greek salad. Sammie helped herself and sat down next to Ryder at the table.

“For my next birthday, I’m gonna get one.” She clenched her jaw defiantly.

He watched her glare at her mother. So what was going on?

“Okay, dear,” Amanda said soothingly to her. “We’ll discuss it later.”

“What is going on?” Ryder asked Amanda after Sammie walked her plate over to the sink and loaded it in the dishwasher.

“Oh, never mind.” Amanda murmured, “It’s just a girl thing.”

Sammie eventually wandered back upstairs to study as well, leaving just Amanda and Ryder sitting at the kitchen table.

“Are you staying, again?” She picked up both of their dirty plates. “Ryder, you don’t have too, I’m sure everything is fine now.”

“Hey, it’s my duty to clean.” He hopped up and took the plates out of her hand. “Go sit back down. Do you want anything else?”

Amanda sank back down in her chair. “Yeah, I want my life back to normal.” She leaned her elbows on the table and covered her face with her hands. “I want Wayne alive. I don’t want to have this stupid problem with walking.” Taking her hands away from her face, she said quietly, “Why? Why did all of this have to happen?”

Ryder could feel her nerves snapping. After loading the dishes into the dishwasher, he walked over to her. “Because, darlin’, that’s life. And there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it.” He rubbed her shoulders and neck to loosen her up.

She tilted her chin up to look at him. “You don’t need to stick around anymore, I’m sure you have plenty of other, more important things to do.”

“Hey, none are as important as this.” He kept kneading her neck with his hands. “Amanda, there is something going on and you know as well as I do that someone at the Institute of Physics is involved. Hell, I saw the mean-ass looking hombres lurking around the offices just a few hours ago, remember?”

She nodded woodenly and her lids lowered fractionally.

“You want to go watch a romance movie or something?” Ryder was pretty sure he’d missed the Diamondback’s game. And since he couldn’t get his baseball fix today, he may as well watch a movie with her. If nothing else, she’d relax and he’d even be able to get some shut-eye.

“Yeah, maybe.” She jerked her head back up as if she was dozing and just woke up. “I’ll see what’s on the tube.”

“You want anything to drink? I’m going to grab another beer.”

“Would you mind getting me a glass of water?”

“Sure. While I’m gone find a nice, mushy movie.”

“Ah, yeah,” she said underneath her breath, but just loud enough for him to hear her. “I’m no fool, I’m gonna take advantage of this.”

After running downstairs to bring up two more beers, he walked back into the family room to catch her furiously going through the channels.

“What? Can’t find any of your movies?” He set her water down on the table and sat next to her. “Oh that’s just so sad, because I’m sure I can find a game on, somewhere.” He deftly snatched the television channel changer out of her hand.

“Hey!” She reached over him trying to get the remote control back. “You can’t do that. I’ve only checked two hundred stations so far!” She laughed. “I have three hundred more to go!”

Ryder extended his right hand all the way up, holding the channel changer with his fingers.

Oh, this is just too sweet
. At first only her chest was smashed up against his, but then she angled higher to reach for his hand and her whole body was flush against him. He let himself enjoy it a few more moments, sick dog that he was, but then he figured he should stop being so mean. “You can have it back after you pay your dues, woman.”

She instantly stopped reaching for the black controller and narrowed her eyes. “Pay. My. What?” She clipped out as she tapped him on his chest three times.

Ryder glanced toward the stairs that led up to the bedrooms; where her two teenagers were. It was pretty quiet up there. Should he chance it? Bringing his arm around her that held the television remote control, he pulled her even closer. Those emerald eyes widened as he brought his mouth down on hers. At first her hands clutched onto the front of his shirt, then as they deepened the kiss, her arms edged higher up to twine around his neck. Amanda softly moaned and he smiled. They necked a few minutes more until he heard an upstairs door open. His brain directed him to do a diversion maneuver and he swung Amanda to the side of him, so whoever was coming down wouldn’t see her on top of him. A soft sigh escaped her as he pressed her down, and his lips skimmed over her throat, before he gave her one last nibble on her chin.

Out of nowhere, Amanda swung around and plucked the television controller out of his hands.

“Ah ha!” Smiling widely she clutched the remote tightly in her fist. “I got it!”

“What are you guys doing?” Sammie asked as she came down the stairs.

“Your mother had to defend her right to use her television in her own house as she saw fit, Sammie!”

Sammie snorted as she walked by them. “You sure never acted this goofy with Dad before.”

“Well your father wasn’t as mean as Ryder Stevenson, Sammie.” Amanda shot him a small smile. “Remember, Ryder was in the Army Rangers. One of the baddest around.” Holding up the television remote control in the air with her right hand she squealed, “And I got the channel changer from the big, bad, Army Ranger!” She wiggled the black controller around a few times. “Na-na-na-na-nah!” She hopped off the couch and did a little dance.

Ryder couldn’t help but chuckle. Until she stumbled, then he shot up out of his seat.

Clutching on to the remote as if it were gold, she dug her fingers into the club chair next to the couch to stop her fall. “I’m all right.”

“I just came down for a glass of water and to plead with my
beautiful
,
rad,
mother,” Sammie chimed out as she headed for the kitchen.

Still holding tightly to the television channel changer, Amanda said, “The answer is still a big resounding no, young lady. You are
wayyy
too young.”

“Mom!” With a glass of ice water in her right hand and her left hand fisted at her side, Sammie walked to him and Amanda. “Okay in that case. No thong? Then I can drink wine!”

“What?” Amanda’s eyebrows spiked up. “I do believe that what I say is non-negotiable.”

“
Hmph
,” Sammie grunted and walked past them. “I’m going upstairs. Good night.”

“What was she talking about?” Ryder scratched his head, racking his brain why Sammie was upset.

“Oh, it’s nothing you did, believe me.” Amanda set her palm on his arm. “This is about growing up.” She smirked. “Girls can be such stinkers. And boys . . .” She laughed. “Well, they can be a little more transparent about some things. Nickel is anyway.” Shaking her head, she explained, “Or maybe it’s just my son. I really have no idea, because I was an only child.”

“Well, in my experience, Amanda, I have two brothers and two sisters.” Remembering how his sisters definitely bared their teeth way more than his brothers ever did, he chuckled. “And you are right. Girls are more . . .” He smirked. “. . . Emotional.”

Her eyes danced with laughter at his last remark. “Nice way of putting it.”

“So, what was Sammie going on about?”

“Oh,” Amanda shook her head. “These silly thongs.”

Ryder froze. “Thongs?”

“Yes, it seems that her friend, Zoe has a few pairs already.” Amanda nodded. “Sophia’s daughter. And I won’t let her buy any right now.”

“Good call.” Ryder took another swig off his Budweiser. “So, why did she go all ballistic about it tonight?”

“Oh, my friend, Kelsey, told me I have to wear one for the dress she lent me.”

“What?” Ryder’s eyes gazed down the length of her before he took another swig of his drink. “So that was why she was here tonight?” He closed his eyes and let his imagination go wild.

“Well, no not just for the thong,” she mumbled, “It was to bring over the dresses. She goes to all these social things, more than me anyway. I didn’t want to spend the money on a crazy dress I’d only wear once.”

Ryder’s blood pressure rose. “Yeah, I was going to ask you about that.” He angled his face around to meet hers. “So just when did Smeth ask you to the dance?”

“He called me last night, right before you left. Remember the phone call I got? Well, it was him.” She jabbed her index finger into his belly “And look who’s talking!” Amanda furrowed her brows. “Jeffrey told me you had already planned on taking Sophia Edgington.”

He rubbed his chin. “Well, that is interesting because Sophia told me that you were already going with Smeth when she called me after I left your place last night.”

She turned back around and laid her head back on the couch. “Hey, the only reason I’m going with him is because Jeffrey told me you’d already asked Sophia.” She softly groaned and then bent her forehead down so it rested on her palms.

She was jealous?
His chest puffed out slightly at the thought and then he ran through the sequence of events and phone calls. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think they were being played. Like a fricken’ violin. Was something deeper going on here or was it just women baring their claws?

Women were hassles. Women were drama. Hell, women were just total pain in the asses.
But . . .

He liked women. And this little blonde haired green-eyed woman . . . Well, he liked her a lot. So much that it mottled his brain.
That
he didn’t like.

“And Sophia told me Jeffrey had already asked you to go.”

She ignored his last comment and said, “Oh that reminds me, if you are insisting on playing my bodyguard, then I suppose we should go over my schedule on Monday.

“Go for it.”

“Well, the kids are going to school for the last day. Finishing up with finals. And I have my therapy appointment at the gym at ten-thirty.” Amanda bit her lip. “I just thought of something.”

“I’ll drive you wherever you need to be tomorrow.”

“Hmmm, this could work out good. I usually do drive them in the morning, but since Nick has his driving permit, he is allowed to drive both himself and Sammie to school. Can I borrow your car for therapy tomorrow? Then, I can let Nickel take my car.”

“Sure, but I would rather take them myself to school and back.”

“Oh, I’m sure Nick will just be thrilled beyond belief to have you drive him to school.”

“Yeah, you may be right; it may not sit well with him.” He scrubbed his hand over his face. “Maybe I’ll just follow him. He’ll never know I’m there. I just want to make sure they get there and back without incident.” He took another sip of beer. “Are you going to find anything to watch on the tube? Because I could find a baseball game on somewhere, I’m sure.”