Make Me Over_ Getting Real - Leslie Kelly [42]
Jacey’s brow pulled down in an obvious frown. She thought it over, then perked back up. “That might be his first reaction. But the hero always comes around when true love is involved.”
The words hero and true love didn’t seem the type to fall too easily off Jacey’s lips. That’s how Tori knew the girl’d had one too many shots.
“Believe me,” Tori said, rolling her eyes at the romantic picture Jacey painted, “Drew’s no Prince Charming, and I’m sure no fairy-tale princess. I’d never want to be. I wanted to smack Snow White when I saw that movie as a kid. Imagine taking an apple from someone who looked like that old witch. Girl didn’t have a lick of sense in her purty little head.”
Jacey nodded, understanding perfectly. “I wanted Sleeping Beauty to march herself right to her parents and tell them off for dumping her on three fairy godmothers in some godforsaken cabin. Cripes, they were the frickin’ king and queen. Couldn’t they have at least sent her to some fabulous boarding school on the Mediterranean?”
The two of them giggled as they continued to trash fairy-tale princesses. Tori figured Walt Disney had to be rolling over in his grave, right there along with those Grimm brothers. As they talked, she thought again about how much she and Jacey had in common…right down to the belief that the happily-ever-after stuff shouldn’t just be reserved for the pretty, nice, perfect princess types.
What was wrong with the wicked stepsister landing the hottie prince once in a while? Or maybe the less pretty girl who lived next door to Rapunzel, who had to have fewer split ends, at least. And didn’t come saddled with some possessive witch who obviously wasn’t so sure of her sexual preferences since she kept a young girl all boarded up for her own viewing pleasure.
“I tell you the truth, you can keep your Prince Charmings, with their white horses and their proper manners,” Tori said. She shook her head, hard, trying to focus on Jacey’s face, which suddenly seemed to have duplicated itself, as had everything else in the room. Then, with a wicked smile caused by an even more wicked memory, she added, “As far as I’m concerned, I’d rather have me a nice, smart man…who can lick his eyebrows.”
Jacey shrieked with laughter, and Tori giggled, wondering whether it was the alcohol or Jacey’s company that made her feel more comfortable than she’d ever felt with another woman in her whole entire life. She almost voiced her question, when suddenly she saw Jacey’s eyes grow round. As the sound of their laughter evaporated, Tori was able to hear a funny choking-coughing sound from behind her. A male funny choking-coughing sound.
Oh, criminy, no.
She scrunched her eyes shut, then slow as she could, turned toward the door. Because fate was meaner than a miser with his last nickel, someone stood there in the doorway. Watching. Listening. Obviously having heard every word she’d just said.
And because if she didn’t have bad luck, she’d have no luck at all, that someone happened to be Drew Bennett.
7
D REW REMAINED FROZEN , as stiff as a statue, while he stood in the open doorway of the library. After saying good-night to his ballet-inept students, he’d come in here looking for some privacy. Not to mention a drink.
Only, the room had been occupied, by two laughing women. One of whom had just complimented him on his oral-sex prowess. At least, he thought she had. Never having tried to lick his eyebrows, he couldn’t be entirely sure.
Her red face and wide eyes—and the way her mouth opened up but no sound came out—confirmed it. She’d been talking about him. Referring to the incredibly erotic moments they’d shared last Sunday. He almost sighed at the pleasant memory.
“Good evening, ladies,” he murmured, almost laughing at the look of panic on Tori’s pretty face, in spite of his own embarrassment. Realizing Jacey couldn’t possibly know who Tori was thinking about made it a little better, anyway.
“If you’re back, that