“Guess I should take you home,” Tank said.
“Yeah,” Lula said. “That would be the polite thing to do. Might have to stop at the drugstore on the way. Wouldn't want to run out of… you know, anything.”
I checked Tank out in the rearview mirror, and our eyes met, and he smiled.
It was eleven o'clock by the time I got home. Lights were off in my apartment with the exception of a nightlight burning in the b
athroom, throwing light into the bedroom. Diesel and Bob were asleep in bed, side by side. Diesel was bare skin for as far as I could see with an arm thrown over Bob.
I slipped into the bathroom and changed into a T-shirt and boxers. I tiptoed to the other side of the bed and crept in next to Bob.
“Did everything work out okay?” Diesel asked, his voice soft in the dark room.
“Yeah. We bonded them out, and then they went home together. This is probably a strange thing to say, but it was… nice. I think they really like each other.”
“They're lucky.”
“Is there someone like that for you? Someone you really like?”
“Right now I really like you. And I'd like you even better if you'd swap places with Bob.”
“No way.”
“Had to try,” Diesel said.
At one o'clock, Diesel's cell phone rang. By the time I was awake and oriented, Diesel was in the middle of a conversation with the caller.
“Don't lose him,” Diesel said. “Double-team if you have to and call me if he moves.”
I was half sitting, propped on one elbow. “What was that?” I asked when Diesel put his phone back on the night table.
“Lou Delvina just rolled in. Parked in the driveway and scratched himself all the way from the car to his house. Flash said he got a good look at him through the kitchen window, and Delvina is covered with hives.”
“Bernie!”
“Yeah, looks like it. Don't know how they're connected, but it can't be friendly if Delvina is scratching.”
Bob had moved off the bed sometime during the night, and there was a big empty space between Diesel and me.
Diesel patted the space. “You could move over here,” he said.
“I don't think so.”
“It's warm and comfy.”
“I'm warm enough.”
“I could make you warmer.”
“Jeez,” I said. “You never give up.”
“It's one of my better qualities.”
It was bright sunshine when I opened an eye to Diesel. He was standing at bedside, showered and shaved and wearing a clean shirt.
“Where'd the clean shirt come from?” I asked.
“Flash brought me some clothes this morning.”