The Great Panty Caper

Chapter 3

JJ

The second Lori walked into the room, I knew her evening of fun hadn’t gone according to plan. I sat up in bed, pushing aside the paperback I was pretending to read and the iPhone on which I was conducting simultaneous text flirtations with both Pete and Collin.

“Did you pick dinner or nookie ?”

I asked as Lori kicked off her shoes and plunked two expensive-looking wineglasses on the dresser. She bit down on the cork and yanked it out of the bottle with alarming vigor.

“He has a wife,” Lori snapped, spitting the cork onto the desk. “The lying bastard is married.”

“No!” I’m pretty sure I sounded suitably indignant, but the truth is, I wasn’t that surprised. There was something about Rob that set off my dickhead radar. Besides the penis tie, I mean.

“Yes,” Lori said, sloshing wine into one of the glasses.

She swiped up the excess with the side of her hand and looked at it. I knew she was considering licking it off, but she opted for tact and used a tissue instead. “He has a wife with excellent taste in fashion, I might add.”

I wasn’t sure if that made it better or worse. I was still formulating the appropriate response when she thrust a glass of wine into my hand.

“Drink up,” she said. “The bastard paid for it. Cheers to him.”

I set the glass aside and pulled Lori into a hug. “I’m so sorry, sweetie. You want to tell me all about it?” She shook her head against my shoulder, then drew back with a shrug.

“You know, I’m not really all that upset. It’s not like I was that attached to him. Hell, I should have known.”

“He did have that tan line on his ring finger.” Lori sniffed and picked up her own glass of wine. “I thought you were just seeing things, but you were right.”

I waved my hand, though secretly I never minded hearing those words. “At least you found out early. Before you—” I stopped, realizing it was possible she’d slept with him before learning the truth, but Lori shook her head.

“Don’t worry. I didn’t nail him. At least there’s that.”

“So you missed out on testing the Tramp Pack.”

She laughed and dropped onto her bed, taking a hearty slug of wine. “We’re young. Between the two of us, I’m sure we’ll have plenty of opportunities.”

“Cheers to that.” Lori set her glass on the nightstand and frowned down at the bed. “Where’s Blue Cat?” I looked around the room, then shrugged.

“Probably the bathtub.” “He’s been on my bed.”

“What?”“I can tell. There’s a big wad of his fur right here.”

Damn. I must’ve missed a spot. I’d spent at least twenty minutes erasing any evidence that my feline companion had been anything but angelic while alone in our hotel room all day. Still, I didn’t want to admit that. “I’m sure the fur just blew across the room,” I said. “The air-conditioning.”

Lori rolled her eyes. “One of these days, I’ll catch him in the act.”

“I’m thinking Rob’s wife woke up and said the same thing this morning.” I winced.

“Sorry, was that insensitive?”

“That’s okay. I’m really not that sad. Just pissed off.You done in the bathroom for now?”

“Yeah. I’m getting ready to turn in soon. I set the alarm for seven. That way we can make it to the breakfast buffet before the old people eat all the bacon.”