BooksBarbecue
Back Again, Rachel
Chapters (98)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. 64
  68. 65
  69. 66
  70. 67
  71. 68
  72. 69
  73. 70
  74. 71
  75. 72
  76. 73
  77. 74
  78. 75
  79. 76
  80. 77
  81. 78
  82. 79
  83. 80
  84. 81
  85. 82
  86. 83
  87. 84
  88. 85
  89. 86
  90. 87
  91. 88
  92. 89
  93. 90
  94. 91
  95. 92
  96. 93
  97. 94
  98. Acknowledgements

‘But, Quin, don’t you sometimes wish you had a girlfriend who could drink. Get a little high? Hey, if I’m being offensive, please tell me. I just…want to understand.’

I tensed. There were times that Quin did mind but if he even hinted at it now, I would never speak to him again.

‘Are you kidding?’ Quin said. ‘Rachel is amazing in a million different ways and I have a designated driver always. But hey.’ With a conversational swerve that almost gave us whiplash, he said, ‘Why don’t you tell us what it’s like living in Denver?’

‘Our life is pretty outdoorsy.’ Kallie looked at Luke. ‘Right? Pretty outdoorsy?’

‘Sure.’ He gave a tiny shrug. ‘When we’re not getting stoned and dancing on the deck.’

Kallie’s face fell. She looked from Luke to me. ‘Oh no. I’m sorry, Rachel. I was an idiot?’ She nodded. ‘I was an idiot.’

*

Kallie tightened the clasp on her helmet, scooped up the handkerchief hem of her dress, revealing a slender length of lightly tanned thigh, then hopped onto the bike behind Luke, grasping him around his waist.

‘Bye, guys!’ she called. ‘Missing you already!’

Quin and I waved them off.

‘She’ll freeze,’ Quin said as we went back to my car.

‘Good.’ I felt queasy and diminished.

‘I can’t believe I let him pay the bill,’ Quin muttered.

Yeah, that was bad. When it had arrived, both Luke and Quin had pounced on it but Luke had won. ‘Tonight was our idea,’ he said, with a hint of steel.

‘You can get us next time,’ Kallie said.

But there would be no next time. Quin had to content himself with leaving a far-too-generous cash tip.

‘Can we please not talk about them,’ I asked. ‘I literally can’t take them being in my head for a second longer. Tomorrow or some other time we can debrief, but right now, I need to watch two episodes of Ozark, maybe three, and think about nothing. Is there ice-cream at yours?’

‘Unless Fin’s eaten it all. But I’ll go out and get you more if he has.’

There were healthier ways of dealing with the unpleasant emotions tonight had stirred up, but my endurance had run out. So I had my ice-cream and my two episodes. I couldn’t stop thinking about Kallie. She fascinated me. What was it that had drawn him to her? Her light-heartedness? Was it even real?

When Quin got into bed, I asked, ‘How hot is Kallie?’

‘Hot.’ No hesitation there.

‘Who’s hotter? Me or her? And Quin, the answer is me, okay?’ Because sometimes Quin was just too honest.