Arlo wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Yes but no. Weather’s about to get shitty. I’ll get called out for sure at some point.”

“So?” Drew demanded. “What happened?”

“I saw Della today,” he said, staring into the bottom of his tumbler.

Bingo!

“O…kay.” Drew nodded encouragingly even though he was frowning. “But…she lives with you, so I’m assuming you see her most days.”

Arlo lifted his head and pierced Drew with a look. “She was coming out of Frieda’s. With a bag.”

“Ah.” Drew’s frown straightened out.

Ah indeed. Well…she hadn’t wasted any time, had she? Her dating life hadn’t exactly been a roaring success, so it looked like she’d decided to take care of a few things herself. Tucker wished that wasn’t so damn tantalizing.

“I guess that was kinda…” Drew cast around for what Tucker could only assume was an appropriately descriptive word. “Awkward.”

“As fuck.”

“Was she there by herself?” Tucker asked.

“No, she had a whole posse. Including Winona.”

Drew laughed. “She went with Winona? I’m surprised she didn’t come out with a jumbo bag.”

“This is not funny,” Arlo snapped. “Frieda sells…things that could be triggering.”

“Oh…sorry.” Drew didn’t know any of the details of Della’s abuse, except that it had been bad, and it was obvious he understood Arlo’s concern. “She seemed okay, though?”

“Yeah.” Arlo sighed. “She seemed fine.”

“Good.” Drew took a sip of his beer. “Look…tell me to shut up if you want, but…the visit to Frieda’s? If her purchase helps to take her mind off finding some guy on Tinder, which makes you kinda crazy, then surely that’s a good thing?”

Arlo nodded slowly, and Tucker could tell by the contemplative expression on his face that Drew’s observation had been a welcome one. Despite being outwardly fine with Della playing on Tinder, they knew Arlo had reservations, and clearly, her seeking an alternative way to have her needs met was going down a lot better.

If only Tucker could stop thinking about another kind of alternative…

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

Della couldn’t believe her luck when Arlo’s pager went off just before eight p.m. that night. It had been kinda awkward between them this evening with their accidental meeting outside Frieda’s so obviously fresh in both their minds. Thank God for the television giving them something to focus on other than the sexual contraband stashed under her bed.

Waiting for Della’s attention.

Had she not been busted by Arlo with her Frieda’s Palace bag, she’d have pleaded a headache and retired to her bedroom two hours ago. Hell, if it had been up to her, she’d already have worked her way to The Suck-u-buzz. But given that he had, Della didn’t feel she could take herself off to bed too early.

Too…eagerly.