The television went silent, the picture paused. Nicole raised an eyebrow. “Okay, children. Get it all out, then we can watch the movie.”

“I want some of what she’s drinking.” Steve pointed like a petulant little brother. “I think she’s on drugs.”

“It’s called love, babe.” Nicole plucked up a piece of pizza and severed a stringy piece of cheese with her finger.

“Why don’t you get like that around me? All gooey-eyed and lovey-dovey?”

“Because you’re an arse and I want a donkey.”

With a theatrical groan, Steve spread his lanky frame across the floor and slapped his forehead. “Shoot me now.”

Nicole winked at Kelly and Kelly high-fived her on the way to the kitchen. Grabbing a cold beer out of the fridge, her mind wandered to Lucy. What would she make of Kelly’s crazy friends?

*

Saturday morning, Kelly had just finished cleaning her motorcycle when Nicole appeared on the porch hollering, “phone.”

Not wanting her cell phone to get wet, Kelly had left it inside. “Thanks, hun.” She blew Nicole an air kiss, then plucked the phone out of her hand before it stopped ringing.

“Hello.”

“Hey, it’s me.”

Hearing Lucy’s sexy voice made Kelly break out in a huge grin. Her skin tingled and her heart skipped a beat.

Assuming correctly who it was, Nicole mouthed, “Ask if she wants to come with us to mini-golf.”

Mini-golf? That was news to Kelly, but she wouldn’t miss it for the world. She gave Nicole the thumbs up and turned her attention back to Lucy.

“Did you sleep well?” Kelly absently ran her toes through a puddle of water under her sparkling clean Triumph.

It was warming up to be another hot day and she intended to spend every hour she could outdoors enjoying it. If she could do that with Lucy by her side, all the better.

“I did. I dreamed about a very sweet lady.”

“Anyone I know?” Kelly asked, picturing Lucy’s alluring smile.

“Yeah, I think you know her well. Better than me,” Lucy said. “But, I’m looking forward to getting to know more about her.”

Even though it felt weird being referred to in the third person, it was kind of cute, so Kelly played along. “I hear she has a mean golf swing. Care to find out?”

“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea. My work colleagues are still searching for the golf balls I lost at last year’s Christmas function.”

An image of Lucy taking a huge swing only to watch the golf ball sail off into the trees, never to be found again, made Kelly chuckle.

“I meant mini-golf. We’re heading to The Putt Hutt on Napier road. You and me can team up against Nicole and Steve. What do you say?”

Just as Kelly was about to offer to pick Lucy up, Lucy beat her to the punch.