Chapter 18

“Somewhere we can talk, to get to know each other a bit—”

Jai nods. “Good idea. And then?”

There’s that crooked grin Jai’s been replaying in his mind all day long. “Then we’ll see what happens. It’s Friday night, man, and I don’t have to work tomorrow.”

In Duane’s warm arms, Jai’s shiver of delight has nothing to do with the cold. “Neither do I.” 15

Duane traded in his utility truck for a pickup, which doesn’t surprise Jai in the least. It’s a brand new Ford F-150 in a dark metallic brown. Looks perfect for hunting or fishing. I’m so out of my league here,Jai thinks as he climbs up into the cab—literally, he has to grab the handle built into the chassis and step on the running board to get in. When he sits down, the truck’s dashboard feels like the interior of an airplane’s cockpit, with the dark, wintry street spread out before him as distant as space itself. Clicking his seatbelt, he mutters, “Damn, you must feel invincible up here.”