Yikes.

This was weird.

Nobody moved, nobody said anything.

I decided to forge into the breach.

“Eddie, you want coffee?” I asked, sidling around him and into the living room.

“Sure, three sugars and cream. Thanks.”

I tilted my head and said, “You like it sweet.”

Damn!

Shit, shit, shit.

I’d flirted, I didn’t mean to, it just came out.

Eddie looked at me, an amused twinkle in his eye. “Yeah, I like it sweet.”

Shit.

“All righty then,” I said and hurried across the room.

Lee was still standing in the doorway to the kitchen and as I walked toward him, he didn’t move.

Moments before I’d have to stop, he stepped to the side but just barely. I had to squeeze by him and I felt the heat from his glare as I did so.

He moved out of the doorway and into the dining room when I went into the kitchen.

“Eddie,” I heard him say, “what’re you doin’ here?”

“Lookin’ for you,” Eddie replied.

“You found me.” This was not said in a welcoming tone and the bad vibes were snapping in the air.

“I heard about you and Indy being in a brawl on Colfax last night,” Eddie said.

Uh-oh.

Not a good way to start.

I pulled out a coffee mug.

“We weren’t in a brawl. I was pickin’ up a skip and Indy was supposed to sit in the car. She got a hankerin’ to test out her new stun gun so she followed me in, dropped anyone who came near her, my back up came and we got out.” Lee waited a beat and said, “She’s a new-found fondness for stun guns.”

There was silence and then Eddie said, “Yeah, I heard that too. Willie saw her with it, said the floor was littered with her victims.”

More silence.

I held my breath as I spooned sugar in Eddie’s coffee.

Then I heard low chuckling.

I let out my breath.

Okay, they were bonding over my crazy antics which was somewhat embarrassing but at least they were bonding.

I walked into the dining room and handed Eddie his coffee.

“I’m going to go get dressed,” I told them both.

Lee’s eyes moved over me and I couldn’t guess what he was thinking.

“Bring my shirt back down when you’re done with it, would you?” he asked.

I nodded, wondering at his mood, guessing it was not good after the flirty incident and I scooted up the stairs.

I put on the red bra, a pair of red track bottoms that had a wide white stripe that ran from the side of the ankle, up the leg, across my upper ass, and down the other leg. To this, I added a thin, white, tank top that showed a bit of cle**age. I spritzed on some perfume, rolled on some deodorant, rubbed in some moisturizer and slapped on some powder, blush and mascara, not feeling like the full treatment. I slid on some red flip flops and headed back downstairs.

By the time I got there, Lee and Eddie were both sitting, or, more to the point, lounging in king-of-the-castle fashion, at my dining room table.

Jeez.

That didn’t take long.

I walked up to the table.

“It’s Tex’s first day with the morning crowd, I need to get to work,” I informed them, walking to the table.

Lee’s eyes had moved over me again as I approached and Eddie’s gaze came around, then dropped straight to my chest.

I ignored Eddie, stopped and handed Lee his shirt. He took it and shrugged into it.

“See you all later,” I said.

I started to go but Lee caught my wrist.

I turned back to him.

“You’re forgetting two things,” Lee said.

“What’re those?” I asked.

His eyes moved to my tank top. “First, you need to change into real clothes.”

Um… excuse me?

“Sorry?” I said, just in case he hadn’t just been totally out of line, I’d give him an out.

“You aren’t wearin’ that out of this house,” Lee replied.

I hadn’t missed it, he had been totally out of line.

I wasn’t sure if it was the room or just my head that started rumbling, like in the movies before the earthquake that swallows cars and whole buildings.

“Um, sorry?” I repeated, this time chockfull of attitude.

Eddie lifted up his hand and started inspecting his fingernails. I could mostly see just his profile but I knew he was grinning because I could see his f**king dimple.

“Maybe we should have this conversation upstairs,” Lee suggested when he saw my attention turn to Eddie.

“Maybe we should have this conversation in an alternate universe where Alternate Indy gives a shit what Alternate Lee wants her to wear.”

No way to miss the attitude in that.

Eddie stood. “I’ll just top up my coffee.”

“I’m sorry, Eddie,” I said to him as he walked into the kitchen.

“Don’t mind me,” Eddie returned, making a beeline to the coffee.

Once Eddie disappeared, I hissed at Lee, “Tell me you just didn’t tell me what to wear in front of Eddie.”

“I’ll tell you that when the image of you flirting with him isn’t freshly burned into my brain,” Lee replied.

Yep, I was right, Lee was not in a good mood about my flirting with Eddie.

I ripped my wrist out of Lee’s hand.

“It’s okay Eddie,” I called, “you can come back. I’m leaving.”

“You try to leave, I’ll carry you upstairs and change you myself,” Lee threatened.

Eddie leaned his shoulder in the doorway of the kitchen. “I’m thinkin’ you aren’t quite finished.” Then Eddie decided to throw down. “For what it’s worth, I’m with Lee. If you were my woman, there’s no f**kin’ way I’d let you out of the house wearin’ that.”

I glared at him. “Did someone ask you?”

“Nope. Just tryin’ to be helpful,” Eddie answered, grinned and walked into the room.

I opened my mouth to, I don’t know, scream, shriek, talk in tongues, when a sound came from the backdoor.

“Yoo hoo!”

Tod came in wearing his flight attendant uniform. “I saw Chowleena healthy and happy out there and your door open. I knew you’d have coffee, you always have coffee and I need coffee. The Beemer’s in the shop so we only have one car. I have to stay awake and go back to DIA and get Stevie later this morning and I’m dead on my feet. Your coffee’s so strong, you could melt nails in it and…”