Free It Could Happen Again (Zulu Spectre) by Aliyah Burke Page A

Vic.”
    “It could be, Allie, if you let it.” He took a drink and smiled. “Now, this is for us to have fun so I’ll let it go. And, so you know, I do love you. I’ll go kick his ass if it makes you feel better.”
    She nodded. “It does, thanks.”
    “Just as long as you patch me up.”
    “You, big Texan that you are? You need me to fix you up?”
    “Figured it’d be a way to get your hands on me.” They shared some laughs. “Seriously, Allie, are you going to come to class with me? I think you should do it.”
    “You’re going through with it?”
    He nodded. “Hell, yeah, I want to be a doctor. I think you’d be a kickass one as well. Come to classes with me.”
    “I need to check how much it will all be first.”
    “That’s all I ask.”
    They placed their orders, and true to his word, Vic kept the conversation light. By the time she received her carrot cake, her stomach was already full but she picked up the fork.
    “If you don’t think you can finish that, slide it over here,” he said.
    Brandishing the utensil like a weapon, she glared at him. “If you don’t want to lose something vital, you will stay away from my cake.”
    “Jeez, guess I can’t get between you and your dessert.”
    “Heck no. I love my sweets. I don’t indulge much, but when I do, not so much into the whole sharing aspect.”
    He shook his head. “Rude.”
    “Perhaps, but I ain’t sharing. And at least I’m honest about it.” She made a big production about licking off her fork.
    Vic gave her a wicked grin. “Now, I know why he’s happy with you. I see that sucking action you have there.”
    “Vic!”
    He laughed and winked at the waitress who stood there pouring them more drinks. Allie wanted to bury her head in the sand.
    Instead, she met the blonde’s gaze and shrugged. “This is why I don’t take him out much. He isn’t well behaved in public.”
    The woman looked at her and gave a small smile. “I’m going to side with him, that kind of sucking action is impressive.” She ran her gaze up Allie before she walked off.
    Allie stared at Vic. “You did hear that, right?”
    “Fuck, yeah. Oh, my God. I want to watch the two of you together. Hell, I want to join in.” He reached for his ice water and held the glass up to his neck. “That imagery is getting me all kinds of hot.”
    “Only me, I come to Outback and get hit on.”
    Vic laughed. “Don’t knock it until you try it.”
    “If that’s your thing, Vic, more power to you, but I’m greedy. I don’t like to share.”
    “More makes it merrier.”
    She ate the last bite of her cake and dropped the fork with a contented groan. “If you say so.”
    She had enough trouble with one man; she sure as heck didn’t need to invite any more bodies into the mix. Male or female.
    They chatted a bit longer then left, her with the waitress’s number in her pocket and Vic telling her she should give it a try. Relaxing back in the seat in his SUV, she blew out a breath.
    “Can you send me the info you found on the school when you get home tonight, Vic?”
    “I already did. You need to check your email more.” A brief pause. “Or even at all. When was the last time you were on your computer?”
    “A few weeks.”
    “Christ, woman. Daily, you need to be on there daily.”
    “Why? I don’t talk to people other than you, and I see you nearly every day.”
    He pulled into her building’s lot and parked before the door, allowing his vehicle to idle. She undid her belt but didn’t leave, waiting for him to say something.
    “Allie,” Vic said.
    “Thanks for dinner, Vic, and for being a friend.”
    He reached out and captured her chin. Allie sat frozen; he wasn’t the touchy feely kind of guy. Not with her.
    “Forgive him.”
    With those words echoing in her ears, she slid out and walked to the door. As she opened it, she glanced back over her shoulder at him. He touched the brim of his cap then drove off.
    “Forgive him?” she scoffed. “Not