Free One Last Call by Susan Behon

denial, honey. C’mon. Food first and then you can yell at me all you want.”
    Kenny called out over the engine, “See you two later. Give my best to your mama for me, Sarah.” Josh wondered if Lucy had gotten a hold of him when she was all riled up or if he’d talked his way out of being in the dog house.
    “Sure thing.” Sarah speed walked in front of Josh. When they reached the parking lot, she muttered, “Let’s go before I think too much about your dad giving his best to my mom.”
    “I don’t know if bacon can fix that. Tell you what, we’ll order one of Sonny’s cinnamon rolls too. With that kind of incentive, I guarantee you’ll be too happy chewin’ to care about anythin’ else.”
    Sarah didn’t stop or turn around. “Don’t think bribing me with food porn is going to change anything between us.”
    Did she have to use the word porn ? Now Josh was picturing sex. Food and sex. Food and sex with Sarah. Food and lots of sex with Sarah. He could think of some interesting uses for the cinnamon-roll frosting already.
    “Josh?” Sarah had done an about-face and was watching him.
    “Yeah?”
    She pointed an accusing finger at him. “Don’t even think about it because it’s never going to happen.”
    “How do you know what I’m thinkin’?” Had he been drooling?
    “You have that look in your eye guys get when they’re imagining sex.” She narrowed her bright green eyes in warning. “Or maybe you’re having some kinky food fantasy. Either way, forget it.”
    “Forget the sex? Or the food? I’m up for either. How about both?” He couldn’t help saying it, but he wasn’t stupid. Josh was prepared to duck if she so much as tightened her fist to take a swing at him.
    “Food, yes. We can do that. Sex with you?” Her lips were set into a grim line until she smirked. “Not even for bacon.”
    She hadn’t slapped him yet so that was promising. It could also mean her arms were too sore to lift. Speaking of sore…“You should soak in a hot bath when you get home. It’ll help loosen your muscles.” Now there was a fantasy. Naked Sarah, candlelight reflecting off of her slick skin, all dewy and covered in bubbles, with her hair up and the tops of her…
    “Stop trying to get me naked.” The woman was a certified mind reader.
    “I didn’t mean to soak in a bath with me. Hey, if you insist, I’m sure we can work somethin’ out so we’ll both fit.”
    “Josh?” Sarah’s hands clenched up into little fists.
    He took a step backward. “What?”
    “Trust me when I say this. Given all the choices, I’d rather have the bacon.”
    “Sarah?” He took a step forward, then another one to see if she would back up.
    She stood her ground. “What?”
    “No, you wouldn’t.” He couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face in spite of the sparks shooting from her eyes.
    “Josh, you underestimate my love for bacon and my…”
    “…hatred of me?” Josh wished he wouldn’t have reminded her of it.
    “I don’t hate you.” Sarah’s expression shuttered, and the vibrancy she’d shown while they were bantering disappeared.
    “You don’t? What would you call it, then?”
    Sarah closed her eyes and let out a deep, frustrated breath. “Look, it was a long time ago. I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s forget it and move on, okay?”
    Josh opened her door and helped her up as gently as possible. He started the truck, and they drove along in silence for a few moments.
    “No.”
    His voice startled her out of whatever she was thinking.
    “What do you mean, no?”
    “I can’t move on until we talk about it. I want to explain what happened.”
    “I don’t care. I don’t want to hear it. You left years ago. End of story. You can talk about anything else, the weather, global warming, the state of the union, even the state of my mom’s love life…just not that.”
    “Fine. How often do you think your mom and my dad get frisky?” He’d meant to shock her. He’d shocked