Free No Place Like Home: The Coming Home Series, Book 1 by Jennifer Kacey Page A

Cole.
    “Hey, what about the guys?” Jerry, one of the locals who graduated a couple years before her, was the one who spoke up. Kia had given Charlie the 4-1-1 on everyone she’d asked about. Her best friend knew everyone. Talk about a social butterfly.
    Kia smiled and hugged someone else who walked by. “What about the guys, Jerry? They knew what they were getting into.”
    “Not those guys.” He waved toward the dunk tanks. “Us guys.” Then he gestured in the direction of the crowd. “I don’t particularly feel the need to throw my money away. Literally. On seeing Scout get wet. No offense, man.”
    “None taken,” one of the other guys in the tanks said and saluted him right before someone hit his target and he went under.
    “Funny you should mention that. Our unmanned booth right over there is the best and we saved it for last for a reason.” She pointed to a booth next to the five guys and Charlie’s stomach dropped. Two chairs. One for Kia and one for her.
    “Better than shirtless wet hunks in a cage?” Ms. McAdams, Charlie’s old Geometry teacher, asked. She’d been ancient when Charlie was in high school. Now, she was damn near a relic, but she was still pitching baseballs with the rest of them. She’d actually been one of Charlie’s favorite teachers. She couldn’t wait to say hi later.
    “We had a feeling the men might like a shot of estrogen so we have a kissing booth.”
    “That’s what I’m talking about.” Jerry did some little dance that several other people around him snickered at.
    “How much?” somebody else asked from the crowd
    “Who’s manning it? Hopefully not Ms. McAdams.”
    “Boy. I do believe you passed my class by the skin of your teeth. You’d be lucky if I manned that booth and let you anywhere near it with your pucker.”
    The crowd laughed.
    “Though we did try to get Ms. McAdams, she wasn’t available. Political figure and all. So, I’ll be manning it with my best friend, Charlie. Otherwise known as Bianca Charleston, who we all went to school with. We’ll be open in a few minutes.” Kia walked over and snatched her arm and turned her toward the unmanned booth.
    Charlie had to convince her feet to move. “You totally just outted me to, like, all of Buffalo and half the people we went to school with.”
    “Yes, I did.”
    “Uh, why?”
    Kia sat her down in one of the empty chairs and stood with her hands on her shoulders. “Because I know you stay away because you don’t want to be found out. Like that person you were before was so…so…less than. But you know what?”
    “No, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”
    “Darn tootin’ I am.”
    “You just said tootin’.”
    “You are amazing. Smart, sweet, funny and you’re hot.”
    “Are you hitting on me?” Charlie smiled and Kia rolled her eyes then flipped a sign down on the booth. It probably said kissing or something.
    “You know my door don’t swing that way, but if it did you’d be at the top of the list.”
    “Aww. That’s so nice. What is this?” Charlie stared at a tube Kia handed her.
    “Lipstick. Bright red. So we can leave a lasting impression on the lovely folks of Buffalo.” Kia applied some from a second tube with a mirror she pulled from below the booth. “Here. We already have people heading this way. And you’re not mad at me for outing you, right? I know I can be a bit ‘do now and think later’. And my spontaneity is one of my friendly quirks. At least that’s what I keep telling myself.” She pressed her lips together then puckered them in Charlie’s direction.
    Charlie grabbed the mirror and slicked on some of the Ruby Red. “I love you. You’re wonderful.” She closed the tube and handed the mirror back. “Impulsive but wonderful.”
    “Yeah! And before I forget. You don’t have to kiss anybody on the mouth. That you don’t want to, that is.” She winked at her and inclined her head toward the dunk booths.
    Cole was staring straight at her.