She starts walking, and I follow her lead. “Hey, I thought you were under a contract not to reveal any of his secrets?”
“He won’t mind me telling you that one. It’s kid’s stuff. The more complicated ones, now, if I told you about those he’d probably have my balls in a blender.”
I don’t point out the fact that girls don’t have balls. Although, if there was a girl to change that, it would definitely be Jessie. We walk down a side street to find Jay leaning casually against the wall of a building, smoking a cigarette with a big smile on his face. As soon as I reach him, he throws his arm around my shoulders.
“Well, what did you think?”
“You were amazing,” I tell him shyly.
Jessie snorts. “Now I know why you like having her around so much. She strokes your ego no end.”
“That’s not all she strokes,” says Jay, giving her a cheeky wink.
“Oh, my God, you did not just say that!” I look to Jessie. “He’s lying. Tell her you’re lying.”
“Now, why would I lie and tell her I’m lying?” he teases, his grin deepening by the second. God, I hate him sometimes.
“Ugh, don’t listen to him. There has been no stroking between us.”
Jay’s deep chuckle makes me shiver, and I know what I’ve said isn’t technically true, but whatever. “Okay, now that that’s all cleared up. Who wants pancakes for dinner?”
“Number one,” says Jessie. “You’re in Europe now. They’re not pancakes, they’re crepes. And number two, unless we’re talking the savoury kind, who eats crepes for dinner?”
“I still call them pancakes,” I put in. “You can do either, really. Plus, I love dessert for dinner.”
Jay’s hand moves to clasp my neck, giving it a tender squeeze. It takes me by surprise because it’s such an intimate place to touch someone. Involuntarily, I shiver.
“You see. Watson agrees with me. Pancakes it is.”
I have to try hard not to react too much to his hand placement, but there are goose pimples running all the way down my spine. His thumb brushes back and forth over my skin, giving me tingles.
When we arrive at a nearby crepe café and go inside, we get a table by the window. I order peanut butter and Nutella crepes with no small amount of delight, and Jay is so taken with my childlike glee that he goes for the same. Jessie asks for a BLT, not indulging in my “dessert for dinner” idea.
“Okay,” I say after we’ve been served our food and I’ve stuffed down half of mine already. I need a breather before I can finish it all. “I really, really, really would be forever indebted to you if you just revealed how you did one trick. Just one, that’s all I’m asking for.”
Jay wipes his mouth with a napkin, his lips forming a smirk. “When you say ‘forever indebted,’ just what are we talking about here?”
Jessie makes a foreboding sound. “No way, sweetheart. You don’t want to do that. This fucker’s a slave driver when you owe him.”
“Okay, well, maybe I won’t be forever in your debt. Perhaps I was getting a little carried away with myself. If you tell me one trick, I’ll owe you one thing in return. You can decide, but it has to be reasonable, like washing your car or something.”
Jay leans forward and steeples his fingers in front of him. “Will you wash my car topless?” he asks huskily.
My cheeks colour, and Jessie lets out a bark of a laugh. “Oh, now, that is a good idea.”
“Okay, let me amend my offer. I will owe you, but it can’t be sexual.”
“Topless isn’t sexual,” says Jay. “Topless is natural.”
“I second that,” Jessie adds.
“How about braless?” Jay goes on.
God, these two. Why do I even bother?
“Fine. I retract my offer,” I huff, sitting back in my seat and folding my arms.
“Hey, now, I never said I wouldn’t agree to nonsexual. How about this? I’ll tell you how I did one trick, and in exchange you have to come work with me the next time I do some shows in Vegas?”
I stare at him for a long time. “Uh, how is that payment? That’s a free holiday.”
“A working holiday,” Jay amends.
“Okay, you don’t have to threaten me with a free holiday twice,” I say, smiling widely. “It’s a deal.” I reach out and we shake on it, Jay clasping my hand tight.
“It’s a deal, darlin’. Now, tell me which trick you want me to explain.”
“Oh, my God,” says Jessie. “This is new. You never told me any of your secrets until I’d signed on the dotted line.”