His Fair Lady Read Online Free Page B

call my roommate to come get me.”
    “Why drag her out in this weather? I’m here. I have a car. I’ll take you.”
    “My roommate’s not a she; he’s a he. His name is Kyle.”
    “Kyle, huh? Boyfriend?”
    She shook her head. “No, just friend.”
    The relief he felt at that news flash was way out of proportion. But why dwell on that?
    “Still, why make him come out in the rain? I’ll even go get the car and pick you up so you don’t have to get wet.”
    “I don’t want to put you to any trouble.”
    Mark knew then he’d won, and he suppressed a grin. “It’s no trouble. Wait here and I’ll—”
    “No, I’ll walk to the car with you.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “I’m sure.”
    Mark opened the door. The rain was coming down in sheets so heavy it was hard to see more than a few feet ahead.
    “You ready?”
    “Ready.”
    They stepped outside.
    On an impulse, Mark reached out, caught her hand in his, and they ran.
     
    IT TOOK LESS than five minutes to reach Mark’s car and get inside. Still, Josie was soaked down to her underwear by the time she pulled the door shut behind her. She wiped her face on her sopping-wet sleeve and shivered.
    “You’re freezing,” Mark said and stuck the key in the ignition. The engine purred to life, and frigid air blasted in their faces. Mark turned the fan down. “Sorry. It’ll warm up pretty fast. And by the way, where am I going?”
    “At least it’s dry in here.” Josie gave her address and gathered her dripping hair in both hands. She was about to wring it out when she remembered she was sitting in Mark’s car. Oops. She let go, and it settled around her in a soggy curtain. “Do you know where that is?”
    “Sure. It’s not that far, but you would have drowned walking home in this.”
    She laughed. “I look like I did anyway.”
    “Me too,” Mark said and shoved wet hair back from his face.
    “Here comes the heat.”
    Josie held her chilly fingers out toward the vent. The warm air felt glorious, and she rubbed her hands together.
    “So tell me about you and Kyle.” Mark backed the car out of the parking space.
    “There’s nothing to tell. We’re friends. We’ve been friends for a long time. He decided to go to this college because of me.”
    Why had she told him that? She had no idea.
    “But it’s not a boyfriend-girlfriend thing.”
    She looked for the skepticism in his comment, but there was none. He just wanted to know.
    “No, not a boyfriend-girlfriend thing.”
    “Is he gay?”
    Josie opened her mouth, closed it. Kyle was open about his orientation, but she still didn’t feel like she should be talking about him, even though she knew he wouldn’t care.
    “Sorry, that was a rude question. Sometimes I don’t think before I say stuff. My brother’s gay and, in my family, it’s no big deal so…”
    No big deal?
    Josie’s pulse accelerated, and she twisted her hands together in her lap to keep them from fidgeting. Just because Mark’s brother was gay and it was “no big deal” didn’t mean he was some kind of pansexual love god and the answer to all her t-girl yearnings.
    It took some effort, but she kept her tone casual. “Your brother’s gay?”
    “Yeah, and his boyfriend used to be a priest. How’s that for family drama?”
    “He probably wouldn’t appreciate you telling me that.”
    “About him being gay? Nah, Chris has been out since as long as I can remember.”
    “No, I mean the priest thing. That’s kind of personal.”
    Mark shrugged. “Kevin won’t care. He might tell you himself when you meet him. If it came up, I mean.”
    “Why would it come up? And I’m hardly likely to meet him anyway.”
    “You’ll meet him when they come to the show.”
    “Your brother’s boyfriend is going to come to our show?”
    “Sure. They always come see me when I’m in a show or a concert or something. My whole family does. Chris, Kevin, my mom, they’ll all be there on opening night. I’ll introduce you. Maybe we’ll go