a sunbake.
Time passed pleasantly, and Sam
managed to finish the whole flower bed and was just getting ready to start
planting the seedlings when a cop car pulled into the driveway.
Straightening, he watched as his
friend got out of the car. “Alan.”
“Hey.” Alan meandered across the
lawn to study the flower bed. “Got a body under there?”
Sam waved towards the small box of
seedlings.
“Good idea. Plant flowers and no
one will ever guess what you’ve really got buried.”
Sam grinned. “I’d offer you a
beer, but I see you’re still on duty.”
“You know me, always on the case,
justice, law, order, all that shit.”
“Yeah, ‘cause that attitude will
get you promoted.”
“That’s why I’m not angling for
that at this stage.”
Sam raised his brows.
“With promotion comes greater
responsibility, better pay, and more respect.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“The responsibility part.”
“Ah.”
“Yep.” Squatting down, Alan gave SJ
a rub. “How’s the man?”
“Obviously more responsible than
you.”
Alan laughed. “SJ doesn’t have a
care in the world. You dote on him.”
“He’s had it tough.”
“Before he found you, the best
sucker around, and made himself at home.” Alan straightened. “I don’t know
that he ever forgave you for getting him unmanned at the vet, though.”
“Trust me, he doesn’t care.” Kneeling
on the ground, Sam started to carefully plant the seedlings. “How’s Sophie?”
“Right in the middle of writing
her latest girlie porn.”
“Happy, then.”
“Man, she’s married to me. Of
course she’s happy.”
Sam rolled his eyes.
Alan continued, “I see your new
neighbours are moving in across the road.”
“Yep.”
“Met them yet?”
“Yep.”
When Sam didn’t continue, Alan
probed, “Well?”
“Well, what?”
“Don’t be an arse. What are they
like?”
“He rides a Harley, but I haven’t
actually met him properly. She’s nice.”
“I saw the Harley in the
driveway.” There was a pause, then, “Is the chick hot?”
Sam looked up to see Alan gazing
across at the house opposite. “She’s taken.”
“But is she hot?”
Sam sat back on his heels. “Alan,
you’re married.”
“Not for me, you nong. For you.”
“She already has a bloke.”
“But are they together?”
“They’re living together,” Sam
pointed out dryly.
“Doesn’t mean anything. You and I
lived together, and we weren’t married.”
“Do you know how that sounds?”
Alan thought for a moment. “Oh. Right.
I meant, we shared the house, but we weren’t an item.”
“Thank God.”
“Anyway.” Alan returned his
attention to the house opposite. “Is she a hot - whoa. Big chick.”
Sam followed his gaze to see Carly
striding around from the back of the house to climb the steps onto the veranda.
Her generous hips swayed gracefully as she walked, and when she turned sideways
to say something, he couldn’t help but notice the equally generous breasts
pushing out the front of her shirt.
“Pretty,” Alan commented. “Not
like my Soph, of course.”
Man, Carly was built like an
over-blown hour glass. Sam swallowed.
“You all right?” Alan queried.
“Gardening’s thirsty work, I need
my water bottle.” No way was he going to let Alan know that the sight of Carly
had affected him a little. He turned back to the flower bed and proceeded to
pat down the soil around a small seedling.
“Is that her bloke? Cripes, he’s
skinny. Needs to work out some, build some muscle so he can wrestle that sheila
to the ground and-”
“Jesus, Alan. Do you talk to
Sophie like this?”
“All the time.”
“I bet you spend a lot of time on
the sofa.”
“ We do. On the sofa, the
table, the bed, the -”
“Try to remember that she’s my
cousin, all right? I really don’t want to hear about your sexual
exploitations.”
“You have no idea what you’re