“Yes, so please don’t embarrass me. Jesus.” I took a sip of my beer. “I’m regretting this already.”
“No, this is great,” he said, then raised his hand to get the waiter’s attention. “We need shots over here. Shit-ton of shots.”
“That is the last thing we need.”
“Ollie’s right,” Deb said, as she sidled up against her husband and then winked at me. “We should wait until Reid comes back.”
I shook my head. “You’re just as bad of an influence as he is, you know that?”
With a coy grin, she put her hand on her hip and cocked it to the side. “You didn’t think Mike wore the pants in this relationship, did you?”
No, I knew for a fact that Deb ran that household. She might only be five two in heels, but she could shame a man my size with her voice. I never could understand how such a small woman could have such a loud set of lungs, but that little blond spitfire always surprised me.
“Before he gets back, please remember that he has no idea who you are and he barely knows me. Treat him like you would someone you don’t know,” I said.
“Treat him like a stranger. Got it,” Deb said, and then a big smile lit up her face as her eyes went over my shoulder. “Oh my God!” She squealed over the music and ran over to attack Reid as he approached by throwing her arms around him. “You must be Reid. It’s so good to meet you.”
Reid looked at me with raised brows, and I groaned. Leave it to Deb to think greeting a stranger meant with a tackle hug.
“She does it to everyone,” Mike said as he reached out to shake Reid’s hand. “I’m Mike, Ollie’s better half on the job, and I claim the spider monkey clinging to you. Sometimes.”
Deb finally let go of Reid and swatted her husband.
“Oh, hi,” Reid said. “You’re a paramedic too?”
“I prefer the term Lord of Big Bertha, but I guess that works.”
Reid furrowed his brow and looked at me. “Big Bertha?”
“That’s what we call our ambulance,” I said. “Though if he’s the lord, I don’t know what that makes me.”
“My bitch?” Mike suggested.
“Ohhh, he is gonna squash you like a bug, babe. How about you go grab us those shots?” Deb slapped Mike on the ass and sent him off to the bar before turning back to us. “So, Reid,” Deb said, batting her lashes, “Ollie tells us he assaulted your ears in your class the other day.”
Reid looked over at me and grinned. “Did he?”
“I don’t recall using the word ‘assault,’ Deb,” I said. “Thanks for that.”
“I’ve heard you do karaoke, Ollie.” Deb cut her eyes at Reid. “Don’t ever encourage him to sing Queen. As a matter of fact, don’t encourage him to sing at all. Trust me.”
“That bad, huh?” Reid said, amusement twitching his lips.
Deb nodded. “I still wake up having nightmares about it.”
“Oh please,” I said. “Anyone’sthat badafter a few pitchers of margaritas.”
“Instead of ‘fandango,’ you sang, ‘Will you do the damn tango?’”
“An artistic choice.”
“I dunno, Ollie,” Reid said. “Anyone who destroys a Freddie Mercury song shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a microphone. Or a piano.”
Pretending to look at my watch, I said, “And on that note from the gang-up police, I think it’s time for me to go.”
“Oh stay.” Deb grabbed my shirt when I tried to walk off. “Let us embarrass you until Mike gets back. Then we can rag on him.”
“Rag on me for what?” Mike said, coming up behind her with a tray of shots.