Page 32 of A Better Place

“Hey, Jack!” I call out before he can walk away. “Barrett, you know, Maggie’s dad?” I ask, teasing him a little.

He chortles, “Yeah, I know the guy.”

“He and I will start working on the old diner this week. You should stop by.”

His eyes light up and he grins. “Really?”

“Sure, why not? Maybe you can even have a turn with the sledge hammer.”

“Cool,” he says with an awkward thumbs up. “Thanks, man. Have a good one.” He gives me a low wave as he walks back toward his pickup and climbs into the driver’s seat.

“So.” I turn fully to Carly, hoping to catch her eyes.

“So?”

“At the football game, I was actually going to ask you two questions, but I punked out on both accounts.”

“Oh yeah?” She looks up at me from under her lashes, those giant chocolate brown eyes sucking me in.

“Yup. I was going to ask for your number,” I put my hand up to stop her when it looks like she’s going to interrupt me. “Friends, right?”

“Just friends?” Her voice is full of trepidation.

“I promise. I won’t push. I won’t pressure. But, Carly, I had a lot of fun this afternoon.”

“Me too.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she says, her eyes going soft. She looks at me, really looks at me, and it feels like she is trying to see what is hidden below. If I am pretending to be someone I’m not. Whatever she sees must make her realize I’m being real because she reaches out a hand, palm up, asking for my phone. I place it in her hand, my fingertips grazing hers very purposefully. Her eyes that were focused on our hands shoot up to my eyes. I may have promised just friends, but that doesn’t turn off my attraction to her.

Nor does it change the fact that my end goal is becoming more than friends, no matter how long it takes.

She quickly pulls the phone close and programs her number into it. As soon as she hands it back to me, I open the camera app and snap a picture of her before she can protest.

“Hey! I look like crap!” I notice she isn’t fighting me taking the picture, just that she’s afraid she looks bad.

One side of my mouth turns up. “Beautiful, remember?”

She bites that lip again and murmurs a thank you. She looks over at Jack waiting in the pickup and throws an arm in his direction.

“I’d better go.”

“Okay.” I nod

She hesitates, not moving a single inch from her spot, which only makes my heart soar, knowing that she doesn’t want to leave either.

“Jack’s waiting.”

“He is,” I agree, not hiding the now enormous grin on my face.

“Yeah.” She’s staring at me, and her voice is light and airy.

“Want me to walk you over there?” I ask.

She shakes her head fast and jerks back in response. “What? No! I mean. Ugh. I’m sorry.” And even though I can tell it bothers her, I love that I can make her fumble with her words.

Her entire body deflates as if she’s embarrassed, her head dropping down.

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