Page 45 of You Had Me at Hockey

My heart bumps. “Yes.”

“That’s what you’re all about. Being real. Not everybody can dance like tWitch.”

I laugh. “You know who tWitch is?”

“Sure. I’m on TicTok.”

“No way.” I stop walking to pull out my phone. After a few swipes I find him and follow him.

“Don’t get too excited,” he says. “I don’t post much and it’s not very interesting.”

“Wait!” My eyes widen, staring at a video of him. “You’re dancing!”

He peers over at my phone. “Oh yeah. The guys made me do that step challenge with them. That was when I was in Dallas. We all got drunk.”

I give him a playful look. “Hey. You’re not as stuffy as you seem.”

“Stuffy?” He straightens. Then he sighs. “No, I really am stuffy.”

“Wearegoing to dance.” I put my phone away.

One more block and we’re at my place. On most Saturday nights, I’d feel like this was lame, being home this early, but I’m with Josh and it doesn’t feel lame. It feels…exciting.

Inside, I hang up our coats and move to my kitchen. “Would you like a drink?”

“Sure.”

“I have vodka.” I pull a bottle of Grey Goose out of the freezer. “And limoncello.” I close the freezer and peer into the fridge. “Oh, I have a few beers! And a bottle of rosé. I’ll have that.”

“A beer would be great. Is it Pissing Pigs Ale?”

“Ah! Ha, no! That was Pig’s Ass Porter. This is…Plaid to the Bone Ale.”

“Jesus.” But he’s grinning as he takes the bottle from me. “What ever happened to Bud Light?”

“Seriously?” I give him a reproving look. “Be adventurous.”

“Seems I have no choice around you.”

For a moment, I’m still and silent, feeling that pang of shame I’ve felt so many times when people pull back from me. But when I glance at Josh, his lips are tipped into a rueful smile and his eyes are warm. Maybe he didn’t mean it as a slight? Maybe he actually…likes that about me?

I gaze down at the bottle of wine in my hands, my breath stuck in my chest.

“Hey,” he says quietly, as if sensing my uncertainty. “Like I said earlier…sometimes it’s more fun when your plans get blown up.”

I meet his eyes. “If I piss you off, will you tell me?”

“Honesty’s important to you, isn’t it?” He sets his beer on the counter and takes the wine bottle from me.

“Yes.” I open a drawer and find the corkscrew. I pass it over and he works at opening the wine.

“I’ll tell you.”

“Thank you.” I pull a wineglass out of a cupboard and set it down. Josh pours wine into it and then we walk into my living room. I start some music, turn on the fireplace, and take a seat next to him on the couch, curling my legs under me.

“What would your perfect day look like?” I ask.

He smiles at the unexpected question. “Hmm. I guess…I’d like to have morning sex. Then shower sex. Then breakfast.”

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