Page 20 of Rules

I reach out, grabbing her right above her left wrist.

"Huh?" She looks down at my hand, blinking. "Hi!"

"The bathrooms are that way." I point behind her as I move her wrist toward the right direction. "Turn around."

"Oh, when did they move them? Should leave them in place during an event. Otherwise, people can't find them." Her indignation is adorable.

Ruth turns around and heads for the bathrooms. I know how she's feeling. My head is going to hurt tomorrow. We probably should have eaten when the food was offered, but we were deep in conversation about my military years, and neither of us seemed to want to interrupt the flow. Hindsight: I should have insisted we eat.

Ruth comes back to the table, giggling the entire way.

"Did you see? Almost everyone is gone. Poof." She raises her hands, spreads her fingers, and makes a blowing up gesture."Poof, gone." She sits down next to me on the same side of the bench. "Hey, did I tell you my secret?"

"Yes, you said your men have been bad in bed." I smile at her.

"No, not that secret, silly. My ooother secret, are you istenin?" She leans on my arm, bringing her hand under my arm so her fingers are around the top of my bicep. "Dang, strong." She pokes the muscle.

I tighten it, just to show off a little.

"Wow," she pushes on my arm with her finger. "I like a man with arms."

"That's your secret? You like men with arms? Well that gives you quite a few to pick from." I can't help but laugh, which she joins in on.

"No, no, no, I do like a guy with arms and muscles in his arms but." She puts her index finger to her mouth. "Shh, this is a secret. Promise not to tell?"

"I promise. That's what secrets are, not telling." I find myself leaning closer, drawn to her warmth.

The last of the other group that stuck it out tonight stands to leave when a van with an Uber sign in the window pulls into the parking lot. We exchange good nights. Then it is just Ruth and me, alone.

"I was going to tell you something, I think." She places her head on my shoulder.

"You were going to tell me your secret." I finished off my last beer.

"I was. Did you promise not to tell?"

"I did, even crossed my heart." I make the motion.

"Aww, you crossed your heart for me? That's so sweet, I would do the same for you I promise." She lays her head on my shoulder, her hand lazily tracing the vein in my arm. "I'm glad I told you my secret because it's true. I do think you are sexy, Ihave for a while now. I sees you and I think, now there is one sexy ass man. And in that uniform? Woof! Makes me melt."

I freeze in my seat. She thinks I'm sexy?

"And," she continues. "And, and, I've wanted to get to talk with you, but you were always so, so proper. I didn't want to not be proper. But I don't want to be proper with you."

As I turn my head, she raises her head off my arm. Our faces are inches apart.

"You think I'm sexy?" She closes her eyes and nods her head up and down.

When she opens her eyes again, I close the distance between our lips. Kissing her hard, she immediately opens her mouth, and our drunk tongues meet. I know I shouldn't, since we're both under the influence, but I can't stop myself. We sit there and kiss for what seems like hours, her hands tentatively exploring my chest, mine tangled in her copper hair. When we finally end the kiss she puts her head back on my shoulder.

"I feel like I've been kissing you for years. I like it." She yawns. "I'm tired."

Pulling out my phone, I use the app and request a ride. I'm told one will be there in five minutes.

"Come on, I have a car coming." After a couple of clumsy attempts, we stand.

"Where are we going? Wait, am I under arrest?" Ruth glares at me with mock suspicion.

"What? No, I called an Uber to give us a ride." I kiss the top of her head.

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