Page 23 of The Wiener Across the Way

We moved onto favorite TV shows and movies, and I tested him by mentioning one of Jake’s action adventure blockbusters.

“It was just meh, honestly. To me, to be a good movie it’s got to have some action, it’s gonna have some comedy, and it needs a little romance. I’m not saying it has to be a romcom. But come on, we know it’s always about a girl.”

“What’s always about a girl?”

“Everything. Fat bottomed girls make the rocking world go round.”

I laughed. “Yep, we sure do.”

I wasn’t even sure how we flowed from topic to topic, but we seemed to cover it all. He told me an embarrassing childhood story about how his older brother had convinced him that the loud sound a toilet made was because there was a lion in it.

I found out we shared a love of dogs, and that growing up, they always had great big dogs that they named Bear.

My stomach rumbled, and Pooh woke up and growled at it.

“Was that your stomach?”

“Yes, and Wiener the Pooh. I think we’d better get a snack for both of us.” I crawled out of bed and padded my way to the small kitchenette in the suite.

“I could eat.” I heard the rustle of bed linens on his end and found myself wondering if he was wearing anything.

I was not going to do the cliché late-night phone call thing and ask him to tell me what he was wearing. I was not. I was not.

“What’s on for late-night snacks? I’ve got, uh, a leftover smoothie, which looks like someone threw up or… I think this used to be a hamburger.”

“Used to be?”

“It might have been a cheeseburger.” He made a retching sound. Gross.

“I am generally a fan of cheeseburgers, but you’re scaring me.”

“Jules did mention you’re a bit of a cheese connoisseur.”

Oh no. “That comment about having a love affair with cheese is going to haunt me the rest of my life. But I wasn’t lying. Cheese is the way to my heart, and Pooh’s too.”

“Good to know. I’ll remember that for our first official date.”

The mention of a date, even in jest, made my stomach flutter. This was all supposed to be fake, but it felt anything but.

We both found something edible and talked about everything and nothing, our conversation meandering like a lazy river. Eventually, I made my way back to bed and curled up under the blankets, phone cradled to my ear.

As the night deepened, so did our conversation. We touched on deeper topics—our dreams, fears, what drove us. It was intimate, real, and utterly terrifying in its sincerity.

The sky outside began to lighten, a soft, blue hue creeping in. We had been talking all night and continued to as the dawn broke. Our conversation was a soft murmur, a comforting presence. It was crazy, this connection I felt with him, but it was there, undeniable and growing stronger with each passing minute.

“I should let you get some sleep, Kels.” His voice was reluctant, mirroring my own feelings.

“I think that should be the other way around.” I didn’t know his schedule, but an athlete must need a good night’s sleep, and we’d been up all night. “Maybe just a few more minutes. I’m not quite ready to go to sleep.”

I didn’t want to let go of what we’d had together tonight. I wanted more. I hadn’t realized how much I’d needed this, someone to talk to, to connect with on a level beyond the surface.

Declan chuckled, a warm, comforting sound. “Okay, Kelsey. A few more minutes. But get under the covers and get yourself tucked in. You need your rest.”

Me? Why did I find it incredibly sweet that he was thinking about me needing rest, when I was thinking of him? To be honest, it was a first for me. “What if I’m not sleepy?”

He made low humming sound. “You need some help relaxing?”

“Always. I’m kind of a type-A person. I’m not great with doing nothing.” I’d been go, go, go since I was a kid, but when I wonThe Choicest Voice, my career kicked that into an even higher gear.

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