Page 94 of A Pizza My Heart

“But I should have. I should have taken the time to get to know her before legally binding my life to hers like I did. I shouldn’t have jumped into it without a second thought.”

“You were trying to be a good man, Foster. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Besides, that’s what all this is about, right? These dates. We’re trying to get you back in the saddle, get you back out there so you can find someone who isn’t completely nuts.” She winks. “Because a little crazy is kind of fun.”

Right. Our dates, the ones that are just supposed to be us pretending. Even after the conversation we had, after the night in my truck…it’s still all pretend for her.

She downs the rest of her whiskey sour. “Okay, enough sappy. Let’s dance.”

“You sure? I haven’t even told you all the juicy parts, like howafterI walked out, she continued to use my credit, ruin it, and then let her parents pay me off to get out of town so I didn’t ruin their socialite daughter’s good image.”

Her eyes widen at my confession and she motions for the bartender for the third time tonight.

“Two more, please.”

He obliges and slides two shots our way.

“I have to drive, Wren.”

“No, you have to relax. Take the shot. Dance with me. Let’s let go for the night.”

I look at her, at the drink, then back at her.

“Let go,” she urges.

I see the look in her eyes. She needs this as badly as I do.

“Fuck it.” I grab the shot and down it before I can think twice. “Guess we’re getting a taxi.”

She claps and lets out a squeal then slams her own shot. She grabs my shirt, pulling me off the bar. “Let’s go forget our troubles together.”

“We’re actually going to dance to this?”

“I’m going to pretend you didn’t just ask that. You can’tnotdance to this song.”

I tilt my head, straining to hear the music as she drags me onto the full dance floor. It’s not until I see the people grinding against one another that I realize what’s playing: “Shake Ya Ass”.

“See!” she yells, laughing and dancing into me.

I wrap my arm around her waist and yank her close, keeping a hand on the small of her back as I swing her around the dance floor.

It’s a mix of modern songs turned swing and actual tunes from the genre. I love the surprise at every turn.

“I Melt With You” comes on and she lets out a sigh, collapsing her tired body against mine. I grin when I feel her lips brush against my chest as she sings the lyrics to one of her favorite songs.

She pushes away from me, a gleeful grin spread across her lips.

“If you could”—she pumps her brows up and down—“melt the world with anyone, who would it be? And youcannotsay Emma Stone because that’s my answer.”

“You.”

I don’t think. It just flies right out of my mouth.

It hovers there between the two of us as we stand frozen, her shocked and me pissed as fuck at myself for letting it slip out like a moron.

“I—”

“Pee!” She shoves away from me. “I have to pee.”

She takes off, leaving me standing here staring after her like a lovesick idiot.

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