Page 7 of D.I.E.T. (Did I Eat That?)

I couldn’t shake this guy. “What’s up? Did I forget something?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he answered. “You forgot to smile when you see me.”

“What? Am I supposed to smile simply because you’re ridiculously attractive?”

“You find me attractive?”

“I didn’t say that.” I shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, hefting my gym bag higher up my shoulder for something to do other than look in hishighly attractiveface.

“Yes, you did.”

“Whatever,” I huffed. “Why are women supposed to smile at you?”

“Not women—just you.”

“Okay, but why?”

“Because I’m your accountability partner.” Reaching over, he lifted my bag from my shoulder to heft it on his own. “Now let’s go back to where you find me unbearably attractive. I like that part.”

“You’re unbearable, all right.”

“I think you’re gorgeous, in case you wanted to know.”

“I didn’t ask, Sinjin.”

“Maybe not, but it’s there for future reference.”

“Ugh! Why are you so annoying?”

“I like to think of it as charming. Do you have to go right to work?”

“Not right to work, why?”

“Oh, because I’m taking you to an early lunch. After upchucking, your stomach must be rather empty.”

“No—I’m just gonna grab—”

“Lunch with me,” he finished. “No sense eating alone when you’ve got a willing lunch participant right here.”

“You get punched a lot, don’t you?” I asked. He ignored my question, laughing instead as he pressed his hand to my shoulder blade again to walk me out to the parking lot. The frigid wind howled and whipped my hair around my face and shoulders.

“I have a car,” I protested, yelling to be heard over the gales of January.

“I don’t trust you not to ditch me,” he yelled back. Good call—wait, I meant how dare he assume such things about me? “Don’t worry. I’ll bring you back to your car after we’re done.”

He opened the passenger door to his truck and waited. Did I or didn’t I go with him? “I need to see your license first.”

He didn’t even think twice before reaching inside his pant pocket to pull out his wallet. Opening it, he slid the license from the plastic sleeve and handed it over. Shocked that he actually went along with my request, as I stood there freezing, I pulled my phone from my purse to click off a picture of his I.D.

“I’m sending this to my friend,” I said. “In case you think of kidnapping me or causing bodily harm, they’ll catch you.”

“Bodily harm doesn’t sound very nice. You want me to talk to your friend? Call them right now. Otherwise, can you climb in? I’m freezing my nubs off out here.”

“Fine,” I huffed. “Let’s get this over with.”

Leaving his license in my care for the time being, Sinjinhefted my booty inside the cab. As I clicked on my seatbelt he said, “You’re cute when you’re annoyed.” Then he tweaked my nose. Again.

“Then I’m gonna be cute a whole lot around you,” I mumbled when he closed the door. He jogged around the truck, which I thought was a bad idea, considering the thin layer of ice coating the blacktop.

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