Page 64 of The Alternate Captain
She doesn’t scoot back into the booth. Instead, she leans across and grabs her coat.
“I’m sorry to do this, but I’m taking off. I’ve literally had enough. Can you text me and let me know what I owe you for the drinks? Thanks, Kel.”
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
“I’ll text you,” she says, retreating towards the exit.
She stops to let a server pass as Lyla comes skidding out from the direction of the bathrooms a few seconds later.
“Wow,” Johnny says, looking at me with a raised eyebrow. “Shall we—”
“Sure,” I say, shuffling in the space I have to reach for my coat, but Johnny knits his brows together.
“Oh, did you want to leave?”
“I thought—”
“I was just going to ask if we should order,” he says, tapping the menu that’s open in front of me. “I’m starving. Unless youwant to go home?”
“I don’t.”
“Good,” he says.
I’m not sure what he’s going to do next. He doesn’t have to pretend anymore, but he’s still pressed right up against me. I can see his jaw tighten and then he leans closer, our eyes locking. And for a moment, I think he’s going to kiss me.
Someone clears their throat to the side of us, and we both dart our heads towards the noise.
“Are you guys ready to order—or are you waiting for the rest of your party?” the server asks.
“Just us and—are you ready, beautiful?” Johnny’s hand runs gently along my arm and my skin prickles with goosebumps. I can’t even remember my own name right now, let alone my order. “Kelly?”
“Yes. Right.”
The server pulls out a little notepad from a front pocket but doesn’t take her eyes off Johnny. She stares at him for a beat before tilting her head to the side, recognition dawning on her face.
“Oh, wait—are you Johnny Koenig?” she asks, widening her eyes slightly, and to my complete surprise, Johnny shakes his head.
“Nah, but I get that all the time.”
I have to bite my lip to hold in a laugh, managing right up to the point where the server walks away after taking our order.
Once it’s just us again, I giggle. Johnny laughs too, a deep, rumbly chuckle that has me wondering how often he lets his guard down, allowing the less serious side of him to come out to play.
He takes a sip of water then clears his throat.
“Want to hear something funny but also very embarrassing?” he asks, lips tightening into a straight line. “Aw, man. I can’t even think about it, really.”
“Okay, now I need to know,” I say, grinning at him.
He runs his hands through his hair, then grins at me.
“When I bumped into Charlotte the other day, I was having brunch with my sister. When we first got there, I had a few fans ask me for autographs and whatever. And I have this thing where I feel obliged to say yes, even if I’m eating or whatever.They pay our wages when you think about it, so it’s the least I can do.”
“Right...”
“Anyway, someone who turned out to be Lyla wanted to borrow the salt from our table, but I thought she was asking for my autograph, and...” Johnny’s shoulders start shaking as he laughs. “I was so embarrassed.”
“Oh my God,” I say, clamping my hand over my mouth.
