Page 46 of About that Fling
She crashed into a wall with a fleeting thought of who changed the layout of the restaurant. Belatedly, she realized it wasn’t a wall at all. Not one made of bricks or wood, anyway.
She put her hands out to catch herself, pressing her palms against the chest she’d spent too much time staring at in a photograph lately. She looked up into those green eyes and lost her breath.
“Hello, Jenna.”
If thinking about Jenna on a random Friday evening was enough to conjure her up and have her fall into his arms, Adam figured he should probably spend more time imagining himself winning the lottery.
It wasn’t random, dumbass. You came here hoping you’d run into her.
Not literally, though. “Whoa there,” he said, catching her by the shoulders and setting her upright. Mistake. A surge of electricity fizzed through his fingers and up his arms, leaving him eager to touch more of her. All of her.
“Adam,” she gasped, looking flustered. She stared at her own hands, like she was trying to figure out how they’d ended up pressed against his chest. He didn’t care, he just wanted them to stay there.
Instead she pried her hands away and took a step back. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, I was planning to take a leak, then order a pizza. Pretty much the normal things you do when you’re walking to the bathroom at a pizza parlor.”
“No, I mean here—I mean—never mind.”
“You told me Rigatelli’s was the best. I wanted to check it out for myself.”
“Right. The karaoke doesn’t start for another hour.”
“I didn’t come for the karaoke.”
He let the words hang there for a moment, wondering if she’d read into that or just assume he meant the pizza. He wasn’t sure himself.
She glanced over her shoulder at a table in the corner where a dark-haired guy with the build of an NFL linebacker sat hunched over a table, fiddling with his phone. Adam studied the guy for a moment, then looked at Jenna.
“Ah, I get it. You’re on a date. Don’t worry, Jenna. I’m not planning to make a scene. Well, not unless you want me to.”
“No, it’s not that. Not a date, that is.” She blew out a breath and glanced over her shoulder again. “It’s just my ex-fiancé. We just ran into each other, and it’s kind of a significant date in our history, so it sorta morphed into dinner together.” She shrugged and gave a look like she wanted the ground to swallow her up. Or maybe Adam was reading too much into it. “Anyway, the whole thing feels really awkward, you know?”
Adam nodded, oddly relieved to discover she could relate to the sort of ex weirdness he’d been dealing with all week. “Ah, the joys of unwelcome fraternization with an ex. Is there anything more awkward?”
Jenna gave a funny sort of half smile and looked thoughtful. “How about singing along with Vanilla Ice and realizing your car windows are down?”
He laughed, admiring her quick wit. “Did that really happen to you?”
“Maybe.” She nibbled her lip. “It was pretty awkward.”
“More or less awkward than when a waiter tells you to have a good meal and you reply, ‘You too!’ like a dumbass.”
It was her turn to laugh, and he watched her shoulders relax. He ached to touch them again, but settled for shoving his hands in his pockets.
“What about pushing a door and then realizing it says ‘pull’ in big red letters?” she offered.
He chuckled. “Having a coughing fit in the middle of a meeting when you choke on your tea?”
“Watching a movie with your elderly aunt and discovering there’s a really graphic sex scene.”
“Ha!” This was fun. “How about answering a question you think a stranger just asked you and then it turns out he’s wearing earbuds and talking on the phone?”
“Awkward,” she agreed. “Been there, done that. Once with a woman having a conversation on the other side of the bathroom stall. I kept answering questions she was asking, thinking ‘this is kind of weird, but maybe she’s just friendly.’ She finally put the call on hold and told me to cut it out.”
Adam laughed and leaned against the wall, really enjoying himself now. “That’s a good one. Definitely ex-fraternization level of awkwardness. How about splashing your crotch at a drinking fountain and feeling compelled to explain to everyone that you didn’t really pee yourself?”
“Oooh, good one. What about smiling at someone who’s checking you out in a bar, and then realizing they’re looking at the person behind you?”
