Page 40 of Hooked
“Hell,Idon’t want to know about it.” Cary walked to the door. “And you can give me shit about living with my mom, but just remember, if your mom cooked like my mom, you’d be living at home too.”
“Pop is hanging out with his buddies, so it’s frozen pizza for me tonight. In short, you may have a point.”
“Man, don’t eat frozen pizza. That’s just sad.” Cary paused at the door, fiddling with his messenger bag. “So let’s start putting it together. Say… next month? What weekend works for you?”
“Let me check with my mom, ’cause I know we’ve got a family thing next month. I’ll text you.”
“Cool. I’m doing a surf weekend with some friends on the twentieth. Any other date I can do.”
“Got it.” Jeremy walked over to open the door. “See ya.”
“Later.”
Jeremy locked up and thought about going home, but his pop was at the senior center for bingo, so Jeremy knew he was on his own for dinner. Cary was right. Frozen pizza was just sad. Then he glanced at Tayla’s text.
I hope ur ready to be wowed this weekend.
She’d inserted the wow-face emoji along with the martini glass, the dancing couple, and an inexplicable dinosaur.
We’re going dancing at Jurassic Park?
You have amazing powers of perception. So what do you think? Heels or flats?
You can only wear heels when you dance with dinosaurs. I saw that in a movie once.
She sent back a laughing face emoji.
Jeremy hesitated, then went with it. He tapped her picture and called. Tayla picked up after two rings.
“So forward, Mr. Allen. You just call a girl with no warning?”
“Only you.” He glanced at the clock. “Have you eaten?”
“No, I just finished work.” Her muffled voice spoke to someone in the background. “Sorry, Emmie and Ox are going out. I’m tired, honestly. Kind of a long day. I’ll probably just grab—”
“Let’s walk to Tacos Marcianos.” Jeremy winced. She was going to say no. “It’s just a few blocks and I’m starving. Have you been?”
“Wait… what?” She cleared her throat. “I’m not really dressed to go out. I just kicked off my shoes and—other than for dinosaurs—I’m not sure I have it in me to put heels back on. Much less go for a walk. My feet are killing me.”
“Borrow Emmie’s bike then. I’ll meet you at the shop and we can ride over. The tacos really are great.”
“I mean… I hear people talking about it, but—”
“Come on. It doesn’t matter what you’re wearing. I don’t care.”
“All men say that and none of them realize what they’re saying.”
“Tayla, you could make jeans and a ratty T-shirt look amazing. Have dinner with me. Be spontaneous. You can’t leave Metlin without going to Tacos Marcianos.”
Tayla huffed out a breath. “Fifteen minutes.”
“I’ll put on a clean shirt, but I’m warning you, I’m not fancy either.”
“Whatever. Men actuallycanlook good in jeans and a ratty T-shirt. I refuse. Give me fifteen minutes and I’ll meet you in the front of the shop.”
“Done.” Jeremy grinned. “See you in a few.”
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