Page 70 of Love at First Sighting
“And now it’s my problem.”
“It is.”
Carter brings his hand to the side of my face, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear with a smile. “I think I can live with that.”
I grab his shirt and pull myself onto him.
“I’ll even let you use some of my products,” I tease, pressing my forehead to his.
“Oh my god,” he gasps. “I am going to besoexfoliated. So cucumber-y.”
He mutes my laughing with a kiss but slowly pulls away. He caresses my cheek with his thumb, and the easiest, most comfortable smile spreads across his face.
“I’m just happy to haveyouhere.” I’m fighting to keep back the tears springing to the corners of my eyes. After Bex, Lea,the fake images,my mom…knowing my presence brings him joy is the exact medicine I need. “The shower gels are small potatoes.”
“Thank you.”
He nods and leans in for another peck on the nose. So far, we’ve had rendezvous and stolen kisses, but now we have time to slow down. Now we might have time to put a name to this or figure out what these feelings even mean.
“Is Leonard going to mind?”
Carter shakes his head. “No. You might actually have to get working on that gamer babes sponsorship thing, though.”
I collapse into his chest with a laugh. “G-Babez.”
“Close enough,” he says, stroking my cheek with his thumb. “Let me take you on a date.”
“What?”
“A date. You and me. It’s what you usually do when you like someone a lot. Sometimes it comes before having sex with them on your desk at work, but not always. One night where it’s just us, being whoever we want to be. All eyes on us or none at all. Whatever makesyouhappiest.”
My ribs contract and my heart leaps. A date where I do what I want, dress how I want, act how I want, with someone who wants that, too. I haven’t been on a date that wasn’t a calculated event in years. I can’t think of anything better.
I smile. “I have one condition.”
“Tell me.”
“I don’t want you to wear a suit.” I think over what he said before. “I mean, unless you want to.”
“Oh, trust me, I don’t.” Carter’s mouth drops open and he sucks in a breath. “But what do you want me to wear?”
“I want you to wear whatever makes you happiest.”
We spend the next half hour getting ready, and most of that is the two of us staring at both of our wardrobes trying to decide what we’re going to wear. Carter’s closet contains mostly jeans and T-shirts sporting everything from band names to Dodgers logos.
He ponders his outfit for longer than I do.
I’m finishing pulling my hair into a careless bun and putting on the faintest bits of makeup when Carter steps out of the bathroom and runs his fingers through his hair, which is a little curly when he isn’t gelling it back. He looks oddly nervous, like this is the first time we’re ever seeing each other. He’s chosen a pair of casual brown pants, a white T-shirt, and a denim jacket. The one thing that remains the same are his usual black Converse. He’s boyish and handsome, cut with the sharp angles and shadows of his face.
All I know is it makes me smile.
I climb off the bed and slide my arms around his shoulders. The blue in the denim makes his eyes pop.
“I pass your test?” he asks.
I nod. “You pass.”
Chapter 20
