Page 40 of Falling into Place
Brooks couldn’t help it, he laughed. “Really?”
“I made Pepper a sweater last month.”
“It’s May.”
She shrugged. “He’s an indoor cat.”
“Would you make one for Oreo?”
“Sure, what size is he?”
How the hell was he supposed to know? Were cat sizes even a thing?
She laughed, one of those full-bodied ones he still hadn’t forgotten from the first time they got together a few weeks ago. “God, you should see your face. I’m kidding. Cat size is universal.”
He dropped his head back against the booth. Who was this woman?
“Oh, here’s a trick you can use on a date,” she said, hardly missing a beat. “If things are getting a little awkward and I’m looking for something to say, I just look around the room and find inspiration.”
“Like . . . how, exactly?”
Her eyes wandered around the large room until she stilled and pointed to a frame on the wall. “There. I’d point out that painting and say I liked the colors or something, and ask if they were into art. Or ... when we’re looking at the menu, I think of some food I’ve never tried but have always wanted to and ask them if they have anything like that.Or something else food related, like if they had to eat one single food every day for the rest of their lives, what would it be?”
Brooks just blinked at her. Those were all great ideas, but he didn’t trust himself to come up with anything like that on the fly.
“If I’m already feeling pretty comfortable and we’re hitting it off, I might lean in and ask if he thinks anyone else in the room is on a first date. It takes the attention off us, and it can lead to a fun conversation guessing the backstories of the people around you.”
He glanced around the room, pausing when he landed on a couple at the bar. He tipped his head in their direction. “They’re on a first date, for sure.”
Carly followed his gaze. “Totally.”
“He’s wearing hair gel and trying real hard to make her laugh,” he started.
“And she’s laughing way too loud and keeps touching his arm,” she finished. “Ten bucks says they leave together within the hour.”
“What? No way.”
“Why not?”
“She’s way out of that guy’s league. That would be like ... like you and me leaving together after dinner.”
“Well, we probably will, seeing how I drove you here,” Carly said, grinning. “And that’s ridiculous. I’m not even a little out of your league.”
He snorted. “Please.”
“Why on earth would you say that?”
Maybe he should shut this down, but it was an objective fact that she was gorgeous. He waved an arm in her general direction. “Look at you.”
“I can’t,” she said. “Not when I’m looking at you.”
His heart stopped in his chest.
She leaned forward, mischief in her eyes. “Fix your face, my guy. That’s what it will feel like when a woman flirts with you, and you can’t stare at them like they just said the earth is flat.”
Brooks barked out a laugh and turned back to meet her brown eyes. “You’re an enigma, Carly Porter.”
She raised her brows and took a long sip of her cocktail. “I’m sure you’re right, but what do you mean?”
