Page 18 of Eye of the Hurricane
I’m instantly trying to think of anything else to make a quick recovery. I start thinking of math problems and grandmas. Katherine’s voice draws me out of my own head.
“So what are you really like on a date?” Her smile is big like she’s excited to learn. If I know anything about her, it’s so she can make fun of me for it later.
“I don’t date much, Kat,” I admit. She rolls her eyes and gives me a hum of disapproval.
“I hear stories, I know that’s not true,” she remarks. It doesn’t take a genius to know what she’s talking about. I have a bit of a reputation around here.
“Just because I’ve had a lot of hookups doesn’t mean I’ve been on a lot of dates.”
“Is this the part where I slut shame you?” she teases while nudging my ankle with the front of her high heel.
“I’m sorry, did you just make a sexual comment about me on the first date?” I ask, pulling my hand up to an open mouth with fake shock.
“Ohhh, I see. You’re turning the tables to slut shame me,” she exclaims, propping her elbows up on the table and resting her chin on the backs of her hands.
“Kitty Kat, you being a slut would never be a shame.” The confidence on her face falters and the blush that was beginning to fade is now back with a vengeance.
A loud, true laugh breaks free from her.
“I’ve got to say, slut is a new one for me.”
“What do you mean? Isn’t that kind of a staple insult when girls are jealous?” I find it damn near impossible to believe. Not because I think Katherine is a slut—I don’t. I just know how jealous teenagers are. I know that a woman as beautiful as Katherine would have been hated by girls at her school.
I know how evil girls can be, especially young girls. I know it from Audra and Ravyn. Nothing on this planet scares me more than a teenage girl who thinks some other girl has a crush on her mediocre boyfriend.
“I don’t know. Not one I’ve had used against me.”
A few beats of silence fill the room as I fish for things to say. I think of what I’d say on a real date but I fall short. I don’t go on real dates and when I’m looking for a hookup, I don’t take the time to get to know them.
“How has no one taken you out before?” I ask. It’s the only thought I’ve had all night and it’s the only thing I can think to say in that moment.
“You know how. I don’t let them. My commitment to saying no isn’t specific to you, you know?”
“Guys must throw themselves at you,” I state. She shrugs, as if it’s true but it doesn’t matter to her. Maybe I know that. Maybe I need to hear it.
“I don’t notice. Except for you, of course. You don’t allow yourself to go unnoticed.”
“Aww, Kat, you notice me?” I tease, winking at her across the table. It has its intended effect when blush burns like a brush fire across her cheeks.
“Shut up.” She rolls her eyes and a giggle bubbles from her. “Is your Roman your only sibling?” The question is so random, it throws me off guard.
“Huh?”
“If we’re going to pass as boyfriend and girlfriend, we should probably know basic information about each other.”
“Okay, I’ll play. Yes, Ro is my only sibling.” I pause, tapping a finger on my chin. “You talk a lot about your mom, what’s your dad like?” I ask.
“Better, but not great. I don’t know how much you can respect someone who lets their daughter be treated that way. Plus, it’s his money that she holds over my head. So, if he really wanted to, he could stop it. He’s not as outright mean, though, so I guess that’s something,” she says with a huff. One that tells me all of this weighs on her.
“And siblings?” I ask. She rolls her eyes.
“I have one brother, Noah. He’s okay, I guess,” a bitter laugh rolls out of her mouth. “He doesn’t have the backbone to stand up for me—or himself for that matter. But when we’re alone, he’s sweet and supportive,” she says. She’s giving me more than I thought she would. This has become my favorite part of the evening.
She abruptly sucks in a breath and changes the subject. “Favorite color?”
“Yellow,” I say simply. “You?”
“Pink, I think. I like them all.”
