Page 24 of Hooked on a Demon
“Just thinking about that burger. Fuck, it was good,” Declan lies.
CHAPTER14
Eliana
Pick it up and call him.
Or text him.
Or send a fucking carrier pigeon.
Do something.
The internal battle rages as Eliana stares at her phone, trying to convince herself to pick it up and use the number she has long memorized. Her back rests against the front of the fridge for a moment before she slides down, phone in hand, and sits on the floor.
Holding it in her lap, she unlocks it and taps the call app. She enters the numbers burned in her brain and hovers her thumb over the dial button.
DO IT ALREADY!
Tightly squeezing her eyes shut, she lets her thumb lower and tap the screen. Within what feels like nanoseconds, the call goes through, and it starts to ring.
Heat floods her system, and sweat beads on her brow. Her palms are sticky and clammy, and she’s certain there is a giant sweat stain forming in her pits. “Oh shit. Oh shit. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” she says, scrambling to a standing position while pressing the speaker phone button.
“Good afternoon to you, too, Eliana.”
FUCK!He answered. It feels as though all her nerve endings are firing at the same time while a thousand bugs crawl over her body. Goddess, why is she such a mess? She wasn’t ready to call him, and now he’s answered. Waiting for her to say something. Shit! She has to say something.Anything.
“Huh.” She clears her throat. “Hi. Sorry.”
“Hi, Eliana.”
Goddess, he needs to stop saying her name like that.Eliana.She nearly swoons thinking about it. “Hi,” she manages to breathe out.
“I think we’ve covered that.” He laughs. It’s different from the other night. Easier. Smoother. Yet, it still fills her soul. Finding its home.
“Right. Yes.”
He laughs softly again. “What can I do for you?”
“Right. Umm… See… MydancestudioisputtingonashowcaseandweneedsponsorsandIwaswonderingifyourautoshopwouldliketosponsorus,” she says, so fast that it all sounds like one long word.
“Sorry, I didn’t catch that. Must be a bad connection.”
Yeah, in her brain.
“Can you repeat that?” Declan asks.
She takes a deep breath, settling her nerves enough to be able to speak at a more normal pace. “My dance studio is putting on a showcase, and we need sponsors. I was wondering if your auto shop would like to sponsor us?”
He may only pause for a second, but to Eliana, it feels like years. Was she completely out of line? Did she overstep? Oh gosh, what if he hates children dancing and finds them creepy?
“Sure. That’d be great,” he says, pulling her from her spiral.
“Really?”
“Yeah. We’re always looking for ways to support the community, and if you’re involved, it has to be a great opportunity.”
Heat floods her skin again. Only this time, it makes her cheeks rosy with blush. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I have to talk to my boss first, but I can stop by the shop with any paperwork for you.”
