Page 6 of How He Got the Girl
I grin. “I like your sense of humor.” I give her hand a soft squeeze before releasing it. “I’m Griffin, but you already knew that.”
“I think I prefer your grandmother’s nickname for you.”
I chuckle. “She’s called me that since I was a kid. It doesn’t exactly sound manly now that I’m an adult, but I could never tell her no.”
Not that she’d listen to me, anyway.
“So, tell me something I don’t know about you, Mallory.”
“You mean everything?” She smirks. “Unless you’re a creepy stalker who already knows everything about me.”
“Whoa.” I hold my hands up. “You’re the one who showed up atmydoorstep, remember? How do I knowyouaren’t stalkingme?” I shoot her my million-watt smile—at least, that’s what my granny calls it.
Mallory hides her smile behind her mug, taking a sip of her drink. “Touché, Griffie.” When she sets the glass back on the table, a ghost of a smile is still on her lips. “Let’s see, I’m close with my family.”
“I like them. They seemed very enthusiastic.” I smirk at the memory of their caroling performance last night.
Mallory shoots me a skeptical look. “Okay, are you actually stalking me? How do you know…”
“I saw them last night.” She still stares blankly at me like she has no idea what I’m talking about. “You know…” I shimmy my shoulders. “Fa-la-la.”
“Oh, that’s my friend Daisy’s family. I’m staying with them until the snow lets up and I can get back home.”
My shoulders fall. “You’re not from around here?” That doesn’t bode well for my plans to get to know the beautiful woman across from me.
She shakes her head. “I’m from Louisville, Kentucky.”
“What brings you to Knoxville?”
“I’m a senior at UT.”
If she started college right after graduating high school, that should only make her two or three years younger than me.
“What are you studying?” I ask.
“Early childhood education.” My brows lift, and she tilts her head. “Why the face?”
“You’re not like any of the teachers I had in elementary school.”
“I’m not sure if I should feel insulted or—”
“It’s a compliment, trust me.” My lips pull up at one corner in a crooked smile. “I would’ve had a major crush on my teachers back then if they looked anything like you.”
“Thanks, I think?” She shakes her head before narrowing her eyes. “What do you do, Mr. Hotshot?” Before I can answer, she holds up a hand, cutting me off. “Wait, let me guess. You’re a lion tamer in the circus.”
“It can feel like all eyes are on me in my job, but no.”
“All eyes on you...” She takes a sip of her drink and then taps her full bottom lip, making my heart rate spike. “Are you an ophthalmologist?”
“I love your deductive reasoning there, but you’re moving in the wrong direction.”
“Marketing manager?”
I shake my head. “I did go to business school, but that’s not it either.”
Mallory purses her lips and looks out the window for a heartbeat. When she looks back at me, her eyes are alight. “I know! You’re a face painter at kids’ birthday parties.”
“You’re getting closer with the entertainment industry.”
