Page 88 of Personal Foul
“Yes.”
“You work here?”
“I volunteer here.” Her voice has an edge to it.
“We were just wondering if there was a best way to see the exhibit. An order, or maybe a tour or something?” I ask, looking to her friend, the one Ben’s so obsessed with.
And I get it, especially now that we’re closer. She’s pretty, her eyes a pale aqua that make it hard not to stare. Eyes that flash over me, find me wanting, and then land hard on Ben.
“Yeah, follow us. We’ll get you a pamphlet and I can give you a little head start on the tour,” Joss answers me.
“Are you together?” Ben’s girl asks us, her eyes floating between us. I narrow my eyes at her name tag as it’s partially obscured by her hair.
“No. I mean, yes. We’re here together. As friends. Just thought we’d do something different tonight.” Ben trips over his words and I give him awhat the fucklook. This guy normally has the kind of game I’m jealous of, and watching him flail like this is something to behold.
“Oh, I just meant if you needed anything else.” She looks between us and then to Ben again. The guy is fucking clueless if he thinks she wouldn’t fuck him, because her eyes are currently raking over him, pausing over every detail she likes. All of it despite how weird he’s being.
“Yeah, actually while Joss helps me get these pamphlets… I know he had a couple questions about those photographs.”
“What?” Ben looks at me.
“You know, the ones over here.” I point randomly as we start walking. I give him another pointed look, trying to give him a lifeline and he just manages to look starstruck. I have to bite the inside of my cheek just to keep from laughing.
“The ones of the mountain scenes? I love those. Some of my favorites. The abandoned cabins and mines?” She looks to him again.
“Yes, those,” I answer when he continues to be rendered silent.
“I’ve hiked up to a few of them. Have you ever been up to any of the abandoned mining towns?” She looks at me briefly, but her eyes return to Ben.
“I haven’t had the opportunity. Football takes up a lot of free time.” I shrug, and Ben shoots me a look.
“Oh, do you both play football?” She studies him, waiting for an answer, and holy fuck, it’s like this guy has completely lost his ability to speak.
He never does answer. Instead he pulls his phone out and looks at it and then at me. Like he’s checking the time or has a message that’s urgent.
“I actually need to run. Did you want to come with, or did you want to stay here?”
I stop short and blink. I’m watching him melt down in real time, and I’m not sure anyone would believe me if I told them that Ben failed this badly at even talking to a woman.
“We can go... Joss? Is that your name? Joss, I am really sorry. Thanks for the help though. I will definitely come back and finish the tour another day.”
“You’re welcome.” She raises a brow at me and gives us both a skeptical once over.
“And thank you too—I didn’t get your name?”
“Violet.”
“Violet.” I smile and then look at Ben, still silent as a grave as he stares at the ground in front of him. “Thanks, Violet.”
When we get back into Ben’s car, I bust out into the hardest fucking laugh I’ve had in a while.
“What the fuck was that?” I look at him, and he looks utterly shellshocked. Like he has no fucking clue what just happened either.
“I told you I didn’t want to talk to them. You fucking insisted!” He looks like he’s about to go full pout mode on me.
“Okay, fair. I didn’t realize how serious it was. She’s your literal kryptonite, huh? But you realize she couldn’t stop looking at you. If you could have strung a few words together, turned on your fucking Casanova act just for a few minutes she would have been going home with you tonight.”
“I don’t want her to go home with me.” He huffs.
