Page 30 of Spotlight
“Color?”
“Black.”
“Nice vehicle.”
“It was one of the top safety picks last year.”
Now it’s my turn to be amused. Do people actually look at that stuff before they buy a car? I mean, they should but I’ve never heard someone say it before. Olivia is full of surprises.
“Let me guess, you drive a shiny new truck. A Ram maybe, something lifted with big tires.”
I shake my head.
“I’ve got a new Chevy outside, sweetheart,” some guy two seats down says. He has a bushy beard with twinges of gray in it. He strokes said beard as he continues, “Just drove it off the lot yesterday. Want to take a drive?”
“No thanks,” she says politely but firm.
He shrugs and takes another sip of his beer.
“You don’t seem like a sports car guy.” Her gaze narrows.
“I’m not sure if that’s an insult or not, but you’re correct. I do not drive a sports car. I wouldn’t mind having a McLaren someday though. Any more guesses?”
“Creepy white van?”
I chuckle. “Closer than your other guesses.”
She arches a brow.
“I have an old ’67 Ford F100 Ranger.”
“Damn.” The guy two seats down is clearly eavesdropping but the appreciative whistle he gives me is welcomed. “That was a good year.”
“You remember it?”
“I meant the truck.” He scowls at me. “How old do you think I am?”
“Uhh…”
Olivia fights a laugh, and I send the guy an apologetic tip of my head.
“Get him a round on me,” I say to her.
He minds his business after that, and Olivia and I continue trading random facts. I want to dig deeper, beyond the surface, but I’m afraid she’ll close up on me if I do.
“Did you really come with teammates or was that a line?” she asks as she pours another customer a drink.
“Oh shit,” I say, glancing toward the outdoor area.
Her lips curl together as she holds in a giggle.
Fuck, they completely slipped my mind.
I give her a sheepish smile. “I guess I should get back, so they don’t think I ditched them.”
A flicker of what could be disappointment crosses her face, but it’s gone so quickly I can’t be sure.
“Have fun!” She flits off to the other side of the bar before I can respond.
