Page 98 of Quarterback Sneak
“Does it work if I pick you up at noon?”
“Oh. I have to work until one. We can do it anoth—”
“I’ll pick you up at one.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to throw off your family’s dinner.”
“They’ll be fine. My mom’s been dying to see you again.”
“Okay. Wait, what do I wear?”
“Wear?” he repeats.
“Yeah. Is it like casual or dressy?”
“It’s just lunch. Wear whatever you want.”
I sigh. “You are no help, Zane.”
He chuckles low in his chest. “Sorry, Babe. You can wear whatever you want. My family already loves you, no matter what you wear.”
Feeling uncertain, I push him. “How can you possibly know that?”
“They love you because I—” He stops abruptly. “I know them. Trust me. They love you.”
I take a shuddering breath wondering if he was going to say what I think he was going to say. We don’t get a chance to talk any longer, because he has to board the bus. I go to sleep that night after staring at the ceiling for a very long time.
Chapter 41
Evie
I look up at the clock, and my stomach drops when I see it’s almost one. “Evie, you’re good to go,” Bisch says as he walks past me. “You’ve obviously got somewhere to be.” His grin is wide, and I shake my head, regretting all my life’s choices. I don’t know what possessed me to agree to Tessa’s pleading to wear one of her dresses. When she heard I was going to Zane’s to meet his family, she begged to help me. Her “helping me” ended in me wearing her dress and her doing my makeup and hair. So, I’ve worked the entire shift in a soft pink dress that’s flowy and almost reaches my knees. The top has a square neck, and the sleeves are wide. The most interesting feature is that the back of the dress is just a big bow and leaves the sides of my back open. It’s way more adventurous than anything I’d normally wear, but it was also the only dress of Tessa’s that made it past the middle of my thighs. So, it was either wear a short dress or have some of my back exposed. I went for the latter. Of course, then she made me dig through my closet and find the only cute pair of sandals I own. She did a light makeup job on me and curled my hair, leaving it mostly down, with only a little on each side pulled back. Then she helped me put it all up for work, telling me to just take out the scrunchie when I was done. I felt really good when I left my room this morning, but after working in the shop all morning and dealing with too many stares, I regret everything. There’s nothing overtly wrong; Rachel wears dresses like this all the time to work. I just don’t, and that seems to be tripping everybody up. Bisch has been grinning at me all morning.
“Thanks,” I tell him as I walk past him and drop off my apron. I blow out a deep breath and pull out the ponytail holder and let my long, heavy dark hair fall down my back. I bite my lip nervously. I never leave my hair down; I wish I hadn’t today. But it’s too late for regret. I walk back out and Bisch lets out a loud whistle. “Stop it,” I whisper to him, but he just grins.
“Knock his socks off, Girl.”
I shake my head and don’t bother with a reply. I make my way out of the shop and stop suddenly. Zane’s talking to a group of guys, but somehow he knows I’m here. He turns with a wide smile on his face that freezes when he sees me. I instantly regret everything. I take a small step back, and Zane narrows his eyes before advancing on me. He stops in front of me, his piercing green eyes meeting mine. “Evie,” he says in his low, sexy voice. “You look...” He shakes his head. “There are no words to describe how you look. Beautiful, gorgeous. None of those do you justice.”
And just like that, I take back every ounce of regret. “It’s not too much?” I ask softly.
“No, Baby. You look amazing!” He reaches out and takes my hand. “My truck’s right over here.”
“It’s Tessa’s dress,” I explain. “She heard I was going to your family’s house and wouldn’t give me any peace until I let her help me get dressed. She did my makeup, my hair, pretty much everything.”
He squeezes my hand gently. “Well, I owe her my thanks.”
Somebody whistles, and Zane’s body stiffens. He spins around, pinning the guys with a look that they completely ignore. “Idiots,” he mutters under his breath. When we get to his truck, he opens my door and then steps back. I step in front of him to climb in the truck. I hear him suck in a shocked breath. “Baby,” he says in a strained voice, and I turn to him in surprise. His eyes are wide. “Where’s the rest of your dress?”
I suddenly remember the large tie in the back. I meet his gaze. “It was either this or one of her dresses that only reached mid-thigh.” His gaze drops to my legs, and I feel his gaze on me like a caress. I shiver. “Needless to say, I chose this one.”
He closes his eyes and blows out a breath. When he opens his eyes, they’re a little less intense than they were moments ago. “Okay.”
His reaction was everything I didn’t realize I wanted from him, and I can’t help my smile. “Can I get in the truck now?”
He swallows. “Yeah.” His voice is deeper now. I turn around and put my foot on the step, so I can climb up. He puts his hands on my waist and gives me a boost up. I don’t look at him as I buckle because I’m pretty sure my face is flaming. After he climbs in and starts the truck, he reaches his hand out towards mine. I put my hand in his, and he holds it on his thigh. He sighs deeply, and I can feel it in my chest. “It’s really good to see you, Evie.”
I squeeze his hand. “It’s good to see you too. I missed you while you were gone.”
