Page 74 of The Mating Game
“You know, Excel would make that a whole lot easier.”
“I like pen and paper.”
I smile even as I roll my eyes. “Of course you do. Probably reminds you of better days when we used oil lamps.”
His mouth twitches but only slightly. “You look nice.”
I tuck my chin to my shoulder and bat my eyelashes exaggeratedly. “Oh, do I?”
“It’s a far cry from the coveralls you were wearing yesterday.”
Talk of yesterday only hurtles me back into hot tub hijinks that make my face flush, and I shift my weight from one foot to the other, hoping Hunter doesn’t notice.
“We’re meeting Cat and her boyfriend at Fred’s tonight.”
Hunter raises an eyebrow. “Oh?”
“Apparently it’s the only bar in town.”
His mouth quirks. “Does that shock you?”
“Not really,” I laugh. “But I was promised the best cheese fries in the state, so…”
“Just don’t ask how they make them,” Hunter warns me, still smiling a little as he turns his attention back to his papers. “Your arteries might shrivel up.”
“Do youevergo?”
He peeks up at me inquisitively. “To Fred’s?”
“No, to Disneyland.”
He rolls his eyes. “It’s been awhile.”
“Well, how can I trust your opinion on cheese fries if you haven’t even been in a while?”
“Those things are pretty hard to forget.”
He’s reading again, not looking at me, and I bite the inside of my cheek as I consider asking him to go. That wouldn’t be weird, right? I mean, with everything that’s happened between us…it would be almost rude not to at leastinvitehim. The worst he could do is say no, so what’s the harm?
He could say no.
Right. That might be a bummer.
Come on, Tess. Don’t overthink it.
“You could come with us,” I say as casually as I can. “Give those cheese fries another try.”
Hunter’s expression is unreadable when he looks back up,eyes locking with mine for a few seconds as he (at least I hope) considers.
I can tell the moment he decides to shoot me down. “I’ve got a lot of stuff to do around here tonight.” He’s nice enough to give me a teasing smile so I don’t completely want to disappear. “We don’t have Excel, after all.”
I try to smile back, but I’m not entirely sure it hides my disappointment. “That would be too easy.”
“I like doing things the hard way,” he tosses back with a laugh.
Now why doesthatmake my stomach flutter?
AmI actually a horny cartoon wolf and simply unaware?
