Page 116 of See Me

“But is itimpressivegood? Is it going to bring them back for more?”

“It’s chicken salad,” he deadpans. “What reaction are you hoping for?”

I laugh and he smiles. “You’re right. I need to aim higher, huh?”

“This might earn you a picnic date, but it’s not gonna get you a ring,” he says, with a smile.

“Harsh, but I hear you.” I place my hand over my heart like he wounded me. “I’ll keep practicing.”

He pops a cheese cube in his mouth and smiles. “Let’s see what you got, Teach.”

I laugh out loud around a mouthful of food and he cracks a full smile.

Yeah, I got this.

THIRTY-FOUR

LIL MISS DOOR SLAMMER

“There’s so much blood.”Ella scrunches her nose like she smells something bad.

I point the remote at the TV and turn it up. “They’re vikings. Of course there’s blood.”

She passes me the bowl of popcorn. “I’ve lost my appetite. It’s all yours.”

I chuckle and grab a handful of the salty sweet mix she likes and shove it all in my mouth.

“I do like that the women are just as badass as the men. I mean, no way I could even lift that sword.”

He hums. “Shieldmaidens are hot as hell.”

“I like the hair and makeup, but do they really have to wipe blood all over themselves?”

I pause with a handful of popcorn halfway to my mouth. “Did you really just say that? Hair and makeup? It’s war paint. They’re going into battle. This isn’t a shoot for a girly magazine.”

“I’m just saying I like the smoky eye look and all the braids. And the leather bustiers are awesome. But they ruin it when they wipe streaks of blood all over their faces.”

“Bustier? It’s fucking armor, Princess. They killed animals and used every piece. Leather was abundant, so they used the only resources they had to make armor.”

“You’re really defensive about this.” She brings her bottle of beer to her mouth to take a sip but makes a weird face and sets it down.

“It’s historically accurate and you’ve reduced it to hair and makeup, like it’s a Hollywood set.”

She rolls her eyes and quirks a brow. “It very literally is a Hollywood set.”

I throw a handful of popcorn at her and a few pieces stick in her hair. “Stop ruining my shit.”

She laughs and pulls the popcorn out of her hair. Then she holds a hand to her stomach and winces.

I set the bowl of popcorn on the table and lean over. “What’s going on? You okay?”

“I don’t know. I’m nauseated all of a sudden.”

“Please don’t get another fever. I can’t handle another bout of delirium and Mothman fever dreams.”

She whips a pillow at my head. “Shut up. You broke into my apartment and creeped into my room. Perv.”

“I did like those tiny little pj’s all pasted to your skin.”

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