Page 43 of See Me

When I glance in the kitchen carrying the next keg out, I see her give Omar a smile and a quick hug. Jealousy boils inside and I have to grit my teeth to swallow the rage threatening to boil over.

Then I smile.

Not a single person here knows what she sounds like when she comes.

But I do.

FOURTEEN

THE DEFINITION OF FUCKED

“Listen,do you think I can dip out a little early?”

Enzo doesn’t even look up from his phone. “Why isn’t phonetically spelled phonetically?”

I open my mouth prepared to beg but stop when what he says sinks in. “Umm… what?”

“I started chatting with this girl and she’s smart. Like really smart. So, I started perusing the dictionary, you know, to find words I can use to impress her and make her drop her panties.”

I purse my lips and shake my head. “As one normally does when some muscle head uses a big word.”

He puffs out his chest and smiles. “You think I’m a muscle head?”

“Ohmy god. You need to look up the definition of sarcasm.”

“Already did. And what about the word indescribable. If something is indescribable, isn’t that the description?”

I cock my head and think about that. “Why am I scared that actually makes sense?”

“Right? Hey, is this shirt Canadian enough?” He stands back and pulls at the hems of his Henley and flannel.

My brain rattles in my head. “I’m getting whiplash from this conversation. Canadian?”

“Yeah, she’s from Vancouver. Just in town for the weekend. How do I appear more Canadian? I’ll ride a moose, I don’t give a shit.”

I don’t even know how to respond to that. “Where are you going to find a moose?”

He starts tapping on his phone. “Maybe I’ll just photoshop myself bare-chested riding a moose and see if that warms her syrup.”

“I want to laugh, I really do. But I’m equal parts horrified and fascinated by how your brain works.”

He smiles. “I know, right?”

“That wasn’t a compliment, Enzo.”

“I think it’s up to me to decide how I take it. And I take it as a compliment.”

“As much as I want to help you,” I cringe and shake my head, “warm her syrup, do you think I can leave? We aren’t busy and I could use some girl time.”

He narrows his eyes and tilts his head. “Is there going to be half naked pillow fights?”

My first thought is to tell him to piss off. But that isn’t going to get me out of here before closing. “What answer do you need to hear to let me leave?”

He slams his hand down on the counter. “Naked pillow fights.”

“We actually have tournaments on Tuesday nights.”

Enzo clears his throat and adjusts his pants. “I know you’re being sarcastic because I already looked up the definition but the reaction is still innate. Why must you always leave me with a boner?”

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