widened in surprise. “There is nothing going on,” Tatum said intensely, and then toned down a little. “I’m just…” she watched Ava’s face as realization dawned on her.
“You’re just falling, hard,” Ava said, her smile growing huge.
Tatum took a deep breath and looked down at her hands before nodding.
They sat in awkward silence for a moment before Ava couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Aren’t you going to ask me why I asked?” she said with the same big grin. Tatum turned to look at her now, mimicking her posture from a moment ago, her hair shielding her face from the crowd, her ear pointed toward the ground.
Ava made her wait for a moment, picking at her finger nails. Letting the suspense build until Tatum blurt out, “Why?! Why’d you ask?” In the most frustrated whisper she could muster.
Looking up from her hands she leaned into to Tatum and said, “Don’t look now, but he hasn’t taken his eyes off you.”
Her heart began pounding hard in her chest. She smiled involuntarily and leaned back in her seat. She tried to look casual, but the smile wasn’t leaving her face. It was only growing bigger. She took the cuff on the sleeve of her hoody and put it around her mouth and looked over at Ava who started laughing again uncontrollably. Eventually she gathered the nerve to look up and through the fire at Jager.
His eyes met hers, and before he realized she caught him, he tried to look away quickly. She couldn’t stop smiling and kept her eyes on him. He knew she was watching. Knew she’d seen him checking her out. He tried to keep his eyes on Sugar to his right, who was describing something to Bobo with his hands and some interesting facial expressions, but his smile grew as he struggled not to look at her, as her eyes continued to bore into him.
Finally, giving up, he looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She was laughing at him and he couldn’t help it, he laughed too and shook his head. He ran his fingers through his hair and smoothed them over his face, trying to stop himself from grinning like an idiot. It was her eyes that did it, not his hands. As soon as their gazes locked, he was hooked. She was stunning, and happy, and fearless. She was perfect.
Tatum blushed even harder under his scrutiny. It was embarrassing, yet she loved it. She didn’t want him to stop. She bit her lip, self consciously, but her gaze didn’t falter.
Sugar said something to Jager, and slowly he tore his gaze from her and back to his friend. A moment later he stood and rubbed his palms on his jeans before he began walking toward her. It was as if he were in slow motion. This man was perfection. How could he make jeans and a hoodie look so sexy? Her heart picked up even more, and lodged itself in her throat.
Ava let out an inconspicuous, “Ah Hmm,” in the disguise of a cough and Tatum swallowed hard.
He came to stand in front of Ava and looked down at her. She looked up at him with amused annoyance, “Can I help you? Mr. Ryan?”
Jager picked at an ash that landed on his sweater. “Can you go find something useful to do? Instead of sitting around here drinking and wasting all of our money?” he joked.
Tatum shook her head and looked at Ava, who sucked her teeth before standing, toe to toe with him. “Don’t think for a second that just because you’re you, I’d hesitate to kick you in the dick.”
Her stance was impressive, however, she still walked away, but not before winking at Tatum.
Jager looked at Tatum, smiling even though he was biting his lip, looking unsure as he produced a bottle of beer from his sweater pocket and offered it to her. She accepted, and he sat, opening his own bottle. They sat in silence for a moment, staring at the fire before Jager slid down in the chair, resting his head on the back and putting his hand on Tatums knee. She tried to act casual but the second she felt his touch, she shivered and had difficulty swallowing.
He shook his head before turning
“You’re just falling, hard,” Ava said, her smile growing huge.
Tatum took a deep breath and looked down at her hands before nodding.
They sat in awkward silence for a moment before Ava couldn’t hold it in any longer. “Aren’t you going to ask me why I asked?” she said with the same big grin. Tatum turned to look at her now, mimicking her posture from a moment ago, her hair shielding her face from the crowd, her ear pointed toward the ground.
Ava made her wait for a moment, picking at her finger nails. Letting the suspense build until Tatum blurt out, “Why?! Why’d you ask?” In the most frustrated whisper she could muster.
Looking up from her hands she leaned into to Tatum and said, “Don’t look now, but he hasn’t taken his eyes off you.”
Her heart began pounding hard in her chest. She smiled involuntarily and leaned back in her seat. She tried to look casual, but the smile wasn’t leaving her face. It was only growing bigger. She took the cuff on the sleeve of her hoody and put it around her mouth and looked over at Ava who started laughing again uncontrollably. Eventually she gathered the nerve to look up and through the fire at Jager.
His eyes met hers, and before he realized she caught him, he tried to look away quickly. She couldn’t stop smiling and kept her eyes on him. He knew she was watching. Knew she’d seen him checking her out. He tried to keep his eyes on Sugar to his right, who was describing something to Bobo with his hands and some interesting facial expressions, but his smile grew as he struggled not to look at her, as her eyes continued to bore into him.
Finally, giving up, he looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She was laughing at him and he couldn’t help it, he laughed too and shook his head. He ran his fingers through his hair and smoothed them over his face, trying to stop himself from grinning like an idiot. It was her eyes that did it, not his hands. As soon as their gazes locked, he was hooked. She was stunning, and happy, and fearless. She was perfect.
Tatum blushed even harder under his scrutiny. It was embarrassing, yet she loved it. She didn’t want him to stop. She bit her lip, self consciously, but her gaze didn’t falter.
Sugar said something to Jager, and slowly he tore his gaze from her and back to his friend. A moment later he stood and rubbed his palms on his jeans before he began walking toward her. It was as if he were in slow motion. This man was perfection. How could he make jeans and a hoodie look so sexy? Her heart picked up even more, and lodged itself in her throat.
Ava let out an inconspicuous, “Ah Hmm,” in the disguise of a cough and Tatum swallowed hard.
He came to stand in front of Ava and looked down at her. She looked up at him with amused annoyance, “Can I help you? Mr. Ryan?”
Jager picked at an ash that landed on his sweater. “Can you go find something useful to do? Instead of sitting around here drinking and wasting all of our money?” he joked.
Tatum shook her head and looked at Ava, who sucked her teeth before standing, toe to toe with him. “Don’t think for a second that just because you’re you, I’d hesitate to kick you in the dick.”
Her stance was impressive, however, she still walked away, but not before winking at Tatum.
Jager looked at Tatum, smiling even though he was biting his lip, looking unsure as he produced a bottle of beer from his sweater pocket and offered it to her. She accepted, and he sat, opening his own bottle. They sat in silence for a moment, staring at the fire before Jager slid down in the chair, resting his head on the back and putting his hand on Tatums knee. She tried to act casual but the second she felt his touch, she shivered and had difficulty swallowing.
He shook his head before turning
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