Read Online Dirty Saint: A Secret Baby Sports Romance by Vesper Vaughn - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Vesper Vaughn
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I’ll let you know before the pre-date is over.”
She raises her eyebrows. “And what makes you think I’ll go on a date with you? What makes you think that I’ll say yes?”
I rest my spoon in the bowl and lean back. “Because you followed me here, didn’t you?”
She’s trying not to smile. Again. “Maybe I just needed a change of scenery.”
“Maybe. Or maybe you secretly want me. You almost kissed me last night, after all.”
Esther puts her spoon down and crosses her arms over her chest. “I did not.”
“You did too.”
“Did not – ugh. You’ve got me sounding like a little child, Saint. Stop it.”
“You still didn’t answer my question about why you applied to be the water girl,” I point out.
She plucks a maraschino cherry from the top of the whipped cream mountain and bites it off the long stem. “I needed something else on my resume.”
It’s my turn to laugh. “Right, because leading the honors college, running chapel services, double-majoring in women’s studies and history, and volunteering for three different organizations wasn’t enough?”
Esther looks at me, gobsmacked. “How do you know all of that?”
“I have connections.”
“You’re stalking me,” she replies.
“I looked into you. Is that stalking now?” I ask. “I just like to do my research.”
“You found my dorm room and threw rocks at my window. You have my entire curriculum vitae memorized. I think that qualifies as stalking.”
I take an enormous bite of peppermint ice cream. “You keep avoiding the question.”
She sighs and uncrosses her arms to pick up her spoon again. “I signed up to be the water girl because I like football. That’s why.”
“You don’t strike me as a gridiron woman,” I reply.
“Looks like you didn’t do enough research, then,” she retorts. “Goodness, this ice cream is delicious.”
“Fucking best on the entire Eastern seaboard,” I say.
She flinches. “Don’t.”
“Don’t say fuck ?” I ask her, teasingly.
“Yeah. I hate that word.”
“It’s just a word.”
“No, it isn’t. If it were just a word you might as well just say ‘monkey peanuts’ instead of – instead of, you know. That word.”
“You won’t even say it academically? Wow.” I cut off a piece of banana.
Esther reaches for a napkin and dabs at her mouth primly.
“You know what my new goal is?”
“What?”
“To get you to unclench for like, five minutes,” I say. “You’ve never had fun, have you?”
Esther lets go of her spoon. It clatters against the glass bowl. “I think you need to stop trying to force me into some ideal of what you want me to be. I’m not like other girls, and for some reason, that bothers you. And yet here you are, dragging me to ice cream parlors in the middle of the day and –“ she pauses and lowers her voice “-and trying to kiss me in the middle of holy sanctuaries. Either take me as I am, or leave me, but I’m not changing for anyone. Especially not an arrogant jerk like you.”
She stands up and walks out of the ice cream parlor.
Tom walks out of the kitchen. “Well, isn’t she a firecracker.” He looks at the half-finished kitchen sink. “You want that to go?”
I glance out the window and see Esther standing outside the shop, leaning against a stucco pillar. “Nah, she can wait.” I dig back into the ice cream, taking my sweet time.
Tom doesn’t even charge me when I’m done. The bell clangs as I step back out into the breezeway of the strip mall. Esther doesn’t turn around to look at me.
“You done being mad at me?” I ask, walking up close to her.
“Take me back to campus. I don’t want to miss all of my classes today,” she says.
I chuckle. “You think this pre-date is done yet? Nah. We’re just getting started.” I march confidently back to the Jeep.
Esther doesn’t object, but she’s still not talking to me.
I step on the gas and speed down the curving highway.
“Where are you taking me?”
She raises her eyebrows. “And what makes you think I’ll go on a date with you? What makes you think that I’ll say yes?”
I rest my spoon in the bowl and lean back. “Because you followed me here, didn’t you?”
She’s trying not to smile. Again. “Maybe I just needed a change of scenery.”
“Maybe. Or maybe you secretly want me. You almost kissed me last night, after all.”
Esther puts her spoon down and crosses her arms over her chest. “I did not.”
“You did too.”
“Did not – ugh. You’ve got me sounding like a little child, Saint. Stop it.”
“You still didn’t answer my question about why you applied to be the water girl,” I point out.
She plucks a maraschino cherry from the top of the whipped cream mountain and bites it off the long stem. “I needed something else on my resume.”
It’s my turn to laugh. “Right, because leading the honors college, running chapel services, double-majoring in women’s studies and history, and volunteering for three different organizations wasn’t enough?”
Esther looks at me, gobsmacked. “How do you know all of that?”
“I have connections.”
“You’re stalking me,” she replies.
“I looked into you. Is that stalking now?” I ask. “I just like to do my research.”
“You found my dorm room and threw rocks at my window. You have my entire curriculum vitae memorized. I think that qualifies as stalking.”
I take an enormous bite of peppermint ice cream. “You keep avoiding the question.”
She sighs and uncrosses her arms to pick up her spoon again. “I signed up to be the water girl because I like football. That’s why.”
“You don’t strike me as a gridiron woman,” I reply.
“Looks like you didn’t do enough research, then,” she retorts. “Goodness, this ice cream is delicious.”
“Fucking best on the entire Eastern seaboard,” I say.
She flinches. “Don’t.”
“Don’t say fuck ?” I ask her, teasingly.
“Yeah. I hate that word.”
“It’s just a word.”
“No, it isn’t. If it were just a word you might as well just say ‘monkey peanuts’ instead of – instead of, you know. That word.”
“You won’t even say it academically? Wow.” I cut off a piece of banana.
Esther reaches for a napkin and dabs at her mouth primly.
“You know what my new goal is?”
“What?”
“To get you to unclench for like, five minutes,” I say. “You’ve never had fun, have you?”
Esther lets go of her spoon. It clatters against the glass bowl. “I think you need to stop trying to force me into some ideal of what you want me to be. I’m not like other girls, and for some reason, that bothers you. And yet here you are, dragging me to ice cream parlors in the middle of the day and –“ she pauses and lowers her voice “-and trying to kiss me in the middle of holy sanctuaries. Either take me as I am, or leave me, but I’m not changing for anyone. Especially not an arrogant jerk like you.”
She stands up and walks out of the ice cream parlor.
Tom walks out of the kitchen. “Well, isn’t she a firecracker.” He looks at the half-finished kitchen sink. “You want that to go?”
I glance out the window and see Esther standing outside the shop, leaning against a stucco pillar. “Nah, she can wait.” I dig back into the ice cream, taking my sweet time.
Tom doesn’t even charge me when I’m done. The bell clangs as I step back out into the breezeway of the strip mall. Esther doesn’t turn around to look at me.
“You done being mad at me?” I ask, walking up close to her.
“Take me back to campus. I don’t want to miss all of my classes today,” she says.
I chuckle. “You think this pre-date is done yet? Nah. We’re just getting started.” I march confidently back to the Jeep.
Esther doesn’t object, but she’s still not talking to me.
I step on the gas and speed down the curving highway.
“Where are you taking me?”
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