I was pretty sure my career would have something to do with books. There was one point when I was reading a book a day.”
“You must have a lot of information stored underneath that wild hair of yours.”
Ellie blushed. “I know a few things.”
“Who was the first person to walk on the moon?”
Ellie sighed. “Seriously? If you are going to try to stump me, you need to come at me with something better than a fifth-grade question.”
“So, you don’t know?”
“Neil Armstrong.”
“Correct … and you’re right, that was too easy. You must be good at Trivial Pursuit.”
“They hired me as a consultant for their Book Lovers Edition.”
Cedric blinked.
She smiled. “You don’t believe me? Try me.”
Cedric sat up and rubbed his hands together. “When was the civil war?”
“Which one?”
“Very good.” Cedric laughed. “American.”
“1861 to 1865.”
“The Spanish?”
“1936 to 1939. Look, I appreciate the effort, but I can answer these questions with ninety-nine percent of my brain cells tied behind my back.”
“Is that right?”
She nodded. “Got anything else more … stimulating?”
Cedric grinned. “Of course. Stimulation is my expertise.”
Okay. He couldn’t believe he said that. What was he thinking?
“Well then, give it to me.”
Cedric smiled. “Scientific name for garlic?”
“Allium sutivum.”
He made the sound of a buzzer. “Nice try, but that’s incorrect.”
“No it’s not.”
“It’s allium sa tivum.”
“Oh come on, close enough.”
“Sorry.”
“You got a thing for garlic?”
“I guess you could say that.” Cedric took a sip of his coffee, feeling much more confident about things. “What’s the world record for the longest kiss?”
Ellie hesitated and bit her lower lip. Why the hell did she have to do that? Now he was looking at her mouth again.
“Are you making up this question?”
Cedric chuckled. “It’s a fact. I think I read it on the Chapstick website.”
“And you don’t think they said that to promote kissing and sell more Chapstick?”
Cedric shrugged. “I’d like to give them the benefit of the doubt.”
Ellie smiled. “I admit I don’t know this one, so I’m going to guess.”
“I’m okay with that.”
“Three hours?”
“Seriously? Three hours is nothing.”
“Nothing? You’ve kissed someone for three hours?”
Cedric nodded. “Sally Farnsworth … eighth grade.”
Ellie laughed. “We would have some seriously chapped lips after three hours of kissing.”
“I’m not sure. Let’s find out.” Cedric pretended to get up and startled Ellie.
“Sit down. We are not going to kiss.”
Cedric laughed. “Today.”
“Today what?”
“We are not going to kiss today. ”
Cedric was pretty sure he saw her trying to hold back a smile.
“Look,” said Ellie. “Are you going to tell me the answer or not?”
“Fifty-eight hours.”
“What? Impossible.”
“No it’s not.”
“A fifty-eight hour kiss?”
“Yes.”
Ellie was deep in thought. “God. How would you go to the bathroom?”
“Very carefully.”
They both laughed and then her smile zapped him again. Good and strong. He tried to fight it, but for the moment couldn’t. He’d been with Ellie for only ten minutes, but it seemed like they already knew each other. It felt so easy. So effortless. And her smile...
Wow.
Her smile was like a triple karate kick to the chest. And when she flashed those pearly-whites, she went from attractive to breathtakingly gorgeous in a fraction of a second.
He wondered what it would be like to touch her cheek, to kiss her, to hold her hand. He felt the urge. She crossed her legs and her summer dress slid up her thighs.
Is there a Nobel Prize for legs?
Cedric heard a door slamming and realized it was his mind, trying to get his attention.
Relationships equal pain.
This was not a date. Just coffee.
He sat up in his seat again, pretended to pick something off his shirt,
“You must have a lot of information stored underneath that wild hair of yours.”
Ellie blushed. “I know a few things.”
“Who was the first person to walk on the moon?”
Ellie sighed. “Seriously? If you are going to try to stump me, you need to come at me with something better than a fifth-grade question.”
“So, you don’t know?”
“Neil Armstrong.”
“Correct … and you’re right, that was too easy. You must be good at Trivial Pursuit.”
“They hired me as a consultant for their Book Lovers Edition.”
Cedric blinked.
She smiled. “You don’t believe me? Try me.”
Cedric sat up and rubbed his hands together. “When was the civil war?”
“Which one?”
“Very good.” Cedric laughed. “American.”
“1861 to 1865.”
“The Spanish?”
“1936 to 1939. Look, I appreciate the effort, but I can answer these questions with ninety-nine percent of my brain cells tied behind my back.”
“Is that right?”
She nodded. “Got anything else more … stimulating?”
Cedric grinned. “Of course. Stimulation is my expertise.”
Okay. He couldn’t believe he said that. What was he thinking?
“Well then, give it to me.”
Cedric smiled. “Scientific name for garlic?”
“Allium sutivum.”
He made the sound of a buzzer. “Nice try, but that’s incorrect.”
“No it’s not.”
“It’s allium sa tivum.”
“Oh come on, close enough.”
“Sorry.”
“You got a thing for garlic?”
“I guess you could say that.” Cedric took a sip of his coffee, feeling much more confident about things. “What’s the world record for the longest kiss?”
Ellie hesitated and bit her lower lip. Why the hell did she have to do that? Now he was looking at her mouth again.
“Are you making up this question?”
Cedric chuckled. “It’s a fact. I think I read it on the Chapstick website.”
“And you don’t think they said that to promote kissing and sell more Chapstick?”
Cedric shrugged. “I’d like to give them the benefit of the doubt.”
Ellie smiled. “I admit I don’t know this one, so I’m going to guess.”
“I’m okay with that.”
“Three hours?”
“Seriously? Three hours is nothing.”
“Nothing? You’ve kissed someone for three hours?”
Cedric nodded. “Sally Farnsworth … eighth grade.”
Ellie laughed. “We would have some seriously chapped lips after three hours of kissing.”
“I’m not sure. Let’s find out.” Cedric pretended to get up and startled Ellie.
“Sit down. We are not going to kiss.”
Cedric laughed. “Today.”
“Today what?”
“We are not going to kiss today. ”
Cedric was pretty sure he saw her trying to hold back a smile.
“Look,” said Ellie. “Are you going to tell me the answer or not?”
“Fifty-eight hours.”
“What? Impossible.”
“No it’s not.”
“A fifty-eight hour kiss?”
“Yes.”
Ellie was deep in thought. “God. How would you go to the bathroom?”
“Very carefully.”
They both laughed and then her smile zapped him again. Good and strong. He tried to fight it, but for the moment couldn’t. He’d been with Ellie for only ten minutes, but it seemed like they already knew each other. It felt so easy. So effortless. And her smile...
Wow.
Her smile was like a triple karate kick to the chest. And when she flashed those pearly-whites, she went from attractive to breathtakingly gorgeous in a fraction of a second.
He wondered what it would be like to touch her cheek, to kiss her, to hold her hand. He felt the urge. She crossed her legs and her summer dress slid up her thighs.
Is there a Nobel Prize for legs?
Cedric heard a door slamming and realized it was his mind, trying to get his attention.
Relationships equal pain.
This was not a date. Just coffee.
He sat up in his seat again, pretended to pick something off his shirt,
Similar Books
