circulation.
“What’s that for?”
“Every time you say something bad about yourself, I’m going to snap you with it.”
“You’re—”
Snap!
“Oww. Hey.” He rubbed the red skin until the sting faded.
“Better think positive thoughts.”
It was impossible to be upset when her green eyes shimmered like fresh ice. This amused her. Plus … it would be kind of hot if he weren’t currently in a black hole of despair. “How am I supposed to do that when …”
Her eyebrows climbed, and she used two fingers to lift the top of the band from his wrist. “How about I talk?”
He looked down at the promise of pain and nodded.
“It wasn’t a good game. I’m not going to argue that. And maybe you made mistakes, but that doesn’t make you a bad player. It was only because you couldn’t get out of your own head.”
What do I say?
Every possibility that came to mind would get him snapped. “I really want to do that. Can you tell me how?”
She pulled her lower lip between her teeth and wrinkled her nose in a way that made him forget everything else. “I’m still working on that.”
“The blind leading the blind.”
“Maybe.” She lowered the band gently until it was flush with his skin, and her fingertips lingered, soft and distracting.
“Somehow I’m feeling better anyway.”
Her cheeks turned pink, and she looked sideways at the milkshake sweating on the table. One shake. Two straws.
He smiled. “We sharing?”
“They’re just so big, and last time neither of us finished, so it seemed … economical.”
A laugh built up, but he held it in. He could afford a hundred milkshakes a day, every day of the year, but the thought of sharing one with her was worth a lot more. “You’re right. Good thinking.” He slid it directly between them and took a sip from the closest straw. Mint chocolate. A little melty, but delicious. Not as good as Lori leaning forward to take the other straw between her lips. They were only a few inches apart, eyes locked, and his heart pounded like he was pulling a double shift on the ice.
A server stepped up to the table and whipped out a pad of paper and a pen. “Welcome to Holsteins, folks. Sorry for the wait. Just the shake, or would you like to order dinner?”
They both sat back. Was that embarrassment on Lori’s face? Had she gotten so absorbed in the moment she hadn’t noticed the guy either?
She pushed a few blonde strands behind her small ear. “Um. I’ll have the California turkey burger.” She must have had time to look before Dylan got there.
He, however, knew the menu by heart. “Steakhouse burger for me.”
“You got it.” The server jotted it down and left them to a charged silence.
He broke it with a smile, and she followed a half-second behind. Every time he’d tried to pinpoint exactly what they were, she’d gotten tense, so he’d given her space. But it was getting harder and harder to pretend there wasn’t
something
between them. Something different. Things with Tricia had been comfortable, easy. She left him anyway. Things with Lori were confusing, exciting, and fulfilling in totally foreign ways.
“You’re looking at me like that again.”
“Is it a positive look?”
“It’s not negative.”
He glanced down at the band on his wrist then back to her. “Then I’m safe, right?”
She laughed and folded her arms on the table. “You are anything but safe.”
Sometimes the girl talked in riddles, but that one wasn’t too hard to figure out. “I think there might be a compliment in there somewhere.”
“There might be.”
Message received. Time to stop pushing. For now. Actions spoke louder than words anyway, right? She’d come to his game, asked him out for dinner, and ordered one milkshake to share. Whether Lori was ready to admit it yet or not, they were dating. Kind of. “I’ll take it. So … I don’t suck. But my game won’t get better until I chill out?”
“Same for me. Ironic, isn’t it? Two people
“What’s that for?”
“Every time you say something bad about yourself, I’m going to snap you with it.”
“You’re—”
Snap!
“Oww. Hey.” He rubbed the red skin until the sting faded.
“Better think positive thoughts.”
It was impossible to be upset when her green eyes shimmered like fresh ice. This amused her. Plus … it would be kind of hot if he weren’t currently in a black hole of despair. “How am I supposed to do that when …”
Her eyebrows climbed, and she used two fingers to lift the top of the band from his wrist. “How about I talk?”
He looked down at the promise of pain and nodded.
“It wasn’t a good game. I’m not going to argue that. And maybe you made mistakes, but that doesn’t make you a bad player. It was only because you couldn’t get out of your own head.”
What do I say?
Every possibility that came to mind would get him snapped. “I really want to do that. Can you tell me how?”
She pulled her lower lip between her teeth and wrinkled her nose in a way that made him forget everything else. “I’m still working on that.”
“The blind leading the blind.”
“Maybe.” She lowered the band gently until it was flush with his skin, and her fingertips lingered, soft and distracting.
“Somehow I’m feeling better anyway.”
Her cheeks turned pink, and she looked sideways at the milkshake sweating on the table. One shake. Two straws.
He smiled. “We sharing?”
“They’re just so big, and last time neither of us finished, so it seemed … economical.”
A laugh built up, but he held it in. He could afford a hundred milkshakes a day, every day of the year, but the thought of sharing one with her was worth a lot more. “You’re right. Good thinking.” He slid it directly between them and took a sip from the closest straw. Mint chocolate. A little melty, but delicious. Not as good as Lori leaning forward to take the other straw between her lips. They were only a few inches apart, eyes locked, and his heart pounded like he was pulling a double shift on the ice.
A server stepped up to the table and whipped out a pad of paper and a pen. “Welcome to Holsteins, folks. Sorry for the wait. Just the shake, or would you like to order dinner?”
They both sat back. Was that embarrassment on Lori’s face? Had she gotten so absorbed in the moment she hadn’t noticed the guy either?
She pushed a few blonde strands behind her small ear. “Um. I’ll have the California turkey burger.” She must have had time to look before Dylan got there.
He, however, knew the menu by heart. “Steakhouse burger for me.”
“You got it.” The server jotted it down and left them to a charged silence.
He broke it with a smile, and she followed a half-second behind. Every time he’d tried to pinpoint exactly what they were, she’d gotten tense, so he’d given her space. But it was getting harder and harder to pretend there wasn’t
something
between them. Something different. Things with Tricia had been comfortable, easy. She left him anyway. Things with Lori were confusing, exciting, and fulfilling in totally foreign ways.
“You’re looking at me like that again.”
“Is it a positive look?”
“It’s not negative.”
He glanced down at the band on his wrist then back to her. “Then I’m safe, right?”
She laughed and folded her arms on the table. “You are anything but safe.”
Sometimes the girl talked in riddles, but that one wasn’t too hard to figure out. “I think there might be a compliment in there somewhere.”
“There might be.”
Message received. Time to stop pushing. For now. Actions spoke louder than words anyway, right? She’d come to his game, asked him out for dinner, and ordered one milkshake to share. Whether Lori was ready to admit it yet or not, they were dating. Kind of. “I’ll take it. So … I don’t suck. But my game won’t get better until I chill out?”
“Same for me. Ironic, isn’t it? Two people
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