“This is fantastic.”
“Right?” She smiled. “I like food.”
“I can tell.”
“Really?” she asked wryly.
He flushed. “That’s a compliment. I like that you like food. I do too. Not that you’re big or anything. I mean, you’re tall. Great rack. But you’re muscular. Though I wouldn’t care if you were big, just as long as you have boobs.”
“Such a flatterer.”
He grinned. “Yeah, I’m smooth. Like butt-ah.’
“Emphasis on the ‘butt.’”
He snickered.
An old man walked slowly by their table, his shoulders hunched, his hair snow-white. He frowned at Damon. “You suck, Demon.”
“So does your mother.” Damon flipped the old guy off.
Marlie watched in shock.
The old man harrumphed and returned to his wife, grinning. “Did you see that? He gave me the finger!”
“Way to go, Henry. You’ve still got it,” his wife encouraged.
Marlie shook her head at her obnoxious date. “Totally making friends everywhere you go,” she deadpanned.
“Nah. I know the type. They want the tough-guy interaction.” He lowered his voice. “Plus, I know Henry. He lives a few blocks over from my folks. Used to own a gas station on the south side of town. My sister saved his dog from a coyote once and got free slushies for a year. You’d think he’d like me for that alone.”
“I have got to meet your sister.”
He grunted. “You’d like her. She’s super bossy.”
Marlie grinned.
He grinned back. “You like me. Admit it.”
She couldn’t help laughing. “So what if I do?”
“Oh, are you trying to pick a fight, Ms. Mean?”
“Why? You going to shove me into the boards if I do?”
“I would, but there aren’t any boards around here. Now if we could just find a headboard, I’d shove you all kinds of ways.” He wiggled his brows.
She couldn’t help blushing. “Stop it. There are kids in this place.”
To be fair, Lorelei’s served breakfast and lunch and had all but cleared out. Still, a teenager sat nearby.
“And how exactly do you think those kids came to be? Pretty sure the stork didn’t actually bring them. What are you teaching in school?”
“You are so annoying.”
He seemed too pleased with himself, so she let him think he’d won their verbal skirmish while she polished off her meal. “I admit I was impressed with your coaching.”
“Yeah? You’re the expert. What could I do better?”
