“How young are we talking?” Mikayla asks. “I’m not as picky as her.”
From her lips to God’s ears. Mikayla is an equal opportunity dater and makes no bones about it. She’s never been shy or embarrassed by anything. I love that about her too.
“I don’t know exactly.”
“Shame,” she mutters against the rim of her mule.
The food arrives in record time, and Brax makes a point to bring it over personally. I haven’t seen himwait on any other tables besides ours. He’s too busy with the customers around the bar to wander into the main dining room. That means something, right? We’re special in some way. Maybe Mikayla and Sandy are right. Maybe he is smitten with me.
“I’ll be over for a bit once you’re done eating. Hard to eat and talk,” he says as he hands me the plate with a giant pretzel. “I gave you extra cheese dip.”
I smile up at him as I take in the three small bowls on the plate, which I know is overkill, but I’m not mad about it. “Thank you.”
“Smart man. The way to a woman’s heart is always through melted cheese,” Mikayla says as she grabs the ketchup bottle from the middle of the table.
“That’s what my sister says too,” he replies. “Be back in a few. Holler if you need anything.”
“Thanks,” I say again, not sure of what else there is to add.
“If you don’t get naked with that man on your date, I’ll be extremely disappointed in you,” Mikayla says, using a French fry to point at Brax’s behind. “I’d bite that. It’s built for biting.”
“I’m not a vampire.”
“I didn’t say drink his blood. Bite that ass, girl. Leave a mark.”
I gawk at her, blinking a few times. “What?”
“Claim it.”
“Who are you?” I ask her.
Mikayla tilts her head, studying his ass some more. “A woman who knows what she wants and how to get it. You either bite that ass or someone else will.”
“You’re seriously delusional,” I mumble as I tear my pretzel apart and wonder… Do people really do that? “I would never. I couldn’t.”
“You better expand your horizons.” Mikayla turns her head toward me, showing me her teeth before she snaps at me like a turtle. “If you want to own that ass, you got to claim it.”
“I need new friends,” I lie, because I know I have the two best friends in the world and all they want for me is the very best.
Although I have no plans to bite his ass, I know I want to see it…soon.
7
BRAX
At what agedoes dating become hard or damn near impossible? I fear I am getting close to finding out.
Before Iris, I didn’t put much thought into the actual act of dating. I winged the hell out of every bit, but then again, I was never truly into the girl I was taking out either.
If I’m honest with myself, dating was about sex.
But tonight’s different.
I am at an age where I want more. After watching my sister fall in love with Wylder, I know I want that too. Not Wylder. Shiver. But someone who would be mine and have my back, no matter what happens.
Coming home to an empty apartment doesn’t hold the same appeal it did five years ago. It isn’t as exciting to have a place all to myself without otherpeople around to interrupt whatever I’m doing, which usually involves my bed in some form.
Tate: Don’t mess this up. Try not to talk too much.
