“It’s alright, let it out.” I tried to hold back a smirk, I really did, but it popped out anyway and out came a snicker of laughter.
Her eyes shot daggers. “How the hell are you laughing right now?”
“I’m only trying to lighten the mood, sweetheart. Might as well make the best of a bad situation. I’m Barrett, by the way. I’d hold out my hand for a shake, but kind of tied up right now.” I cracked the corny joke, but her expression didn’t waver.
Instead, she rolled her eyes. She looked gorgeous while doing it. “It doesn’t matter to me what your name is. We aren’t going to ever see each other again.”
“You never know. I think the universe introduces us to the right people at the right time.”
She fixed her gaze on me and studied my features. Then she looked away.Damn it. I almost had her.
“Hopefully this doesn’t take much longer. My shift starts in six hours.” The clock on the dash of the police car glowed through the metal bars separating the front from the back, reading just after one o’clock in the morning. Fuck midnight Black Friday shopping. I’m never doing this again.
“That sucks.” The woman finally showed some sense of humor and I leaned into it.
“I take it you don’t have to work tomorrow?”
“No, or I wouldn’t be out shopping in the middle of the night.”
“Ouch, burn. That hurt.Not.We’re adults. I know plenty of people who shop Black Friday and go to work the next day. Sounds like you can’t handle it.” I egged her on.
“I can handle it. I just wasn’t scheduled, is all.”
“Wasn’t scheduled? Or took it off?”
She huffed. “Whatever, it doesn’t matter. You ruined the night. Should’ve let me have the laptop and we wouldn’t be sitting here.”
“I don’t go down without a fight. In everything I do.”
Her eyes snapped to mine. “Neither do I.”
“So, if I asked you on a date, would you be up for the challenge?”
Her eyes widened. “A date? Ha! I don’t think so.”
“Why not?”
“Because I hardly know you.”
“Isn’t that what a date is for? Two people getting to know each other?”
“What if I don’t want to know you?”
“Ouch. You wound me.”
“Good. Stop talking.”
“I don’t think that’s how you really feel.”
“It is though. I wanted a laptop. You took it from me. End of story.”
“How about I make it up to you?” I ventured.
I wanted to dislike her. To scream and throw a tantrum. Yet her soft voice, pretty eyes, and gorgeous features held me captive. And no matter how much I denied it, I wanted her.
I wasn’t letting her go easily.
“How? By finding that laptop for the same price and buying it for me? Yeah, doubtful.”
