With that, Charlotte sashays across the room, drink in hand, leaving me to my own devices with the curvy flight attendant who’s making my heart race and my skin buzz—the beautiful woman who’s inexplicably making me wonder for the first time in my life if maybe, just maybe, that whole “love at first sight” thing might not be total and complete bullshit, after all.
7
Ryan
“Charlotte’s a force of nature,” I say as we watch Samantha’s petite friend strut across the bar like she owns the place.
“She hasn’t always been this crazy,” Samantha says. “Sorry. She’s been going through this whole life-transformation, self-emancipation thing lately.”
“No need to apologize for her. Charlotte’s the best wing-woman ever.” I take a deep breath, trying to control the unbelievable racing of my heart.Holy fuck, I want to have sex with this woman.“So tell me a little bit about yourself,” I say.
“You first,” Samantha says. “I’m feeling a little tongue-tied at the moment, to be honest.”
I beam a reassuring smile at her. “What would you like to know?”
“I dunno,” Samantha says. “Maybe just give me a brief overview about yourself?”
“A ‘brief overview’?” I say. “Damn. Theonetime I didn’t bring a Power Point presentation with me to a bar and the prettiest woman in the place asks me for a ‘brief overview’?”
Samantha smiles sheepishly. “I sound like I’m conducting a job interview, don’t I? Shoot. It’s been a while since I’ve done this.”
I touch her forearm. “I’m just teasing. It seems I’ve morphed into a fourth-grader with a crush around you. Next thing you know, I’m gonna be pulling your hair.” She raises her eyebrows and I suddenly realize what I’ve just said.Shit.“I meant,” I stammer, “you know, like a boy pulling a girl’s pigtails on the playground, not...” I trail off. Fuck. Now the only thing I can think about is fisting this gorgeous woman’s thick, dark hair while I’m fucking the hell out of her.
Samantha smiles. “I know what you meant. And, don’t worry, I can handle a little teasing—I’ve got two brothers.”
I take a deep, steadying breath. What is this crazy chemistry I’m feeling? “Ah, a woman with brothers,” I say, scooting my stool a tad bit closer to hers, my body on fire. “Now that’s a woman who’s learned some serious survival skills. I’ve got three brothers and a sister, and, thanks to all the merciless teasing we’ve put my sister through, she’s grown up to be the biggest badass of us all.”
“Hey, that’s a good item for your ‘overview,’” she says. “You’ve got three brothers and a badass sister. Where do you fall in the birth order?”
“I’m the second oldest. My older brother’s the heir and I’m the spare. The rest of my siblings were created solely for our entertainment.”
Samantha laughs.
“And, as far as the rest of my Power Point goes: I’m twenty-eight. Born and raised in Seattle. I’m a Taurus—which I only know because my sister used to babble about astrology at the dinner table every night when I was growing up. Oh, and I can fold a fitted sheet better than any hotel maid. Seriously, it’s my superpower.”
“That’s an impressive superpower. No matter how hard I try to fold a fitted sheet, it always winds up in a crumpled-up ball in a cabinet.”
“There’s a trick to it. I’d be happy to show you sometime. And while I’m at it, I could show you all my sheet-related tricks, some of them even more impressive, if you like.”
“Wow, how generous of you. I’ll be sure to add ‘skilled with sheets’ to your Power Point.”
“Please do. Oh, and here’s something kinda meta for my Power Point: I love Power Points.”
She giggles. “So do I, actually.”
“They’re the best, right? They get you everything good in life. When I was eleven or twelve, I used a Power Point to convince my mom to let me get a dog from the local shelter.”
“Power Points makin’ dreams come true,” she says.
“One manipulative kid at a time,” I add.
We both laugh.
“I did the same thing when I was fifteen,” she says. “I made a Power Point to convince my dad to let me go to a high school dance.”
“You needed a Power Point to get to go to a dance?”
“I wasn’t allowed to date ’til I turned sixteen.”
