“I was trying to get your attention.”
“Why?”
“Uh… To ask if you read the recent issue of She-Hulk.”
Beck dropped the napkin on the sink counter and opened his mouth. Then closed it, frowning. “You could have just said so.”
“I tried poking you to look at me.” I offered him a sheepish smile, feeling the heat of the alcohol burning my cheeks along with my blush.
“I thought you were fidgeting. Maybe not wanting to sit next to me.” He looked away, grabbing a set of neatly stacked hand towels to dab at his shirt.
“What, why? No.” My brain analyzed the evening in hyperspeed before it reached months back. “Is this about the ki—the con?”
“I don’t know. Is it?” Beck huffed in frustration and tossed the towels aside.
“I had a great time, and I’m happy we reconnected. I thought you were too. You even gave me your number.” My heart was at my throat, and depending on Beck’s reaction, it would swell or sink. I couldn’t stand the thought of not seeing him again for months, if ever.
I took a step closer, tentatively placing my hand on his forearm, waiting for him to pull back. When he didn’t, I looked up to his lips, then his eyes. “I liked spending time with you at the con. If you didn’t like that…moment, then we just won’t do it again, okay? There’s no crowd of Superbat fans chanting here, right?” Maybe it was my tipsy state talking, but I refused to let go of a potential friendship because of a silly kiss.
Beck’s tense expression relaxed as he released a breath. “Yeah, of course. You’re right.” He chuckled. “I just don’t think this date is going well.”
“Not for us.” I bit my lip but smiled when Beck’s grin lit the entire room. It lightened my mood too, but a sense of disappointment lingered at his relief that we’d never kiss again. My weird-ass fascination with him was not sexual attraction. He was just a nice person who had similar interests. Apparently, it was enough for me to want to cling to his arm and check if his hair felt as soft as it looked. “How about we get wasted, Supes?”
“Solid plan, Big Bat,” Beck said as his eyes blew wide.
I laughed at the moniker and pushed the door open. As the alcohol level rose in my veins, so did the ease with which I shared a bunch of useless TMI with Beck until we steered back to comic books and recent adaptations. Season two of Loki sparked an intense debate.
A loud slam on the table startled us both, and we turned to our dates. Maisie was holding on to the edge of it as if it was a cliff she was about to let go and fall into the abyss.
“It was nice, boys, but I’m taking Maisie home.” Alex looped her hand through Maisie’s arm and hauled her up.
I stood up, wanting to help, but the stern look Alex gave me and some flick of a finger made me sit my ass back down. “I paid for us when you were gone, so don’tworry about that.”
“Bye, guys!” Maisie waved at us, her voice loud as if we weren’t standing two feet away.
“It was lovely to meet you!” I yelled back at the girls already halfway to the exit. “One more drink?” I turned to Beck to see his Uber app open.
“Nah, I’m off.” He was focused on his phone, his tapping quick. Was he in a hurry? Maybe he had a cat to feed? He locked his phone, slid it into his pocket, and drummed his fingers on his thigh. His hands looked strong but gentle, and I had the urge to touch his knuckles. Boop them one by one.
I snapped my gaze up, and the room moved like a wave around me.
“Right. Which way are you going?” I glanced at the drink I’d just ordered. It would be a shame to waste it, so I downed it in several gulps, hardly tasting it. The alcohol burned my throat and all the way down to my stomach, which did a little dance. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a happy one.
“Just a few blocks south.”
I nodded, blinking fast as my vision swam somewhat. “I’m heading that way too. Wanna split?”
Beck eyed me, then grabbed my arm just as I was looking at the lamps above me. “Sure. Are you okay?”
“I might have drink… dunk—” I frowned as Beck’s sharp jaw became blurry. “I don’t usually drink much.” Igrabbed Beck’s wrist and looked at him swaying from right to left. Or was it me?
“Yeah, me neither. That’s why I was drinking water with lemon for the past hour.” His tone wasn’t condescending but rather… worried?
“You’re so smooort!” I exclaimed and had to swallow quickly as my stomach did that little shimmy again. Slamming my hand on the table, I stood halfway up, then plopped back down as if my ass was made of steel and the chair was a magnet.
“Mhmm, we’re going.” Beck pulled me to my feet, even though I didn’t need it, and paid the remainder of the bill.
“I owe you dinner. And drinks. I owe you a date. No.” The restaurant passed by me, the tables, the people, but I wasn’t sure I was moving my feet. I looked down. Yup. Right. Left. Right—
