“What you got there?” I pointed to the list she was holding, my basket still at my side, and my hand still holding on to her arm. She was upright and there was no reason to still be touching her, but she hadn’t pulled away, and I wasn’t ready to just yet.
“Max sent me out to get a few things he forgot to ask you for.”
“He could have just texted me.” I pulled out my phone, but saw nothing.
“I don’t know.” She shrugged and turned the list to me. “I just do what I’m told.”
I could see the blush come across her face that she tried so desperately to hide. I looked at the list and saw it was just small essentials, ones I knew the catering company we hired would be bringing themselves. I was going to have to give him shit later for trying to set this up. Max had always seen something between Erica and me since the first day she started with us, but this was the first time he had ever done something this blatant.
“I just have to get napkins, cups, plates, and silverware. All plastic, according to Max.”
Erica looked up at me as she rattled off the list I had just looked at.
“How about this.” I finally let her arm go and snatched up her list and before she could argue or grab it back, I continued. “I’ll grab these and you go check out the wine. I don’t drink it and need someone who can pick out something good.”
She scrunched her nose at me and shook her head.
“I’m at a loss to that as much as you are. Hard liquor only for me.”
“Hard liquor?” I raised my eyebrows in shock. I had never seen Erica drink, but had never pegged her for a hard liquor woman.
“Jameson to be exact.”
The fuck.
“Whiskey?” I leaned against the shelf next to me and crossed my arms over my chest. I wanted to know everything about this woman.
And I wanted to know it right now.
“With Mountain Dew.”
I watched as she swayed on her tiptoes, a nervous tick I’d seen from her for many years.
I stuck a hand out to steady her and let my fingers linger against the warm skin of her arm that I had only left just seconds ago.
“What about you?” she asked me, still not moving away from me. In fact, if I could see this right, she was leaning toward me.
What about me? I loved some liquor, but didn’t drink as much as she probably thought. In fact, I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d had a drink that wasn’t already pre-made for me.
“I’m usually a tequila kind of guy.”
“So, shots?” She laughed. I fucking loved that laugh. I wanted to hear it again.
“More like margaritas. Frozen. To be exact.” I mimicked her words and I watched the visible shake of her body from the shiver that had just overcome her.
Her eyes met mine and I was transported back to a time when I was nine and had leaned in to kiss her cheek. Would she push me away if I did that right now? I leaned forward, just inches from her, before I heard the yell of my name.
“Chaseeeeee!” Tabitha’s voice came from behind me and I pulled away quickly from Erica. She straightened herself and I grabbed for the basket that was by my feet. It was like nothing had happened. That I hadn’t been thinking of kissing Erica in the chips aisle.
I whipped around to see her now standing there, tapping her foot away, like because she called my name I would just come running for her. Sisters.
“You should go.” I tried to tell Tabitha, but she just stood there, still rolling her eyes with her arms over her chest, attitude radiating off of her. I tried to give her a warning look, but nothing gave.
I turned back around to see Erica retreating toward the other end of the aisle. My feet had a mind of their own, taking steps toward her, hand reaching out to stop her.
“What’s your number?” I blurted the question out to her without even thinking.
In all the years we had been working together, I had never had the courage to ask her before now. It just never felt like the right time, and even now didn’t, but I needed something to keep her here a little longer. To see her face for one more second when it wasn’t inside of our work building.
