“Holy shit!” Gunner, obviously a man of few words.
“Worst day of my life,” I groaned.
“It wasn’t all bad,” Fin said softly. I snapped my eyes up to meet his and stared him down. He was looking at me with the smallest smirk on his face and those heated chocolate eyes.
“It was kind of all bad,” I insisted.
“I think some of it was kind of good.”
The rest of the table and cafeteria faded into the background while Fin and I shared this back and forth. I hadn’t wanted to admit to his flirting before, but he was holding my gaze in his as if it were a physical thing, as if the attraction, the intensity between us could be touched and stoked with the smallest encouragement. He was hard to ignore this time. Ok, impossible.
“Mmm, pretty sure, I’m right.” Because I was right. That was a terrible day. He was crazy to even joke about meeting him being good. Ok, truthfully, I didn’t hate knowing him now. But that day had beenawful.
“Then I’m just going to have to change your mind.” His voice dropped to that low, raspy octave again and I wanted to make him keep talking just so I could listen to it for the rest of the day.
“I’d like to see you try,” I challenged.
“Ellie, I’vebeentrying.” He admitted that and it knocked the breath out of me. “Good thing I don’t give up easily.”
“Maybe you should,” I whispered.
Fin leaned forward, his smirk growing just a little bit more with confidence, “What kind of gambling man would I be if I didn’t know when to bet blind?”
“Bet blind?” I asked, my curiosity winning out over my anxiety.
“Bet blind, dark bet, bet in the dark, basically it means I’ve gambled big before it’s my turn,” he explained but it still didn’t make sense.
“Who’s turn is it?”
“Yours and I can’t predict what you’re going to do, but that hasn’t stopped me from throwing my chips in,” he leaned forward like he was telling me a secret. “I might not know how you’re going to play but I’m confident I can win.”
I took a giant bite of grilled cheese dipped in ketchup so I wouldn’t have to respond to that right away. Plus I did other mature things, like I avoided eye contact and stole another one of Jameson’s fries. Then I smashed the fry into the grilled cheese and dipped it in ketchup again.
“That is the grossest thing I’ve ever seen,” Jameson said with a puckered look on his face.
“She puts ketchup on everything,” Britte explained with the same disgusted look. “Even pizza.”
“You’re really twelve, aren’t you?” Jameson teased. “Only little kids put ketchup on everything.”
“I like it,” I smiled. “Plus, it’s good for you.”
“How’s that?” Jameson asked, clearly amused by me.
“Because of the tomatoes.”
“You know that’s not how it works, right?” Jameson laughed at me.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Fin staring at me intently. I had to avoid his eyes, his attention in general. Because every time I felt the urge to look over at him, I also had the urge to tell him I believed he could win too.
Obviously I was out of my mind.
I took one more huge bite of grilled cheese dipped in ketchup and then stood up. “Jameson, text me later about studying. B, I’ll call you later. Sorry to bail on you, but I have to go. Now.”
Britte shot me a sympathetic smile and I knew she’d been eavesdropping earlier. I stepped away from the table and pulled my backpack on again. Ready to bolt, I gave a quick wave to Charlie and Gunner who had engaged some girls at the end of the table in conversation and then last but not least I waved at Fin.
He was holding out a single key and key ring.
I quirked an eyebrow at him, but he just explained, “For tomorrow night. You can let yourself in whenever, just be there in time to start the game. I’ll leave instructions. The game starts at eight, so be there with plenty of time.”
“Aye, aye,” I saluted sarcastically. And then just to piss him off I said, “Gunner, Charlie, Jameson, have a great meet!”
