“I..” I shook my head and shrugged. “I can’t really seem to think.”
Roger frowned slightly and reached over the table to squeeze my fingers. “Want me to order for you?”
I nodded, relieved. “Yes, please.”
“Anything you don’t like?”
“Peas.” My nose scrunched involuntarily as I said it and Roger stifled a laugh.
“No pasty green balls,” he said solemnly, his eyes dancing with amusement. “Other than that?”
I shook my head. “Everything else is good.”
When Marge returned with our drinks, I happily went to work on my fizzy drink and only halfway heard Roger ordering two smoked brisket meals with French fries and salad on the side. My straw had just started to pull air when another tall glass of fizzy goodness was set down before me. I looked up in surprise and found Roger watching me in amusement.
“That’s the last one before your lunch comes,” he warned with another wink. “We don’t want you going overboard.”
I nodded and went back to my drink with a happy sigh. I knew I shouldn’t have too many, of course, but the lower the level got in my glass, the happier I felt. And the happier I felt, the more I wanted to snuggle up to Roger and lean against his strong body.
“Ari? Are you okay?” Roger was still smiling as he dug into the heaping plate of food that Marge placed before him, but there was a slight crease between his eyes. “You’re not eating.”
“I’m fine,” I assured him, draining my second glass and then beaming up at Marge when she set another drink in front of me, “but I think I’m going to need to sleep this off before I go back to the school.”
One of Roger’s brows crept up slightly, but he nodded in agreement and sliced off another piece of the tender meat. “Okay, we can definitely make that happen.”
ChapterSeven
Roger
Normally, I wouldn’t have allowed a date to go to the restroom alone when they seemed so out of it, but the place was pretty dead for the lunch hour, so when Ari excused himself, I waved Marge down.
“Whatcha need, handsome?”
“Just double checking,” I said quickly, keeping one eye on the hall to the bathrooms. “Those are just Shirley Temples, right? No alcohol?”
“Not a drop,” she assured me. “Your boy there might be getting a bit of a sugar high but that’s all.”
Relieved, I handed over our plates to have the leftovers packaged and settled the bill, ready to take Ari to a safe space where he could nap. When he returned to the table, Marge brought out to-go boxes and offered to set Ari up with another drink to go, but I shook my head.
“I’ve probably had enough,” he agreed a little sadly, draining the last bit from his glass and pushing it away, “but thank you.”
“We can come back,” I assured him. “There will be more chances to fill up on sweet treats, I promise.”
For the first time since I’d met him, Ari smiled widely, seeming completely relaxed and he reached for the hand not holding the food. Sliding my hand in his, I squeezed lightly and led him back out to my truck. “Do you still want to take a nap or do you want to go back to ODI?”
“Nap,” Ari said quickly. “Please?”
“Of course.” I set the boxes in the backseat and helped him up into the truck, fastening his seatbelt before walking around to my side. “Are you comfortable going back to my place? We’ll be alone.”
“That’s okay,” Ari assured me, grabbing my hand again as soon as I’d backed out of the parking space.
I was still more than a little confused by his abrupt about face but since I knew he wasn’t drunk, I wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Back at my townhouse, I managed to finagle the leftovers in one arm, Ari’s hand with the other, and still get the key in the lock, a feat that really should have won me an advanced coordination badge when I thought back on it. Setting the food on the counter, I closed the door behind us and headed for the bedroom.
“Come on, sweet boy,” I murmured, leading the way. “Let’s get you tucked in, hm?”
Ari followed without hesitation and stopped by the bed, staring up at me with deep, trusting eyes. “Are you going to sleep with me?”
