Chapter Twenty-One
TINSLEY
“Are you okay?”
“Who?” I put my phone screen down on the table. “What?” I glance around.
“I asked if you were okay.” Pierce pushes the plate of mozzarella sticks toward me. After we left City Hall, we popped over to the diner for dinner.
Pierce has made everyone he’s come into contact with become smitten with him today. The town is welcoming him with open arms. With the way he’s been getting along with everyone, you’d never know he was new. He doesn’t forget a face or name. If this is part of him wooing me, it’s working.
“I’m good.” I grab one of the cheesy fried sticks. “Great, actually.” I’m overselling. My on-the-spot acting is terrible. I didn’t have a chance to practice in the mirror. That’s what I usually do when I have to sell something.
“If you say so.” I know what that means when he says that. He’s not buying what I’m selling.
Only a few days into our marriage, I'm already able to read him just as he can read me. I do find it strangely endearing that he goes along with it, not trying to shut anything down, but I’mstarting to see that he doesn’t have to because he’s always a few steps ahead.
My phone vibrates across the table, and I grab it, seeing that since I didn't answer Katherine's texts quickly enough, she did the old call-you-but-hang-up trick.
Katherine:We're a go.
Katherine:Yello?
Me:I'm here! Give me a second.
I still have to send off an alert, but I have to stall for a few minutes.
Katherine:One
I send an eye-rolling emoji before I fire off another text to put our plans into motion.
Katherine:Oh right, we have to wait on the girls.
She was the one who came up with most of this plan.
"Sorry, it's Katherine. We're connected at the hip, and she's getting jealous." I’m sure he’s noticing that I can’t stop checking my phone. I try to put it down but it only lasts so long.
"Text to your heart's content." He takes one of the yummy cheesy sticks. He’s so agreeable. So much so that now I think he's up to something.
"You're not jealous of my time? You're supposed to be obsessed with me, wanting all my attention." That’s the story I’ve been spreading far and wide.
"First of all, I'm jealous of the air you're breathing because it gets to be inside of you, and the seat you have your cute ass on. I'm always jealous when it comes to you." I shift in my seat, getting turned on.
"Good answer." I wait for him to tell me what the second is. You can't say "first of all" and not follow up with a second. Now the suspense is mounting.
"The second!" pops out of me, completely uncontrollable. This shouldn’t shock anyone.
"Oh, your attention. I have your attention." He winks at me. I ignore that response because he’s right. The man is always at the forefront of my thoughts. It can be consuming at times.
I spot Nelly and Mia enter the diner, still in their outfits from dance class. They're so adorable. I hope I have a couple of girls and they can be best friends.
My stomach gives a flutter because those kids would be with Pierce. It would have to be all girls. Not because I’m opposed to a boy, but Pierce is massive, and I don’t think I could carry a baby form of him.
"Well, the bathroom needs to see me, and I want to say hi to a friend." I slide out of my side of the booth. Pierce leans back, not a care in the world, or so he appears.
"I'll be waiting," he tells me as I walk past him. Nelly gives me a high five as I pass, my distraction landing in place right in front of our table just as Kylie puts down our burgers.
Mia talks animatedly to Pierce while Nelly nods along before she does a quick spin, and both burst into one of their choreographed dances. I slip out the back door of the diner.
