She tried to wiggle her eyebrows, but she wasn’t very good at it.Another thing Evan did better than her.
He burst out laughing, and she joined in.Over the next hour, he gave her more pointers, and she loved seeing his confidence and skill as he taught her.He even held her in his arms as he showed her the best way to grip the ball.She really liked that part of the lesson.
She hated to even admit that the thing she was looking forward to most during the date was the end.When they both went home to the same apartment.And perhaps the same bedroom.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Mercedes was already at the kitchen table when Evan wandered into the room Saturday morning.They’d decided to have their second official date today.The bowling had gone well, once Mercedes had realized she didn’t need to be as good as him at it, and in a strange way, it felt kind of nice to do something better than her.Not that he’d ever lord it over her.He knew too well what it felt like to be a failure at something.She’d actually listened to his suggestions and had improved from her first few attempts.He liked to think he’d had something to do with that.
After filling a glass with Mountain Dew and grabbing a Pop Tart, he sat across from her.“Did you choose an activity for today yet?”
Her impish grin melted him.He wanted to do everything for her.She pulled the stack of index cards from a basket on the table and spread them out in front of him.“I added a few activities like you said I could, and I used the same cards, so we can’t tell whose are whose.”
Evan shuffled the cards a few times, then spread them out again.“Pick one.”
“Nope.”She shook her head.“I picked the last time.I think we should take turns.It’s not like we can see what’s on them.”
“Cool.I like that idea.”His hands hovered over the cards comically, and she glared at him.Finally, he swooped in and grabbed one.Like she'd done, he waved it dramatically, then flipped it over.SHOPPING.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.I definitely didn’t put this one in here.Why would anyone want to do this on a date?”
She pursed her lips.“I’d never have put bowling on a list of dates, but there it was, and I had fun.”
He heaved a deep sigh, then let his head drop.When he peeked at her again, he said, “Fine.Where are we going shopping?Do you have a place in mind?”
“Is there anything you need?”
“Beer and chips, but I assumed this didn’t mean grocery store.‘Cause I’m okay with that kind of shopping.”
She laughed.“I have a few things I need at the mall, but we can stop at the grocery store on our way home.That way anything cold won’t go bad.”
He made a face.“The mall?Might as well cut off my manhood right now.”
“No, no, no.I have plans for that part of you later.”
He couldn’t wait.The last few weeks had been incredible.They hadn’t been intimate every night, but when they had, he’d stayed in her bed until morning.Waking up with her snuggled against him was wonderful, and it was somewhat of a revelation how much he liked it.It wasn’t something he’d ever done with a woman.In the past, he’d had his fun and left.Crappy, but hopefully he’d become a better person.Because of Mercedes?Because he loved her?He’d never been that emotionally involved with anyone else before.
Focusing back on the day of shopping, he thought about what he might need at the mall.“I could use a new pair of work boots.And I ripped a pair of jeans I typically wear on the job, so I should probably replace those.”
“Excellent.Let me see what stores are at some of the different locations.We can go to a few places.We’ve got all day.”
All day?While he’d love spending all day with Mercedes, he really didn’t want to spend all day walking around a bunch of stores, especially if he wasn’t buying anything.He was a targeted shopper.In, grab, and go.
“Can we at least get lunch somewhere while we’re out?”
“Yes, of course.”She smiled at him.“I’ll even let you pick the place.”
“What time do you want to leave?”If he was lucky, she’d say later today, and he could find a way to get out of it.But then he’d be a terrible boyfriend.The index cards had been his idea.
“Finish eating.I still need to take a shower and get ready.Maybe an hour or so.”
He gave a thumbs up and munched on his Pop Tart.It gave him time to look over hisLevel Twobook again.He hadn’t made plans to take the test yet, and he wouldn’t until he could get through the book with confidence.Mercedes had helped him immensely in that area.
It was almost an hour later when Mercedes strolled into the living room where he’d been playing some game on his phone.He’d given up on the book after about thirty minutes.It was much easier to go through the manual when Mercedes helped him.
Standing, he said, “Where to first?”
“There are a few things I want to get at the Meadow Glen Mall, then I thought we could hit the shops at Station Landing or Assembly Row.”
