My brazenness – gratefully – doesn’t get blocked. “Whatever the last woman they were with drank.”
“Trashy.”
“Not classy.”
“Sloppy.”
“Careless.”
“Which is…” my fingers fold together in front of me, “unfathomableto me that the personluckyenough to go out with you would fuck up their shot so…absentmindedly.” Tilting my head slightly to one side is done prior to me prodding, “Unless…youlikeother people makin’ decisions for you?”
The question instantly crinkles her forehead. “I don’t know that I like it.”
“But you don’t know that you don’t?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever thought much about it.” Her body casually angles itself to face me better. “I’ve always been more of a ‘go with the flow’ type of person.”
“Why?”
“Because it was easier.”
“Was it?” Lifting of my light brown eyebrows occurs between statements. “Or were you really jus’ afraid the world would reject you for bein’ whoever it is you really wanted to be?”
Her jaw instantly plummets to the scuffed-up floors.
“Youpick the play,” I declare at the same time I drag over the drink specials menu, “and I’ll follow the call.”
Once more, she takes a nervous nibble of her bottom lip.
Wordlessly contemplates.
Scrambles to decide which angle she thinks my slapshot is coming from instead of simply believing in the point-blank clapper I’ve declared.
Sadly, there are too many people in the world out here pretending to be someone they’re not.
That’s never been me.
Never will be.
“Okay…” the hesitation lingering in her voice doesn’t have me rushing to make the decision like I would bet my lucky playoff season bowtie she’s hoping it will, “let’s order everything.”
“Everything it is.”
Shock doesn’t hesitate to flash in her expression. “Wait. What?!”
“You said everything.”
“That’s because I didn’t think you’d really go for it!”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s…Idontknow…expensive?!”
“I make enough money.”
“It’s time consuming!”
“I have all the time in the world to be with you.”
