“She’s just teasing you. If she promised she wouldn’t tell, she won’t. But you might want rein in the caveman act. You’re the only one giving away how you feel about Vicky tonight,” he said, trailing after the pair.
Almost tripping over my feet at his remark, I finally found MJ in a tense game of Mario Kart on our living room TV with Lauren from marketing. My tension eased a bit as I watched MJ skillfully maneuver Princess Peach around the racetrack, her tongue pressed between her teeth.
“Who’s winning?” I asked as I watched them sway from side to side, grunting.
“Awww, are you serious? Again?” Lauren yelled, feigning irritation. “I think you have this game rigged.”
MJ laughed as they high-fived. Lauren had been with me since MJ was about three, so this wasn't their first time hanging out.
“MJ, it’s getting late. I’ll let you stay up a little longer, but you’ll have to go to bed soon.”
“Come on, Daddy. It’s summer vacation. Mr. Bill and Ms. Amy are waiting their turn to play with the master.” She wiggled her fingers before blowing on them.
Her confident words made me laugh as I shook my head. It wouldn’t surprise me if she beat them all. Heading to the kitchen, I grabbed another slider from the warming tray as I leaned on the counter. Mom did a great job with the food choices, and I was suddenly needing something to distract me.
“Any of those left?”
I turned to see Vicky walking toward me with a warm smile on her face, her voice stirring something inside me that, again, I thought was long dormant. I nodded and handed her one, my pulse accelerating when my fingers brushed over hers as the napkin-wrapped burger was transferred.
“Thanks. Having a good time?” she asked before taking a dainty bite, while mine was already gone.
She took a bottle of kombucha from the large aluminum bin that housed iced-down drinks, handing it to me. I snickered at our inside joke.
“Funny. Joke’s on you. Ilikethis flavor,” I answered, twisting off the top as the satisfying hiss rang out. “And yeah, I’m having a good time. About ready to fall asleep though.”
“Old man,” she teased, taking another bite.
“You wound me, Little Fairy.”
Oh shoot. Why’d I say that?
Her smile grew slowly, and she tilted her head to the side, asking, “Little Fairy?”
“Ah, MJ called you that when you first got here,” I said quickly. Pointing to her hair, I added, “Must’ve been the flowers.”
She touched the one that Nathan had straightened, a blush coloring her perfect cheeks.
“Seems she’s not theonlyone who noticed them,” I blurted out.
It was official. I’d lost my mind and my ability to shut my mouth.
Vicky furrowed her brows and looked at me with confusion.
Clearing my throat, I said, “Nathan. He, um, he noticed the daisies. He touched one of them.”
There was no way to hide the way the word “touched” was almost spit out of my mouth, like something disgusting had offended me.
“Oh, wow. Aw, yes. I don’t know why he did that,” she said quickly, looking away.
“Youdon’t? It’s pretty obvious. He’s attracted to you. Was flirting with you,” I said, looking away from her doe eyes when they turned back to me.
Shaking her head quickly, she scoffed. “That’s not true.” Her words made me turn back to fully look into those amber eyes.
“I know you haven’t had much experience,” I said, leaning toward her so only she could hear me. “But that wasdefinitelywhat flirting looks like.” It wasn’t lost on me that she shivered when my breath moved her hair.
Yeah, my Little Fairy.Thisis what flirting looks like, too.
As I backed away, her eyes followed me like she was looking at something she couldn’t puzzle out.
