“That exciting of a social life, huh?”She giggled, taking his silence as an answer that he had no life outside of work, which wasn’t an incorrect assessment but sad when he thought about it.
“Oh, and what do you do Miss Social Life?”he replied with snark, feeling defensive.He knew he didn’t have a life outside of work, but when it was blatantly pointed out to him, he felt prickly about it.
“I get out,” she hedged.Carson remembered Sandy saying Allie was outgoing and the adventurous one.
“Well, how about this upcoming weekend we go paintballing together?I know a great course not too far away.”Carson wasn’t sure who was more shocked about the offer, him or her.
“Are you asking me out?On a date?”
He supposed he was.The offer had come out before he thought about it.“Yes, I’d like to take you out again.A real date.No phone calls interrupting us.I will give you my complete attention,” he emphasized.“We can grab lunch afterward or before.Before might be better,” he said, thinking out loud.“You’ll be covered in paint after and may not want to sit anywhere.”
Allie turned in her seat to face him.“Who says I’ll be the one covered in paint?It could be you,” she challenged with a raised eyebrow and a hint of a smile on her lips.
“I guess you’ll have to come with me, and we’ll find out.”It was unlikely.He was an ex-SEAL.She didn’t stand a chance against him.“So, is that a yes, you’ll go out with me?”
He didn’t know why, but he really wanted her to say yes.He wanted Allie to give him a chance.
She looked hesitant though.He could understand why.
“If it’s easier, we don’t have to call it a date.We can just say we’re two friends hanging out and having a healthy dose of competition.”
“Competitive, are you?”
“I was a SEAL, it’s in our blood.”He and his teammates had always competed about everything.Eat the fastest, take their gun apart and put it back together the fastest.
Allie cocked her head to the side and looked at him, confused.“I didn’t realize marine mammals were competitive.Maybe for food, but I didn’t think in sports.”
“What?”he sputtered, not understanding her statement until it came to him.“Not a seal, but a Navy SEAL.You know, like the military.”He glanced at Allie out of the corner of his eye only to see her smirking.She had been messing with him.“That was a good one.I’ve never heard that one before.Now you have to say yes to me.”
“Or what?”It wasn’t a no.He could still convince her to give him another chance.
“Or I’ll keep bugging you until you agree.I should warn you, when I get fixated on things, I don’t lose sight of my target.”
“I don’t know if I should be flattered or scared.”
“You don’t ever have to fear me.I have never and would never harm a woman.Physically,” he amended since he had hurt her feelings.“I’ll even do you one better.If I so much as say one offensive thing to you, you have permission to hit me with a paintball.”
“I don’t want a freebie.”
“Alright, I was only trying to be fair.”He shrugged as if it didn’t make a difference to him.He was only trying to boost her ego that she could get one hit on him since he was confident that he would trounce her.
“Yes, I’ll go out with you.We’ll eat afterward.Loser pays.”She held out her hand for him to shake.
He could live with those terms, though he was going to pay for lunch regardless.“Deal.”He shook her hand.
“This is me.”She pointed to a house on the right side.It was a brown brick home with a navy-blue door and shutters.There was a small green area with a tree in the front yard.That was common here out in the desert where water was expensive and scarce.
“I like it,” he remarked, pulling up to the curb.
“It’s not much, but it’s home.”
“How long have you lived here?”
“A few years.Shortly after I started with the company.I had an apartment, but I like having my own space.”
“Me too.I hated hearing people walk above me or hear music from the apartment next to me or arguments.I like having my own place.”
“Well, I should get going, I have to call the tow company.”
