“I hadn’t planned on telling you that, no. But as you brought it up…”
“Man, now I’m even more envious. You would never guess. Never.”
“It just takes practice. All of it just takes practice.”
“Even the stuff that seems effortless?”
He paused. Then,“Especially,the stuff that seems effortless.”
“So, I guess you just stab yourself in the thigh until you can do it with a straight face.”
“Well, I wouldn’t exactly put it like that.”
“Then how would you put it?”
“Stand up, and I’ll show you.”
She wasn’t sure what was more remarkable: that he offered, or that she didn’t think twice about doing what he said. She just stood the second he said the words, then waited patiently for whatever he was going to do—as if she knew, somehow, that he wouldn’t make her regret it.
Though she was right to believe that.
He stood, but he didn’t come near her. He stayed a good five feet away, as if his forcefield protected her as much as it did him. And when he finally spoke, he just sounded so damned practical.“Okay I think the handshake thing is best to demonstrate. Sound good?”
“That sounds perfect, to be honest.”
“Good. Then you need to watch my shoulders.”
Her gaze flicked to them, automatically.
Though she couldn’t see exactly what he wanted her to.
Beyond their general broadness and solidity.
“Okay I’m watching them,” she said.
“Don’t look at my hands.”
“Got it. No hands.”
“You’ll want to look.”
“I do already.”
“But you’ve no need to. I’m not going to touch you.”
“I get that. I believe you on that.”
“Good. Now tell me which hand I’ve extended.”
It had to be a trick question. Had to be. He hadn’t done anything, after all. Everything she was looking at was right where it had been a second ago, she was sure of it.
But she went to ask him anyway. “What? What do you—”
“Here, I’ll do it again.”
He did, and this time his meaning was completely clear. She wasn’t looking at his hands, but it was still obvious which hand was moving. In fact, it was so obvious, she actually found herself grinning again. And the word when it came was full of surprised triumph. “Left.”
“Uh-huh. Now which?”
