Asher moaned in agreement, then kissed me. “So hot.”
We quickly dried off and got dressed.
I was on cloud nine as we walked to the car. Asher was wonderful. I was starting with the Warriors, and a scout approached us.
I felt like we were on top of the world.
Chapter 23
Asher
It was one of those days when the summer heat created a hazy feeling in the atmosphere, and the sky was white. The bright sun reflected off the cars parked along Main Street, making it hard to see. It wasn’t muggy, but oppressive. The heavy heat made it hard to move. I wanted to sit down in an air-conditioned restaurant and have a cold drink.
Which was precisely what Theo and I were doing.
We’d just picked up some new mouthguards after running a few errands for Maria, and the heat was unbearable. Neither of us wanted to get back in the car just yet, so we decided to stop at a restaurant first to relax.
We arrived at a little hole-in-the-wall diner. The cool air hit me like a physical force, making me momentarily lightheaded due to the drastic temperature change.
Still, it felt nice to be out of the heat.
The floor was checkered, and the booths had that classic bright red diner color. It was perfect for a thirty-minute chill.
The waitress, a woman in her sixties, arrived wearing a bright teal top, a checkerboard apron over it, and jet-blackhair piled high on her head. She wore a nametag that readMarge.
“What’ll it be, fellas?”
I loved ladies like that. They were all over New Rochelle—Tammy Faye-level mascara, hair that looked like it had been dyed four million times, and a no-bullshit attitude.
Theo spoke first, “I’ll have a root beer float. I haven’t had one of those in… ever! I’ve never had a root beer float! Holy shit, how can I have never had one of those before?”
“They’re not much of a thing these days,” I replied.
Theo did the same knocking on the table thing that his dad did, and I swear my eyes became heart-shaped. “Today’s the day. I’m getting a fuckin’ root beer float.”
Marge rolled her eyes. “I’ll let the marching band in the back know so they can come out and play when you take your first sip.” Then, she turned to me and asked, “And you, baby? What’ll it be?”
“Just a Diet Coke, thank you.”
“Coming up.” She walked away, and I looked at Theo. He had a big smile that made me want to crawl into his booth and squeeze him. He was genuinely excited for his root beer float, and it was the cutest thing I’d ever seen.
Note to self: Get root beer and ice cream if he likes it.
I inched my leg closer to Theo’s so I could rub against him. Some kind of physical contact was necessary for the level of cuteness he emanated. He smiled when our legs connected, looking at me with a longing stare.
It was so hard to control myself in these situations. We’d said we didn’t want to be out just yet, but I still couldn’t believe that Theo, the guy I’d pined after for so long, was mine. It didn’t feel real. It made it hard to keep myhands off him.
My hands were under the table, and Theo reached across to hold them. A warm feeling washed over me as we sat there, holding each other’s hands. It was perfect. My heart rate accelerated just watching him look at me likethat.Like I mattered. Theo had always been my object of obsession, and the little bro-hugs and shoulder rubs were moments I cherished. But those were a thing of the past, now that we were a couple. Theo didn’t just touch me anymore; he caressed me. He held me. It was wonderful. I took a deep breath, letting that lovely feeling fill me up.
My phone buzzed, a slight vibration tingling my leg, but I ignored it.
We’re having a moment, damnit!
Then, it happened again. Then again. And again.What the hell is going on?
“Jesus, my phone is blowing up,” Theo said.
Really? His too?“So is mine, actually. That’s weird.”
