“We go on a double date. You with Jack, me with Gunner.”
“That’s crazy talk.”
“We can play this risky game together. Why not?”
“And what if one of us falls deep in love and the other gets left behind all sad and depressed and shit? Then what?”
“We figure it out.Together.”
“We sound like hopeless turds.” Trish laughed.
I shrugged with a smirk. “As long as it’s you and me both.”
“Otherwise, we agree to call off men all together.” Trish proposed.
“Ugh, after the kiss I just had?”
“You’re giving me whiplash.”
“Okay, okay. Fine. Men- poof, gone, done.” I snapped my fingers.
“Good. Now I can eat my muffin in peace.”
If only itwere that easy with a snap of the fingers.
Instead, I acted like a girl with a crush.
I giggled, my cheeks turned red, I looked for him everywhere, tried to run into him, and sometimes I would even walk by where he was.
Gunner wasn’t a fool. He knew what I was up to. And he did the same things.
A brush of his hand against mine, a sexy smile reserved only for me, his eyes light and glowing as he tipped his head to the cooler so we could sneak a kiss.
Every shift I had, he was there. It had to be intentional, but I said nothing and went on with my business.
One night, while on my break, I curled up inside a hidden booth in the back and studied for an upcoming test, my books and notes sprawled all over the table. It was a mess, just like my brain was, and honestly, I wanted to quit. I wanted to climb into my bed, pull the covers over my head, and sleep for days.
I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.
“Need a studying partner?”
His voice ran through me like a hot flash. “Thanks, but I doubt I’ll get any learning done with you around.”
Gunner slid into the booth across from me. “What makes you say that?”
I eyed him playfully. “You know why.”
He held his hands up in surrender. “I’m only here to help. I promise.”
“How much do you know about the names of the bones in the human body?”
Gunner grimaced. “Probably none. But I’m great at holding flash cards.”
I handed him the stack I made earlier. “Have at it.”
Gunner quizzed me, moving through all the cards, picking up speed each round. After a solid thirty minutes of drills, I seemed to have a better handle on the material.
“Thank you.” I said with a smile. “That helped so much. I have a big test tomorrow.”
