“Come on, let’s get something to eat. I’m starving.”
We’re on our walk back to his car when I spot a taco truck down the street. “Oh, I’d love a burrito.”
He nods. “Me, too.”
Picnic tables are set up in front of the truck, and I sit and wait at one while Casey grabs us lunch.
He comes back a few minutes later with two trays; every inch of them is covered with food. “What’s all this?”
He takes one of the wrapped items and places it in front of me. “Spicy shrimp burrito for you.”
“Thank you.” I look over at his tray; there are at least three wrappers. “What did you get?”
“Uh… two tacos, a burrito and you have to try these empanadas. They’re so good.”
His boyish grin pleases me more than it should. He bites into his burrito with such gusto that I laugh and take a bite of my own. The spicy flavor hits my tongue like a fireball and I groan. “This is so good.”
“Right?” He smiles. “Here, try this.”
He opens the empanada wrapper and brings one to my mouth. I swallow what’s in my mouth and take a bite. My teeth sink into the empanada but I’m staring into his eyes the whole time. He swallows and stares at my mouth.
“Is it good?” he asks softly.
I nod and swipe my top lip. “Delicious.”
He smiles and shakes his head as he pops a whole empanada into his mouth. He grins through it and I laugh at his discomfort, smug that perhaps I was responsible for that.
We spend the rest of the afternoon walking along the beach and talking about Cedar Brook Falls and what Anthony, Cassandra and Charlie are up to. We don’t talk about baseball or even how he’s feeling. Anytime I try to bring it up, he changes the subject.
When it starts to get dark, Casey drives me back to his place. When he puts on some soft music I get the feeling I know how he wants this night to end. But I know I can’t get intimate with him again. It hurt so much when he left last time, I was just starting to feel better. I don’t know if I could get over it again.
“I should go,” I say, and he stops mid-pour of his glass of wine.
“So soon?”
“Yes. I, uh, I’ve got a call with my professor in the morning, and I don’t want to be too tired for it.”
“Oh, okay. Will I see you tomorrow?”
“Definitely. Maybe we can hit the gym together?”
“Yeah. Maybe.”
“Okay,” I say and grab my purse. “Oh, before I leave, can I get those medical reports we talked about?”
Casey frowns. “I don’t know where they are, my desk, maybe.”
“I’ll wait while you check.”
He blinks and then turns around, walking down the hallway. A few minutes later he returns with a file folder. “Knock yourself out.”
I smile. “Thanks. See you tomorrow.”
I turn to leave, but he grabs my hand and I turn around. His gaze roams across my face, and his eyes assess every detail. I think he’s about to lean down and kiss me, but he changes his mind. Instead, he licks his lips and says, “See you tomorrow.”
21
Sage
