I was certain he didn’t care, but he sounded like a two-year-old.
“You are unbelievable. What are you? Two?”
I studied him, looking at him lying there, and then noticed the remote lying on his lap. I placed my food down on the table and then lunged forward, attempting to grab it from him, only instead I fell onto his lap, crashing into him as he shoved the remote into his pants.
“Callahan!” I screamed, taking in the scent of his cologne.
I felt his free arm wrap around me, holding me tight.
“Alan,” he mimicked, looking at me but not letting me go.
I shifted, slipping off the couch but still staying at his side. I could feel his large hand resting on my lower back, my face only inches from his.
“Give me…the remote,” I said, my voice low.
“No, you want it, go get it.”
“One episode. Thirty minutes,” I gritted, ignoring him.
“There are twelve minutes left in this period?—”
“I don’t care about the period, Evan.”
I still sat there, his arm wrapped around me. I hadn’t pulled away, but then neither had he.
“Bianca, that’s disappointing. You work with hockey players. You really should appreciate?—”
“I appreciate hockey when I am working. When I am home and wanting to relax, I want to watch people fall in love in a small-town bakery.”
Evan looked at me with mock disgust on his face.
“Bianca, that sounds terrible. What do they do? Fall in love while talking about the buttery flakiness of a croissant?”
I rolled my eyes, trying not to laugh. “Yeah, well, my show may be terrible, but your face is worse.”
Evan let out a laugh. “What an insult.”
“Did you just?—”
“Nope.”
“You laughed. Evan Callahan laughed at something,” I said.
“No, I didn’t. It was a cough.”
“You were actually laughing at my stupid comeback,” I said, smiling, now laughing with him.
Evan looked at me, a small smile on his lips. “I love hearing you laugh,” he whispered. “I’ve missed it.”
“Well then, I suggest you give me the remote, or you’ll never hear it again.”
“Never hearing you laugh would be a tragedy,” he whispered, his thumb moving against my back.
Our eyes locked, and we sat there in silence until cheers erupted from the TV, causing us both to startle apart.
“Period’s over,” I said quietly.
He studied my eyes, then reached into his pants and handed me the remote.
