“Yeah,” I concede, “but that was hours ago, and I'm hungry again.”
“Fair enough,” she says, laughing. “But we’ve got food here. We could make stir fry. How does that sound?”
“I think the freshmen ate the package of chicken that was in the fridge,” I say. It’s not exactly the truth, and it’s not exactly a lie. I mean, it was there when I checked this morning, but those freshmen can’t be trusted when it comes to food.
“Oh, well, I think there are still enchiladas from the other night. We could throw together a salad and?—”
“Blue ate those,” I say. Again, it’s not quite a lie. He hasn’t eaten them. But he will, once I tell him they’re fair game.
“In that case,” Viv says, reaching for the fishing rod these kitties go nuts for, “I guess we’ll have to grab something. What sounds good?”
Shit. I haven’t thought that far ahead. “Uh…”
“Well, let’s think,” she says, leaning her head on my shoulder. “I’m a little sick of Wolfie’s, to be honest. A new sushi place opened up downtown, but I haven’t heard great things about it.”
“Oof,” I say. “Then that’s an automatic no. There’s a pizza place out by the highway. That could be good. I like to check out the competition,” I joke. I’ve been working in a pizza kitchen back home during the summer break, so you think I’d be sick of both the taste and smell of pizza pie, but that just isn’t possible.
“Then let me put my shoes on, and we can go,” Viv reaches up on her tip toes, and I bend down so our lips can meet. “If pizza and cheese sticks can’t put you in a better mood, then I don’t know what can.”
The answer is Viv. Her smile is the thing that brightens my day. Her laugh is freaking contagious. Her sense of humor hasme cracking up. And the sweet, subtle curves of her toned body drive me insane. That’s the truth, but it’s not a truth she’s ready to hear, so I keep it to myself and grab my car keys.
It only takes about fifteen minutes until we’re turning into the parking lot of Slice of Heaven. It’s not too crowded, but it’s a Tuesday night, so I’m not super surprised. What does catch me off guard is the blinding lights coming from the place next door.
“Arre those go-karts?” Viv asks, craning her neck as I pull into a spot.
“Yeah, that’s what it looks like.” I turn off the ignition and reach into my pocket for my phone. A quick internet search tells me all I need to know. Need for Speed opened about three months ago, and they offer a racing experience for kids of all ages. This might be a fun place for the hockey team to do a little bonding once the season is over. There’s probably no real chance of bodily harm at a go-kart track, right? Or maybe we just won’t tell Coach until we’re home safe and sound with all our limbs intact.
I’ve got my hand on the door and I can practically taste the pizza I’m about to devour even though I haven’t even entered the restaurant yet, but then I notice that Viv’s still eyeing up the go-kart track.
“You’ve got a need for speed?” I say, pointing to the sign.
Viv laughs. “I haven’t been on a go-kart since I was in middle school, but holy hell, that looks like fun.”
We step out of the car and walk to the far end of the parking lot where there’s a good view of the track. It’s not high speed racing like you see on TV, but it’s still pretty cool. “Let’s go,” I say, reaching for her hand.
“You’re that hungry, huh?” she says, laughing as she pulls me toward the pizza shop.
“No,” I say, stopping our forward motion. “I mean let’s do the go-karts. It looks like fun, and if you promise not to rat me out to Coach or post any pictures until we’re done, then I’m game.”
The smile on Viv’s face is worth a million trips around the track. On my hands and knees. Damn, when she looks at me like this, there’s literally nothing I wouldn’t do for the woman in front of me.
“But aren’t you hungry?” she says, her gaze darting between the two establishments.
I laugh as I pat my flat, muscled mid-section. “I think I can make it another hour or so before I waste away.”
I’m not even finished with my sentence when I feel her tug on my arm. Before I know it, we’re running down an embankment, even though there’s probably a much more practical, paved route. See? This is why Viv and I are literally perfect for each other. The shortest distance between two spaces gets shorter if you run, after all.
“Are you two a couple or singles?”
I look up to see a guy about my dad’s age wearing a blue t-shirt with the company logo on the front and the nameRickystitched in white thread on the pocket. The question catches me off guard as I unlock my phone and pull up my credit card. “Uh…”
“We’re together,” Viv says, hooking our arms together. And yeah, my heart skips a fucking beat like I’m a middle schooler who just got asked to dance by the coolest girl in school.
After I tap my card, the go-kart guy leads us over to the track so we can pick out a vehicle. I’m eyeing up the choices when I feel Viv reach up and pat my shoulder. “I hope it’s okay I said we’re together. It’s cheaper this way. Plus, I figure you can get behind the wheel and I can be the passenger princess.”
I do my best to brush off her reasoning and not feel it like a dagger to my heart. I’ve had a lot of practice with that. “Wait. You don’t want to drive?”
“Hell, no,” she scoffs. “That takes way too much concentration. I need to channel all my attention in one direction: the very fine art of trash talking.”
