Unsure of what to say, I decided to leave it alone and grabbed a slice of my own pizza. Like usual, my steak, onions, and banana pepper pizza was to die for. Across from me, Emmie hummed as she ate.
Her upper body did a little shake as if she couldn’t control it. I smiled as I took another bite, watching her enjoy her food. She was adorable. As if sensing my eyes on her, her gaze snapped to mine.
“What?” she asked around a mouthful of cheese and dough.
I swallowed my bite before answering. “You make cute noises when you eat.”
“No, I don’t.” A flush of pink creeped up her neck.
“You do but it’s cute.”
“I… Shut up,” she mumbled, going back to her slice. I just grinned and let her be.
We ate in silence, content with eating our food without having to say anything. It was nice not having to make idle conversation. To just sit here and enjoy someone else’s company without worrying what they were really after.
I didn’t know much about Emmie, but I knew enough that she didn’t care who I was. In fact, she seemed to almost not like me because of what I did. It made me wonder if she had something against football players or all athletes.
There was so much more to Emmie that I wanted to learn. What got her into figure skating? How did she take her coffee in the morning? Was she the type that had to have something sweet while watching TV?
I didn’t think I ever wanted to get to know someone as intensely. Like my friends said, I didn’t do relationships, but sitting here across from Emmie, I wanted more than just one little lunch.
What the hell was going on with me?
“So,” Emmie started after all but a few pieces of pizza were gone.
“So,” I echoed.
“What now?”
“If you’re wanting to come back to my place just know I don’t put out on the first date.”
Emmie glared while I smirked.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“What did you mean?” I asked. She opened her mouth to respond but snapped it shut when a different waitress came up to our table with the bill. I didn’t hesitate to hand over my credit card.
Emmie eyed it before continuing. “I meant, what are we doing now? After this?”
“Ah, dessert.”
“No.” Emmie shook her head. “Are we doing this again?”
I leaned forward, elbows on the table. “Depends. You buying next time?”
“Not a chance.” This time it was Emmie who grinned wide.
“It’s up to you whether you want to see me again or not. If you don’t want to, that’s okay. I’ll live with the heartbreak.” I sighed dramatically.
“Are you sure you’re not a soap actor?”
“I really should have been,” I joked before turning serious. “I meant what I said, Emmie. If you don’t want to see me again, I get it. But if you do…I’ll be here.”
8
EMMIE
“You need more height. Push off your toe pick harder and extend your arms over your head,” Marcy coached from her spot on the ice near the side boards.
