“So you’re kinda all the other one has,” he concluded.
My eyes slid shut. “Pretty much.”
Losing Dad had ripped my heart out—he’d been my hero—but Mom getting sick altered the course of my future. We had a plan, and I’d been working my ass off to hold up my end of the bargain we’d struck nearly a decade prior. Now, I spent every day living with the paralyzing fear that she might unknowingly disclose my deepest, darkest secrets to the wrong person, and life as I knew it would come crashing down.
“Next!” The shout of the concession stand attendant jarred me back to reality.
Levi stepped forward. “We’ll take two medium popcorns, a bottle of water, and—” He turned to me. “What would you like to drink?”
With my mind stuck in a past I wished I could forget, my dazed reply sounded distant. “Water’s good for me too.”
“Make that two bottled waters.” He relayed my order to the kid behind the counter, then tapped his card to pay when the total came up on the electronic screen.
Grateful to have something to do with my trembling hands, I accepted my popcorn and water, falling into step with Levi as we made our way toward the employee checking tickets.
Voice low, he asked, “You good?”
I flashed him a too-bright smile. “As good as anyone can be attending a date under duress.” Though the words were uttered sarcastically, they lacked their usual bite.
Levi eyed me critically, his searching gaze seemingly penetrating past my defenses, and I prayed he wouldn’t be able to see what I was desperately trying to hide.
He opened his mouth to say something, but must’ve thought better of it, because he shook his head, holding an arm out for me to precede him down the hallway to our designated screen. “Better get moving. Can’t miss those trailers.”
I hadn’t realized how tightly my muscles were locked until they sagged in unison.
Two hours fixated on other people’s drama instead of my own sounded like a damn vacation.
The most shocking part of the movie wasn’t the jaw-dropping twist that came at the end; it was that Levi hadn’t attempted to cop a feel under the cover of darkness. I’d thought for sure he would try something after the unethical methods used to get me alone. But to my ultimate surprise, he didn’t encroach on my personal space once, keeping to his power-reclining seat, and even going so far as to use the cupholder on his left armrest instead of the one that sat between us.
Doubt crept in that maybe I’d been too quick to judge him. Sure, it was wrong to use money to manipulate me into a date, but I couldn’t deny that he’d provided an outlet for Austin. At first, I was livid that they’d exchanged contact information, viewing it as another one of the hockey hotshot’s underhanded tactics to get to me. But then I noticed how the typically surly teen lit up whenever a text from Levi came in, and I hated him a little less. Levi had no idea, but those smiles he elicited from Austin were a gift, and I cherished each one.
The unexpected kindness he’d shown Austin softened me, and I found myself wanting to repay him for his good deed.
As the lights came on and those around us rose to their feet, I suggested, “Maybe we can grab dessert somewhere?”
Levi’s head swung in my direction. The expression of pure shock on his face was fleeting, though, quickly transitioning into that charming façade he often wore.
He checked his watch and hummed. “You know, I would love to, but it’s late, and the only thing I allow myself to eat after 10 PM is pussy.”
And just like that, any goodwill I might’ve felt toward the man went up in flames.
A disgusted noise was pulled from the back of my throat as I recoiled. “Jesus, does that actually work on women?”
Still reclined in his seat, he clasped both hands behind his head and smirked. “You tell me.”
Needing to flee this disaster of a non-date, I grabbed my purse. “Clearly, I’m not your target audience.” I was halfway to the exit when a thought struck, and I spun around so suddenly that I stumbled. Levi jumped up, extending a hand to help steady me when I cut him off with a gritted “Don’t.”
The man had no ability to read a room because cockiness seeped into his tone when he asked, “Change your mind?”
My hands curled into fists at my sides. “Definitely not.”
“Shame. I have this trick I do with my tongue that will make you see God.”
I snorted. This guy was the type to have no clue when a woman was faking an orgasm when he went down on them.
Tone clipped, I said, “We had a deal. If it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer to handle all further communication electronically, legal documents to be sent back and forth via courier.”
“If that’s what you want.”
