Page 51

Ali’s foot slid out from beneath the covers, poking Charlotte’s thigh with her big toe. “You underestimate me, Grasshopper.”

Charlotte’s entire face lit up. “Please enlighten me, sensei.” Quick as a flash, Charlotte’s hand skittered over the top of Ali’s foot, tickling the sole. Ali yelped, jerking her foot away, back under the covers, giggling and managing not to spill her coffee.

Ali poked her with her toe again for good measure, body buzzing with excitement. “We make a list of twenty things we want to do. I dig out my twenty-sided die from the time I played Dungeons and Dragons and we let fate decide what we do for the day. Whatever the dice lands on we have to do.”

“That would be different,” Charlotte conceded, gaze falling to her lap, making dark hair spill over her shoulder.

“Is spontaneity scary for you?”

“Not scary,” Charlotte peeked up at her, expression softening. “Just uncomfortable. It hasn’t always gone well.”

Ali’s head bobbed, her stomach sinking even as her heart ached for Charlotte. “Well, that’s okay. We can plan it out if an itinerary would make you more comfortable.”

Charlotte shook her head, hand coming to rest atop the blankets covering Ali’s thigh. “No, I’d like to try it your way.”

Shock zipped through Ali, and she dropped her gaze to her mug, hand falling to rest over the flutter in her stomach.

“You would?”

Charlotte nodded, reached for her phone and opened her notes, titled it, and proceeded to stare at the blinking cursor. Her foot started a soft tapping against the floor.

“Don’t overthink it. Put the first thing that pops into your head.”

Charlotte blinked at her and shrugged.

It was adorable but a little lump of sadness swelled in her throat at Charlotte’s struggle.

“Want me to go first?”

Taking another sip of coffee, she set her mug on her side table. Hand hovering between them, Charlotte passed her the phone, their fingertips brushing. Ali pondered for only a moment before genius struck.

“Charlotte Eloise Davenport, do you agree to abide by fate’s decision today?” Ali had been yearning for an opportunity to use Charlotte’s melodic full name since learning it during their fake first date.

“I do,” Charlotte replied without hesitation. But her face drained of color, realizing her mistake. “Oh no. What are you putting on there?”

“Nothing crazy I assure you,” Ali giggled, dodging Charlotte’s attempt to swipe her phone back before she even finished typing. She held out the device, watching as blue eyes widened comically.

1. Get a tattoo!

“Ali, I’m thirty-six. It’s too late for me to start getting tattoos!” she cried, clambering off the edge of the bed.

“Nonsense! Who said that? You are only thirty-six.”

“I—I work in the corporate world!” Charlotte cried, tugging the end of her own braid.

“Do you often go to work naked?”

“What?” A confused crease appeared between dark eyebrows. Ali’s fingers twitched, wanting to smooth it out. “No, of course not.”

“Tell me, how many tattoos did you think I had before you saw me scantily clad the other day?”

Charlotte’s eyes flitted to every tattoo visible on Ali’s skin, eyes glinting with hunger.

Hunger Ali knew would be reflected in her own eyes as heat curled in her abdomen.

“I hadn’t really considered,” Charlotte answered. “I wasn’t shocked you had a couple. But you and I have very different aesthetics and professions.”

“Oh, I have more than a couple,” Ali countered, wiggling her eyebrows. “But that’s my point. You can get them in places no one will see. I think you’d look hot with a little ink.”