My brows climbed my forehead. “Are you talking about sex?”
Danessa hitched an uncertain shoulder.
“I did not have plans on having sex tonight. You know me, I’m a bit of a prude. I need at least three or four dates before I give up the cookie.”
“You are definitely a slow starter but when you warm up, you get to cooking.”
When it came to Danessa I’d been preheating for weeks now. All I needed was the green light and I’d be ready to slide inside and make her cream. But we were just friends, and I needed to remember that so I didn’t end up with a broken heart part deux.How many times do you think one could survive heartbreak?I’d been through one and it was similar to a death. Not only did I lose Danessa, but I lost my plans for the future. Everything I thought I knew about myself and the life I wanted was turned on its head because one woman stopped loving me. The fact we willingly gave people the ability to destroy us was madness.
“Let’s make the most of the unexpected. I mean I got a fresh cut and all dressed up for the occasion. This place looks like fun. And I’m always up for some friendly competition.”
“You don’t have to be the glass half full guy.”
“I’m not. I could think of far worse things than spending time with you. I saw a Need for Speed game that was just begging for you to play it and ram your souped-up car into a wall.”
“I’m better on the straightaway. Curves are more challenging.”
“You never slow down.”
“If I slow down, I’ll get passed by the other cars,” she shouted. Danessa was serious about her failed strategy.
“So, your plan is to scrape your car on the side of a mountain instead of … oh I don’t know … learning how to drive?”
“You play your way, and I’ll play mine.”
“So, what do you say? Let me dust you on the course and show you how a real professional handles a curve.”
She craned her neck, looking around me. “Is the professional stopping by later or?—”
“Mofo, I’m the professional. I went to Disneyland, they had aCarsracetrack attraction. I got certified and everything.”
“Trust me, it’s not going to help. I’m way better than I used to be.”
“I sincerely doubt that.”
“You’re going down.”
Aldridge easily beatme in every Need for Speed race. But I redeemed myself on Pac-Man and we came out even in head-to-head Mortal Kombat rounds. We were now at the Skee-Ball machines, and Aldridge was making a big show of stretching before we started to play.
“If I win this game, I need a new title like Gamemaster,” he said.
“I will not be calling you that.”
“All this dominance needs to be recognized.”
“I could call you Lil Big Head. Because your ego is getting out of hand.”
There was a gleam in his eye. “I’ll admit I have a big ego, but everything I say I back up tenfold.”
“Do you need to trash talk at every conceivable opportunity?”
“If you’re afraid to lose, just say that.”
“I don’t lose.”
“You were literally so bad at Need for Speed the game malfunctioned and couldn’t read your card. I think it had secondhand embarrassment for you.”
“Did I or did I not bitch slap the shit out of you and then slice you in half on the last game?”
