She deflates. “Oh. Well, then?—”
“I just want to be with you.”
After a few blinks, she smiles at her feet. “Be with me?”
“Yeah.” I shrug.
“Well,” she chuckles, “you’re with me now.”
“Mmm …” I hum and grin. “Don’t I know it.”
She bites her bottom lip for a second. “Okay, so when do you want tobe with meagain?”
I look over her shoulder as Callie comes out of the bathroom. “Like … now. Later. Always. If I could tuck you into my pocket and take you with me, I would. But”—I pat my legs—“no pockets.”
June studies me before I’m rewarded with a slow grin. “That’s the weirdest thing anyone has ever said to me.”
Callie peruses the bikes for sale as if she’s in the market for one, but I know she’s giving me time with June.
Time to say stupid shit.
Time to make June not want to see me again.
It’s possible the most common pickup line isn’tI want to tuck you into my pocket.But my insecurities have always stayedin my head, no need to let them out now. Yet I step closer to June, bypass my fears, and pretend I have the slightest clue what I’m doing.
“But in a good way, right?” I bite my lip like she did and peer down at her, waiting for a response.
Please say yes.
And there it is. That smile. The drug of all drugs.
“Yeah,” she whispers with a tiny nod.
Down, boy. That’s enough. Leave her wanting more.
After the pocket suggestion, what more could she possibly want? Regardless, I turn and nod at Callie, who’s probably had one eye on us the whole time.
“Thanks. We appreciate your business,” June says.
Callie flutters her fingers like the wave she gave me at the gallery when I forgot to open her car door.
I don’t wave at June. I wink. For the record, I have never winked at anyone in my life. It feels so wrong, but June’s grin is the grandest reward, so I add winking to the list of weird shit I now do because I met a girl.
Scratch that. I metthegirl.
The moment we get into the car, Callie stares at me. Occasionally, I return a quick sideways glance as I drive us back to her house.
“Just say it. You’re obviously dying to say something.”
That’s all it takes to make her look away. I feel instant regret because, despite Callie’s wealth, I might like her. People reveal themselves even when they’re silent. It’s the tiny facial expressions. The feeling that you have their undivided attention. She makes me feel seen and heard. It’s a whole vibe with her that’s hard to explain.
“Nothing,” she murmurs. “I’m just happy for you.”
Happy for me? Does that mean she’s not happy for herself?
“You know, there’s nothing you could tell me I couldn’t handle,” I say. “Believe it or not, I’m good at keeping secrets.” I grunt a laugh. “I’ve had some really disgusting people insist I keep their secrets. Not because I wanted to. I usually kept them because I was trying to protect someone else. It might make it easier for me to do this muse job if I knew what has you down.”
She keeps her attention on the road ahead of us. After a few blocks, she reaches across the console and squeezes my hand.
