Kodi fiddled with her fingers for a second before turning abruptly to me, eyes sharp. “So the boys are pretty insistent that you need to get laid.”
Upfront, the cab driver snorted.
“But what do you actuallywantin a relationship? Because as your PA —” This made him gasp. “— I know you don’t have a lot of time to devote to one. So like, are the boys right and you just wanna get laid? Or what?”
Suddenly I wished this was a quiet car ride. But if this was what she wanted to know, then …
“No, that’s never really been … my style. Not to say I haven’t …” I bit my tongue and forced the next few words out, “had a one-night stand. But I’d prefer something with … intent.”
“Intent,” she repeated, humming.
“What about you?” I asked without thinking. Kodi pulled back, brow furrowing. After a second, she shuffled around to look out the window and I figured I’d crossed a line and the conversation was over.
“I don’t actually know,” she said quietly. “Like, I haven’t beaten your record for relationship length either. I’ve kinda just slept around with whoever was fun or interesting without any intent beyond, you know, enjoying the sex. It’s not something I ever actively sought out because I was more focused on my career.”
“Me, too,” I said, something catching in my throat. Kodi twisted around to look at me, head resting against the seat.
“I guess we have more in common than I thought,” she said softly. Kodi looked at me for a beat longer before grabbing something from her bag and holding it out to me. “Are mozzarella sticks your favorite, too? Because they’re my go-to appetizer and have been for, like,ever.”
“Lucky guess,” I said, shrugging it off. Like Kodi said, it’s been her favorite since forever. Anytime I went out to eat with her family, she got them. And on the rare few days they were served at the cafeteria, she went nuts. In fact, her only complaint after we went and saw the Dastards as kids was —
“You know, the worst thing about being a soccer fan is that mozzarella sticks aren’t a stadium food,” she said before taking another stick from her purse. “What’re the chances you could pull some strings and make that happen?”
“I guess I could ask around for you.”
“If you do, I’ll get you a world’s best boss mug,” she promised, handing me another cheese stick, even though I hadn’t finished the first one. But since turning her down in any way was impossible, I shoved the other sick in my mouth to take her offer.
“Seriously?” I asked around a mouthful of cheese.
“Mm-hmm, even if I have to design it myself.”
“Can you design things like that, too?”
“Well, I guess saying I can ‘design’ it is a little cavalier. I’m not a professional designer, but I can make do.”
“Uh-huh,” I said, trying to sound like I understood what she meant.
“But I’d add a little stick on all the Bs,” she said with a little giggle and the cabbie snorted.
“What?”
“'Cause Bs look like a butt and you’ve always got a stick up your ass,” she explained, doubling over in laughter.
“Har, har,” I said. “You give me that mug and I’ll hand it right over to Hansen.”
Kodi sat straight up with a gasp. “You wouldn’t dare!”
“Wanna test me?”
Kodi sat back and narrowed her eyes at me. “No, I guess not. But not because I think you’d really do that.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, you act like a grump, but you’re actually really nice.”
“You think so?” I asked, my heart aching.
“Uh-huh. Plus printing one mug is too expensive. Not worth it for the bit.” She sighed before tilting her body to rest her head onmy shoulder. Her weight was warm, grounding, and I suddenly hoped the cab ride would last a little longer.
