“Yeah,” said the boy child with a shrug.
“I don’t like you either.”
“Feeling is mutual,” he lisped, wetly.
“OK, as long as we’re clear. Keep hold of that snake. If it gets lost, it’s not my problem.”
“Fine.”
“You and your sister go get sodas from Noah. Tell him to load them up with sugar, too.”
The boy clapped his hands. “Hooray!” He skipped towards the bar, the snake bouncing on his shoulders. “Lex, soda time!”
Lex knocked the chair down she ran so fast to join her brother at the bar. Ginny smiled at Shepherd and waved. He waved back, then ran his fingers through his hair. Mr. Martin’s arm was around Deandra’s shoulders, and the two of them were whispering away in each other’s ears and giggling like children. So he was babysitting two sets of children who should not be his problem.
How was this his life?
He picked up the chair off the floor and slid back into it. Ginny kissed his cheek. It sparked like static cling, fresh sheets out of the dryer rubbing each other. Shepherd sucked on his teeth to chase the feeling away. She took his hand in hers and ran the soft pad of her thumb over his knuckles.
“You’re so good with kids, honey.”
Shepherd smiled despite himself. “I thought you didn’t like pet names.”
“I don’t like to be called pet names. But I like calling you pet names, honey bunny.”
He opened his mouth to call her something disgustingly sweet, but his daughter materialized at her side.
“Ginny!” She said the name like a forbidden curse word, an overflowing cup of soda in her hands, the brown liquid sloshing over the sides and dripping on the floor.
Deandra scooted closer to Mr. Martin, not that the old man was complaining.
“Noah tells me that you’re dating,” Lex said, sliding her straw in and out of the cup so hard it squeaked almost musically. “Noah told me this, Ginny, and not you, my best friend. In the entire world.”
Ginny covered her heart with her hand and gasped. “Are we really best friends? Oh, Lex! I’m so happy to hear that because you still haven’t responded to my follow request on Instagram and—”
Lex’s right eye twitched. “You should kiss.”
Shepherd stood up so fast his chair fell backward, clanging hard on the only somewhat sticky floor. The few remaining guests left between lunch and dinner stopped eating their meat lovers’ pizza and buffalo wings coated in ranch dressing tostare at him, including the arguing regulars at the bar who had stopped arguing to see why on earth chairs kept falling over in their direction. He cleared his throat, but then a cough came, and he choked behind his fist.
Ginny stood up too, her hand pressing between his shoulder blades. “Lex, I don’t think—”
“It’s a wonderful idea,” said Deandra. “So romantic! I love that you’ve bonded with your future stepdaughter, Virginia.”
It was Ginny’s turn to cough so hard tears formed in the corner of her eyes. “Future? Future stepdaughter?” She combed her fingers through her glossy red hair. “Mother. Shepherd and I have only started dating recently and—”
“But when would you say? Whenexactlywould you say?” Lex slurped up a huge bit of soda, her eyes narrowed and pointed directly at her father. “What day did you first kiss? Because I think you should kiss right now. Because I love you both so, so much. Now, kiss.”
Mr. Martin tapped his hand against the tabletop. “I concur! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”
Lex chanted along with the landlord, encouraging the entire—though nearly empty—restaurant to chant along. A growing chorus of “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” echoed throughout the not-quite-empty restaurant, the remaining patrons clapping their hands or banging the tables in time with their demands. Deandra giggled, behind her hand, her face flush, and Shepherd regretted ever making her that first coolada.
Ginny’s palm scorched him as it moved up the back of his neck. Every inch of his skin felt hot. Maybe spontaneous combustion was preferable to life at this moment.
“You don’t have to, Shepherd,” Ginny whispered. “Really. I understand. You know, if you’re scared, or whatever.”
“Scared!” Shepherd squawked. “Of what? One stupid, little kiss. With, with you? Of all people? Puh-lease. As if kissing you was scary.”
She shrugged and looked him square in the eye. The chants were getting louder, becoming nothing more than background noise as he watched the corners of her heart-shaped lips turn up. “Prove it, then.”
