Page 14 of Tanner

Her eyes look back at me under long lashes as her face reddens slightly.

“So, Tanner Sexton, what do you like to do in your spare time? Other than hang out at speakeasies.”

“I paint.”

“Landscapes?” she says as if she knows I’m not a landscape kinda guy.

“Something like that. I also read. A lot. Mostly the classics.”

“What’s your favorite?” she asks.

“The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”

“I read that with my fifth grade class.”

“Really? I haven’t met an adult who’s read that past the—”

“Fifth grade? Yeah, well, you don’t know many teachers then.”

She takes the final sip of her drink, and I motion to the bartender for another round.

“Do you have a favorite book?”

“To Kill a Mockingbird. But I’m biased,” she says, and I raise a brow. “I’m named after Harper Lee. My name is literally Harper Lee.”

She rolls her eyes as if it’s lame to be named after one of the greatest writers in American literature. I, on the other hand, find it incredibly sexy.

“Don’t be embarrassed. My brother was named after Jane Austen.”

“You have a brother named Jane?” She laughs at her own joke.

“What’s comical is, Austin is the least likely to pick up a book. Bryce—he’s the oldest—he’d read a book a week if he had the time.”

“There are three of you?”

I nod. “Yep. Bryce, Austin, and then me, baby brother Tanner.”

“What great author were you named after?” she muses as the bartender brings us our drinks.

“Full House,” I state.

She nearly spits out her drink. “The TV show?”

“We’re from San Francisco. What can I say?”

The music picks up, and the manager pushes tables back as more people start to dance. We turn and watch them for a while. There’s a couple showing off impressive dance skills as the guy flips the girl and then tosses her between his legs. She pops up, and they continue to dance.

“Who’s the most fascinating person you’ve ever met?” I ask her.

“Up until today, it was my father.”

“And now?”

“You.” Her teeth skim along her lower lip. “What would you do if you had enough money to not need a job?”

“This,” I answer honestly. “Paint, read, and talk all night with a beautiful woman.” I down the rest of my drink. “Do you wanna dance?”

“No,” she says with a grimace.