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Chapter 19
“No, look, you’re doing it wrong.”
“There isn’t a right way to do it, that’s the point of it.”
“Well, if there is a wrong way, you’ve got it down.”
I laughed at Grant’s joke about my attempt to win the triangle game on the table at Cracker Barrel.
“Wait, let me try one more time.” I grabbed the triangle and pegs from him and reset the game, pulling one peg out after another, hoping to only have one by the end. Each time I finished, I was left with three pegs mocking me in their zone.
Grant laughed at my same result over and over. “I’m half tempted to tell you how to beat it, but I think I like watching this more.” My eyebrows furrow in concentration as the stupid game mocks my intelligence. I give it a fourth attempt, grabbing peg after peg till I am once again left with just three sitting in their holes.
Grant reached over the table and grabbed the game from my hands. “Just pay attention and I’ll do it slowly.” I kept my eyes peeled, not wanting to miss a second of his large, rough hands pulling each peg out over each other slowly.
I accidentally moved my eyes from his hands up to his face, looking at the handsome scruff covering his chin and jaw. His dark eyes are placed on the game but I am no longer paying attention, instead focusing on his face and the dark hair tucked into his baseball cap. The lines on his forehead creased as he focused on the game in front of him. I looked down at the short stubble lightly sprinkled across his jaw, it looked like he trimmed it since I saw him last.
“Hey, I told you to focus now.” Grant smirked at me over the table, and I blushed at getting caught.
“I was! I just got…distracted.”
He shook his head, teasing me. “Come on, Ms. Hart, teachers are supposed to be good at following rules.” I laughed, bunching up my unused napkin to throw it at him.
I noticed it getting dark outside the window and check the time, seven-fifty-eight p.m. Grant and I finished eating over an hour ago, but have been playing this dumb game and laughing over our almost empty cups of melted ice. I could sense the annoyance from our waitress and figured it was best if we went. Grant left a generous tip for her inconvenience and led me out to his truck.
Grant followed me to the passenger side to help me hop into the seat, but really I think it’s just an excuse for him to put his hands on my waist. Ever since our night at his house, he had become more physical, and I got butterflies in my stomach every time. Each slight graze on my hip made me feel like a sixteen-year-old with my first boyfriend all over again.
Seated in his truck, I breathed in the aroma of the vehicle. It has a mixed scent of a black tree air freshener and diesel gas. It reminded me of my Grandfather’s old vehicles. I didn’t spend much time with him before he passed, but the scent brought back what little pieces there were in my mind. The drive back to my apartment is filled with a comfortable silence, his right hand placed on my thigh—drawing small circles with his calloused thumb. He played 90’s country softly in the background and I was reminded of my grandmother’s familiar voice singing Garth Brooks in the kitchen as she danced around, too distracted to realize her chicken was burning, but none of us had the heart to stop her.
I smiled at the memories Grant had triggered, looking across the truck to see him with a slight grin on the corner of his lips. I had the urge to reach over and kiss that sweet corner but I refrained from doing so, not wanting to distract him.
“What you thinking about, Hart?” He must have sensed my mind racing. He kept his eyes on the road, but he changed the pattern he was tracing on my thigh. I blushed slightly but went with the truth, running my nails along his veiny forearm.
“I was thinking about kissing you but I was scared you’d start swerving everywhere.” His deep chuckle filled the truck and placed a smile across my face.
“You know I know a couple of empty parking lots I could take us to if that’s what you’re wanting.” He winked at me and I’m sure my light pink blush has grown to a bright red.
I let out a nervous giggle. “Maybe just get to my place and we’ll go from there.”
Grant pulled into my new parking spot, now that he’s scared my neighbors away, and followed me to the door. Al sat up front by the elevator in the lobby, fiddling with his loop full of keys.
“Afternoon, Miss June. You look lovely.”
I smiled at my sweet friend. “Thank you so much, Al!” I pulled Grant’s hand forward. “This is Grant Dawes, he’s helping me with Gram’s house.” Grant reached his free hand forward to shake with Al’s.
“Oh, so you’re Miss June’s boyfriend then? It’s nice to meet you, that sweet gal deserves the world, be sure you’re careful with her.”
I was about to interfere and correct Al’s misconception of Grant as my boyfriend but I was cut off before I could get a word out, “Yes sir. Nice to meet you.”
As we headed to the elevators, I expected Grant to shut down since Al assumed he was my boyfriend, but if anything it seemed to light a fire in him. His arm wrapped around my shoulder and his thumb traced circles on my arm.
We reached my door, and I took as long as possible to search for my keys. I had never unlocked a door so slowly, but I felt as though I wasn’t ready for today to end yet.
“Do you—”
“Can I—”
We both chuckled at our interruptions, and I nodded my head. “You go first.”
