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I’d seen enough pictures of him to know his type, and it wasn’t someone who’d rather have their nose stuck in a medical journal than know how to contour her face… although that process intrigued me.
Meanwhile, he looked like an ad for a fashion magazine. His jeans, paired with a black jacket that fit his cotton-covered V-shape torso perfectly, down to his tan Converse, made him even more appealing to me. Not that he needed a specific style of shoe to do that.
Collin waved at the lady behind the counter while ignoring the younger women staring at him. My nose crinkled thinking about how rude they were being. He stopped in front of a booth toward the back of the restaurant and swung his arm toward it. “Have a seat.”
I slid in, and he did the same across from me. Collin snagged two plastic-covered menus out of the holder and gave me one.
“The specials are on the board above the counter,” he said, looking in that direction.
Turning my head, I read the first burger special and set my menu down, not needing to look any further. “That sounds amazing.”
“It’s the best.”
“Hey, kids,” the gray-haired waitress in a blue uniform said, tapping the leaded point of her pencil on a pad. She seemed like someone out of a classic seventies sitcom my grandmother made me watch on reruns when she babysat me. “Can I get y’all something to drink?” She turned toward Collin. “Lemonade?”
“Oh, Gail, you know me so well.” Collin winked, and Gail rolled her eyes, making him laugh.
“Sweetie, what about you?”
“Lemonade sounds good, thank you. I’m Charlie,” I offered for no reason whatsoever.
She smiled and tucked her pencil back into its place. “It’s nice meeting you, sweetie. As you heard, I’m Gail.”
“Yes, it’s nice to meet you too. I’m new in town.”
Gail smiled at the unnecessary information. “Welcome.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll go grab your drinks unless you know what you want already.”
When I looked up at Collin, he nodded to me. “I’ll have the cheeseburger special without mustard, please.”
She smiled before angling her body toward Collin. “I’ll have the special too.”
“Thanks, honey,” Gail, who clearly enjoyed nicknames, said to him before scurrying off.
“So you wanted to talk about rules? You’re not going to put tape down the middle of your house, are you?” When he looked at me as though I’d sprouted another head, I added, “I saw it in a movie once. They divided the house with blue tape. It didn’t work, though.” I laughed, hoping to lighten the mood. When he continued to stare at me, I sighed. “Sally put us in a weird spot, didn’t she?”
“Yes, my sister has a habit of that, but as I said earlier, it’s fine. I’m not going to kick you out.”
He rubbed the back of his neck, most likely due to frustration. And as though magnetic, my eyes were drawn to his rounded biceps. When he was younger, I remember thinking he had a lot of muscles. To me Collin was the epitome of what a guy should look like—tall, nice face, a nose that was proportionate but had a slight bend thanks to it being broken when he was younger, hair that looked blonder in the summer, when the sun brought out its natural highlights, and eyes that reminded me of a cloudless dusk sky.
“Thank you. I appreciate that. Just to give you a rundown of my other attributes aside from school and sports… I love to cook, but I’m a better baker. I’m very tidy and organized, so don’t be surprised if you see a notebook with a list or two somewhere on my person. I love to read and study. I have one best friend, your sister, who means more to me than just about anything. Although right now, I’m rethinking that.” Collin’s lips quirked up at the corners, making me relax a bit. “I’m close to my family, but as you probably remember, I’m an only child. Or maybe you didn’t know that.”
I tapped my chin, trying to think of what else I should tell him. Then I blurted, “I have a habit of singing in the shower, but you’ll be happy to know that I can hold a tune. And let’s see what else. Oh, I don’t have a boyfriend.” Staring at Collin, who had remained silent during my dissertation, I asked, “Do you have a girlfriend?”
“No, I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“You probably have many, right?” For some reason, that thought soured my stomach. “I mean, I wouldn’t be surprised, considering you’re you.”
He chuckled. “Not sure what that means, but yes, I do entertain at times.”
Entertain.I practically sighed. An image of me walking in on him getting it on with a random woman flew into my head. “Just let me know when, and I’ll stay out of your way.” I paused a moment before asking, “What about the team?”
His eyes flew wide. “You shouldn’t date players.”
My jaw slackened as I gawked at him. “What? Of course not,” I practically shrieked, gaining the attention of a couple sitting next to us. Did he honestly think one of them would want to date me? If he only knew that rather than attract men, it was as though a force field surrounded me. Sally would tell me it was because I intimidated guys—something I thought was utterly ridiculous. “What I meant was, what will they think of me being at your house?”
