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“Yeah. The one and only,” I tell her.
She turns back to me and settles in the booth. “Okay, now that’s hilarious. You’re right. Drunk college kids wouldloveriding him.”
“You don’t have to be drunk for it to be fun,” I counter.
“Pretty sure the only way you could convince me to ride Bruce is if I had alcohol in my system.”
I close my menu, taking the bait. I doubt she even knows she’s dangled it in front of me. “Come on, Porcupine. You should try it. You might surprise yourself.”
“By riding a mechanical bull?”
With a smirk, I nod.
“Haveyoutried it?” she asks.
“Who do you think was Rowdy’s guinea pig when he was learning all the programming for it?”
Impressed, she leans away from me and blatantly checks me out from head to toe as if she doesn’t believe me. “No way.”
“Come on. You said you don’t know what to do socially without alcohol.” I motion to the dance floor and mechanical bull. “Now, you’ve found an alternative.”
“Mechanical bull ridinganddancing? Someone’s optimistic,” Kate notes. “You forget I don’t know any of the moves or the songs or…” She shakes her head. “Yeah, I’d be lost.”
“Pretty sure you’re a quick learner, and when you have the right partner, you might be surprised.”
“But not tonight?” she challenges.
“Not until I’m confident I can lead you around the dance floor without either of us looking like an idiot, but I’ll work on it,” I promise.
“Mm-hmm.”
“As for tonight,”––I lean to my left, bringing Bruce into view as someone falls on their ass after being bucked off––“we conquer the beast.”
“How ‘bout I just watch you conquer the beast?” she offers.
“No deal. As your designated babysitter for the evening, I insist you have fun and let your guard down. And, if you run into any issues, I’ll be here to help.”
Her brows knit, but she stays quiet.
I know she knows what I’m referring to. I know she remembers our conversation about why she doesn’t go out. I know she probably regrets opening up to me about such a vulnerable topic, but I also know she deserves to feel normal. To feel beautiful and appreciated. To feel wanted and safe while being given the opportunity to have fun and let loose without worrying about the potential repercussions.
And I want to give it to her. The opportunity to let her guard down. To have fun and let loose.
I want it more than anything.
Closing the menu in front of her, she shifts in the booth and adjusts her top but doesn’t look at me. “Is that why you brought me here? So I could let loose without repercussions?”
I brought her here for a shit-ton more reasons. Like the fact that I like her. That I like it when she smiles. That I like being around her. That she makes me feel not lonely, and I haven’t feltnotlonely in a long time.
“I got you, Kate,” I assure her. “You can let go tonight.”
Those stormy gray eyes meet mine as she peeks up at me. Watching me. Waiting to see if I’m serious. If I pity her. If I mean it. And she knows I don’t mean alcohol. She knows I don’t mean she should do something stupid because I’m giving her permission or some shit. She doesn’t need my permission for it, anyway.
No. What I’m saying is for the first time in her life, she doesn’t have to worry about being all alone. Because I’m here. And I get it. And I’m not going anywhere.
“Okay, Macklin,” she decides. “After we eat, I’ll let you introduce me to Bruce.”
I bite back my grin. “Oh, really?”
