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But we’ll get to that.
First, I promised her a date.
With reluctance, I set her down and she sighs softly. She had to shed her heels in favor of flats after wrenching her ankle earlier and she feels downright tiny in my arms as she presses her cheek to my chest. I drop a kiss on the top of her head.
Then I look up to find Conner standing six feet away, gawking at us, his mouth literally hanging open.
I snap my fingers. “Pick up your jaw, dude.”
“Sorry.” He shakes his head. “It’s just messing me up, kind of like watching Batman and the Joker make out.”
Tess looks up at me. “That might be fun to role play. Which one of us gets to be Batman?”
“You. I’m a born villain.” I jerk my chin at Conner. “You finished with celebrity chores?”
“For now.” He checks his phone. “Think I’ll take off. Got a home game on Sunday so I need my beauty sleep.”
“All right, man, thanks for being here.”
“Sure.” He starts walking backwards, continuing to stare at us like he’s not sure we’re real.
Tess clucks her tongue as she watches him go. “He seems to be having trouble coping with the new normal.”
“He’ll adapt. What do you want to do now?”
“I’m hungry. The concession stands here looked disgusting. You pick the place since we’re in your neighborhood.”
There’s a lack of classy establishments in this area. I choose a retro family diner that’s in sore need of renovation but at least the food doesn’t taste like dogshit.
Tess eyes me as she chews a curly fry. “When was the last time you were seeing anyone, even casually?”
I squirt hot sauce on my burger. “It’s been a while.”
“How long?”
“Well over a year.”
That stops her as she thinks back on the events of last year. Her eyes lower to her plate. “Can’t blame you for that.”
The unspoken word isOlivia. Someone can haunt you without actually haunting you.
But I don’t want Tess dwelling on that sordid crap. It’s bad history. It’s finished. “Well, I blame the fact that I haven’t met anyone worth the effort.”
She swirls another fry in a puddle of ketchup. “You may not have noticed, but at the arena the whole female sector of the audience started salivating when you stepped into the ring.”
Nope, didn’t notice. Or care. “Anyone hot?”
She kicks me under the table. “Jackass.”
I catch her foot and keep it in my lap. “Is this your bad ankle?”
“It’s barely swollen. I won’t even feel it by tomorrow.”
Slipping her shoe off, I slide my thumb along the arch. She squirms, ticklish. Gently, I explore the small bones. “Does this hurt?”
“No, it feels nice.”
Massaging lightly, careful not to use too much pressure, I keep my eyes on her lips. “What did you tell the future Em City mayor about your plans tonight?”
