Page 79 of 4th Degree

“Idiot,” I grumble. Even though the idea of Skylar kissing some limp-dicked teenager makes me slightly feral.

“It’s okay, his best friend was a better date anyway,” she quips. My eyebrows rise, but she’s already adding, “Okay, no more repeats from now on. We ask all new things.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Her nose scrunches at that, and I’m pretty sure it’s the cutest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.

“I’ve got a few—at least ten—years before anyone calls me ma’am, thankyouverymuch. You on the other hand…”

“You can just call me sir,” I say in a low voice only she can hear.

Her cheeks pinken in that way that I love. And when the waitress appears beside our table to take our order, Skylar is so flustered that it takes her a second to get the words out. She has to avoid my eyes to collect herself, because I can’t wipe the cocky smirk off my face.

“You are so inappropriate,” she grumbles when the waitress walks off.

My grin widens. “Baby, you asked for it.”

That makes her blush all over again. God, she’s cute.

I decide to take pity on her. “If you could have any superpower, what would it be?”

She collects herself with a big inhale. “Omniscience.”

I sigh. “Guess I walked into that one. Were you as knowledge-hungry in kindergarten as you are at the gym?”

“I’m sorry, that question seems to be outside of the game parameters,” she says in a robotic voice. I chuckle and gesture for her to ask her question.

“Favorite holiday?”

That, I actually mull over. Do I have one? I don’t even know which ones I celebrate.

I don’t have any family since my mom passed away, so I usually spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with Brutus. And as far as the other holidays… I can’t say I go out of my way to celebrate any of them.

“Uh… New Year’s, I guess?” It’s the only holiday I ‘celebrate,’ and actually sit down to set my business goals for the year.

“Ooh, I love New Year’s,” Skylar gushes, oblivious to my inner turmoil. “Joey and I always spend it doing a 24-hour marathon of some sort. Last year, we watched an entire season of the show ‘24.’ And even though you’re not allowed to ask, I’m going to tell you anyway because I love it so much. Mine is Christmas.”

And she looks so giddy about it that I can’t help asking, “Why? What is it about Christmas?”

She shrugs, looking down at the napkin she’s fiddling with. “I don’t know, I guess it’s because…it’s the only full day of the year when everything is closed. With other holidays, I’m always working because they pay time and a half. With Christmas, I can’t work. I can actually be at home with my family without feeling guilty. I get a whole day to hang out with Joey and my mom, and we just sit around watching Christmas movies and stuffing our faces.”

The mood sobers with her answer.

We shift back to easier questions for a few minutes. Skylar’s gotten much more comfortable with opening up to me, but pushing those serious topics can be a delicate balance.

So for now, we go back and forth about trivial things—favorite subject in school, hidden talents, weirdest dream she’s ever had—until the waitress shows up with our food. Between a hard training session this morning and the adrenaline of skydiving, both of our appetites are raging, and we scarf down our burgers.

But by the time we’re lazily popping fries in our mouths, exchanging playful smiles and easy laughter all throughout, I wonder if it’s ever felt like this. I’ve based all of who I am around fighting, which comes naturally. In the past, talking about anything that’s not fighting was not.

So why does Skylar asking if I like sunrises or sunsets better make my chest warm?

I use the excuse of still being hungry to order another side of fries, just so I can sit at this table with her for another twenty minutes. It isn’t until the restaurant fills up with their dinner rush and the waitress starts giving me impatient looks that I finally call the meal over.

Using the excuse of needing to use the restroom, I walk over to our waitress and pay the bill before she can bring it to the table.

I’m not quite slick enough, though, because the second I get back to the table and ask Skylar if she’s ready to leave, she stands from her chair, then frowns and looks around. “But we haven’t paid yet.”

“I already paid,” I say nonchalantly, hoping that’ll be the end of it.

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