Page 4 of Making June Mine

“It feels like that now. Wait until you’re out with her at the bar, and some motherfucker looks at her, thinking he can take what’s yours. It’s not pleasant then, I promise you that.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah.”

“Carlos Morales?”

“2007. I kicked his ass from here to Manassas,” he replies, grinning.

“Dinner!” Mom calls from the kitchen.

“What do you suggest for a first date?”

“Something casual. The Portico?”

“Good idea. Casual. I can do casual.”

“Sure you can,” he says as we stand. He claps me on the back. “You got this.”

I make it through dinner with my family and head home. Once home, I strip down to my boxers and crawl into bed. It’s still early, so I call June.

“Hello?”

“Hey, June. It’s Owen.”

“I know. I have caller ID,” she says, giggling. Fuck, that giggle goes straight to my balls.

“You’re so adorable,” I tell her.

“Thank you.”

“I’m just calling to confirm our date for Saturday night. Seven?”

“How old fashioned. Seven sounds great. Is it dressy?”

“No, sweets. It’s casual.”

“Alright.”

“Did you want fancy? I can change our plans.”

“No,” she says quickly. “I wanna do whatever you have planned. I just wanted to be dressed properly.”

“Okay.”

“What are you doing? It’s quiet where you are.” I hear yelling where she is, but it sounds far away.

“I’m at home.”

“Me too.”

“Is that the TV then?”

“Yes. My guilty pleasure is trashy reality TV. Let me turn it down.” The noise is suddenly gone, and I imagine that she muted it.

“My guilty pleasure is rom-coms. My mom and sister watched them all the time, so my dad, brother, and I watched with them. I find myself watching them by myself now.”

“Do you want someone to watch them with?”

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