Page 66 of Hitting the Gap

“What do you mean?”

“I was a fucking kid, determined to make it out of our shitty town. Nothing was going to hold me back from that.”

“Okay?”

He looked down at their hands as he dragged his thumb back and forth on her wrist. “Even as a kid, I knew what you could mean to me if I let you.”

Bailey leaned closer. “What are you talking about?”

“Us, you and me.” He sighed. “Nothing was going to fuck up me reaching my dreams and you could have.”

“How?”

“I wasn’t in a place to have a relationship with anyone then and I wasn’t going to fuck up our friendship just to get you in bed. So I didn’t even let myself think of you like that. I couldn’t go there with you.” He dragged his hand through his hair. “I probably shouldn’t now, but here we are.”

Bailey glanced over his shoulder. “Is this about Brad?”

“What?”

The server walked up to their table. “Can I get you something to drink?”

This probably wasn’t the time or the place. “Yeah.” Gonzo shoved his chair back, then looked at Bailey. “You want to do margaritas?”

When she looked up, she had that deer in headlights thing going on again and he cursed himself for getting into this now. It hadn’t exactly been his smoothest delivery.

Bailey nodded. “Sure.”

“Can we get a couple of margaritas and some chips and guac, please?”

“Of course. Do you need more time with the menu?”

“Haven’t even looked at it yet, sorry. We’ll be ready to order when you get back.”

“Take your time,” the girl said.

Once they were alone, he looked over at Bailey who sat watching him, her face the picture of confusion. “Why don’t we table this till we get home?”

“But—”

“Bay, if we are going to have a hope in hell of convincing Brad that there’s something going on between us, you’re going to have to lose the shellshocked look.”

“I’m just trying to wrap my head around what you just said.”

“Why’s it so hard to believe I’ve always thought you were attractive?”

“Because I look in the mirror every day, Gonzo. I know what I look like.”

“Well, clearly you’re not seeing what I see.” What kind of number had Brad done on her that she didn’t see how beautiful she was?

“Gonzo, you don’t date girls who look like me.”

“That’s because there’s only ever been one you, Bailey.” Finally, something he said seemed to land and an incredibly sexy blush swept across the swell of Bailey’s breasts and up her cheeks.

She glanced up and rolled her eyes. “Very smooth, Gonz.”

“Simply telling it how it is.”

“Mmm-hmm, alright, Casanova, how about you dial it back?”

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