Page 35 of Playoffs & Promises

I pick up a fry from off my plate and dip it into my ketchup. "Who?"

"Oh, you have it bad," Charlotte sing-songs. "How was your night with Lou?"

"Not you too!" I groan and drop my fry out of frustration. "Nothing happened. I grabbed cake from my bakery, he took me home."

"But you were holding hands."

"Because he was dragging me out of there." I snap.

She sighs in disappointment. "Really? That's it?"

"Yes. I'm sick of people thinking it's more than it is. Even the lady at the arena warned me to watch my back around him."

"What lady?"

"Doesn't matter." I pick up my fork, but my appetite is gone. "I'm just so tired of people thinking that there's more going on between me and him when there's not."

She's quiet for a moment, before leaning forward, her expression serious. "But he's been hounding you for a year to eat at your bakery, and you gave him two slices of cake at the party. Willingly."

"I wasn't going to ruin Lia's party," I say defensively. "Besides, he's stopped hounding me as you put it. I don't even remember the last time I came home to lemons at my door."

But as I think about it more, I realize it was sometime around Christmas.

She tilts her head, scrutinizing as she looks at me. "Really? And why would he suddenly give up?"

I poke at my food. "We have a truce of sorts."

"Over what?"

"He has the cutest dog." I admit, smiling just a little as I think of Cinnamon and how she nearly knocked Lou over when he got home.

"Oh my books!" She gasps, "He's totally duped you."

"Has not," I protest.

"He didn't stop hounding you, he just changed tactics. Instead of a direct attack on your shields he sneak attacked with a puppy. What's next, kittens?"

I roll my eyes, but her words cause a little unease to settle in my stomach. "You're being ridiculous."

"Mark my words, he hasn't given up. A man that determined--"

I cut her off, not wanting to hear it. "Now how about you? How did that blind date go?"

She slumps in her chair, picks up a crab leg and starts cracking it open. "Dating apps are the worst. I'm thinking about hiring a matchmaker."

"Do those even exist anymore?"

"Sure they do. And my requirements are simple, good job, good hair, doesn't want kids." She dips the crab meat in melted butter before eating it, some of the butter drips down her fingers, and she picks up another piece.

"How are you not married already?" I ask, grinning.

"I know!" She says, throwing up her hands in mock outrage. Drops of melted butter go flying.

We dissolve into a fit of giggles, the tension breaking, and we're both able to finish eating in peace.

I check the time after I finish the last piece of fish, "Oh we need to get going soon so we're not late."

"You just want time to browse the shelves."

---