Page 57 of Flipping the Script

“Where’s yours?” he asked.

“Don’t know, don’t care.” I gulped down some of my soda, ignoring the burn from the carbonation.

“Why are you here?”

“Why wouldn’t I be here?” I shot back.

“This just doesn’t seem like your scene.”

“It’s not.” I shrugged and scanned the room, more so I wouldn’t have to look at Jesse than because I was interested in our surroundings. “But this is what people do, right? Go out and have fun?”

“You’re grouchy for an ambivert.” His voice hitched on the last word, and he cleared his throat.

Without thinking, I extended my drink to him.

“Are you offering or showing?” he asked dubiously.

“Offering.”

After a pause, he took the glass, his fingers brushing mine.

The flickers of electricity from the contact were as unnerving as they were unwelcome.

I glanced at him as he lifted the drink to his lips, my eyes drawn to how his throat worked as he swallowed.

I ripped my gaze from his throat before he could catch me creeping on him.

“Thanks.” He handed the drink back to me.

I took it with a sound that could have meant anything.

“I didn’t realize this was your kind of place,” I said, not sure why I was keeping the conversation going.

“It’s not. Not usually.” A pause. “It’s been a weird week.”

“That it has.” I took a few more swallows of my drink and passed it to him.

Wordlessly, he took it and downed all but the last sip.

“Thanks,” I said sarcastically when he handed it back. “Couldn’t finish the job?”

“We both know I don’t have any trouble with that.”

“Neither do I.” I shot back the last of the soda. “In fact, I’m really good at making you finish first.”

“That’s only because you cheated.”

“You cheated the time before.”

“I did?” He turned to face me for the first time since our conversation started.

“When you tackled me after it was already over.”

“It wasn’t over.” He smirked in that obnoxious way that made me want to shove a handful of ice cubes from my drink down the back of his shirt. “You got distracted, and I took advantage of that.”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

“I have two brothers,” he said casually, like that explained everything. “I’m a pro at grappling.”

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