Page 78 of Miami Ice

“Yes, but unlike me, you used it in proper context,” I say.

“I try to implement my college education on occasion,” he teases.

“Well. We can still use a pizza code of ethics,” I say, not ready to give this up just yet. “We say maniacal nutcrackers, and that’s not a thing that can exist either.”

“Oh no, Cupcake, you absolutely have maniacal nutcrackers on that pink sweater.”

“Ooh, speaking of nutcrackers, I was scrolling on Connectivity Story Share while I was waiting for you, and have you heard of Home Joy? The home-decorating store?”

“Let me think on this for a moment.No.”

“I’m ignoring you. It’s a shop that has home-decorating deals, and someone on Connectivity Story Share did a video showing that they had five-foot-tall pink nutcrackers! I’m going to get one tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“Why? It’s a nutcracker. It will be perfect in my living room, that’s why.”

“That’s not perfect. That’s creepy.”

“It is not creepy. You’re being a grump.”

“Wait, how did we segue from a pizza code of ethics to shopping for creepy, life-sized maniacal nutcrackers?”

“That’s how our conversations go, Beckham. They start off in a line but quickly become all squiggled.”

Beckham is quiet for a moment.

“I like our squiggle conversations,” he says softly.

My heart slams into my ribs. He keeps saying these little things that make me think he might truly be interested.

“I do, too,” I say.

He shoots me a side-eye. “I bet you have squiggle conversations with all the guys, Cupcake.”

“No, I don’t.”

A silence falls between us, and my pulse ratchets up another notch.

He clears his throat. “I’m going to give you your incorrectly named pizza code of ethics. Go forth and tell me the principles of it, which are really touchstones or pillars, but I’ll ignore that fact. Go.”

Beckham takes another turn, and I don’t even try to fight the excited, eager feeling that’s sweeping through me from head to toe.

“It has to be New York-style because that is the best crust ever.”

“Go on.”

“It needs to be served on a white paper plate, and it has to overlap the edges. A pizza slice as big as your head is perfect.”

“Interesting. Have you personally measured that touchstone?”

“No. Moving on. The pizza has to be crisp but foldable.”

“Wait. Don’t tell me you fold your pizza when eating it.”

“Of course I do. Don’t you?”

“No. That’s wrong.”

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