Page 12 of Two Tickets to Paradise

She rolled her eyes. "Of course it is! Just because my big brother is in the Marines doesn't mean I have to avoid you. It's not like the Sharks and the Jets."

His brow furrowed and his gaze looked off across the wide hall. "Why does that sound familiar?"

"Sharks and Jets," she laughed softly. "West Side Story."

"Ah," he nodded and took a sip of his drink. "We don't have that kind of a rivalry as far as I know."

"At least I only know about some football games that get crazy like that." She swirled her drink around in the cup, wanting to prolong the moment. "Although the more I think about it, I wouldn't mind seeing you and Cam facing off in a dancing contest like the characters inThe Umbrella Academy."

She saw his blank expression and felt like a dork.

"They did a dance off to the theme fromFootloose."

He nodded. "The original? Or the newer version?"

She looked at him in mock horror. "The original of course!"

He replied almost immediately.

"Of course."

They both started to laugh again.

"Thanks," she added, her voice a little softer than she'd intended.

"You're welcome. I'm just not sure what for."

"For talking to me. For laughing. I've seen a lot of people in your position get angry. It's really nice getting to know you and seeing that you're... a really great guy."

Vince cleared his throat and wet his lips before he looked back up at her. "I'm sorry that people get mad like that."

She opened her mouth to explain but he shook his head in a short decided shake.

"You don't have to excuse it, Cora. People can be assholes. Especially when a good time or an important work trip is on the line."

She couldn't argue with that.

"But you didn't. You've kept your cool." She lifted her drink and smiled. "Got me a sweet drink. And now we're sitting here with food and good conversation. If there wasn't a storm looming outside I'd say this was almost a great-"

She stopped mid-sentence, but her thoughts completed the words.

"A great first date?"

Her eyes widened at his words and when his gaze fixed on hers, she felt something move in her chest. Something like her heart kicking against her ribs. "Yeah," she nodded. "Just like that."

Was it this easy?

Cora felt her heart squeeze tight and then swell behind her ribs.

She'd never felt like this before.

She'd certainly never had such an easy time talking to a guy that she was attracted to.

Normally she was all tongue-tied or just confused in one crazy way or another.

Sitting there with Vince, they were just talking and smiling and laughing.

Was it just this easy because of the situation?

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