Page 13 of Charming Crosschecks

The unexpected declaration pulled a surprised laugh from him. “You’re not an idiot.”

“I am if you thought I was complaining about your weight or was disappointed in you,” she murmured, her gaze intense and fervent. “Because that’s not the case. I see you with the other guys, Gerry. I noticed the way you arch your back sometimes and the heating pad you use. I thought maybe you were in pain. When someone’s as active and fit as you, it’s usually a sign that?—”

“You think I’m fit?” he interrupted, his tone incredulous as his cheeks warmed. Her own face flushed a charming pink.

“It was just a term,” she stammered, clearly flustered, but he wasn’t about to let her off the hook.

“Do you really think that?” he pressed, leaning into the moment, the teasing edge in his voice making her squirm.

Her lips parted, and she let out a nervous laugh, glancing away for a second before meeting his gaze again. “I thought maybe you didn’t know how to strengthen your core or focus on deep muscles. You’ve got the abs but?—”

“You think I have abs?” he cut in again, half-staggering at the thought of her noticing him in that way. His pulse thundered in his ears as her face turned scarlet.

“Oh gosh,” she breathed, trying to collect herself. “This is coming out all wrong.”

“No,” he said, his voice soft and warm. “I think it’s finally coming out right.”

The confession hung in the air between them like a fragile bubble, shimmering with possibilities. They stood there, holding hands in an awkward, almost comical handshake that had morphed into something more—an anchor in uncharted waters.

The two of them stood there, holding hands in some weird imitation of a handshake, but in actuality, they were clinging to each other by a single branch of friendship as they tried to figure out what was actually happening. She looked a little embarrassed and unsure of herself – and he felt like a king, a man, a possible… boyfriend? That word exploded in his head silently with so much ferocious hope that it was staggering.

“I’m trying not to,” she whispered softly, hesitating. “But it’s kinda hard not to notice you.”

“I understand,” he began, stunned, and then chuckled with embarrassment. “I mean that I understand what you are saying – not about me – because it’s kinda hard not to notice you either.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, um, wow,” she mumbled, looking shy. “I was not expecting that.”

“I certainly wasn’t expecting this conversation,” he admitted and looked at the box. “Please don’t quit… for me.”

“I’m not quitting.”

“Thank you.”

“I suppose we should stop shaking hands at some point.”

“Or we could hold hands when we went out for coffee,” he countered quietly, taking a chance at the unbelievable, realizing he was putting himself out there to get crushed or have his heart broken… but it was almost like they were actually reaching for a possible friendship, one he never imagined.

“Are you asking me out?” she whispered hopefully – and he felt his heart swell with a flutter of excitement.

“I am,” he began and cleared his throat nervously. “Would you like to go out with me sometime? We could get coffee and talk or…”

“Yes,” she hissed, almost tugging at his hand excitedly as her other hand came up to clasp, practically encasing his hand on both sides. Her soft palm was against his, while her other tiny hand was encapsulating the other side. She looked thrilled.

“Yeah?” he grinned and marveled at her nervous laugh.

“Yes,” she smiled, nodding. “Do you, um, when do you, ah, well…”

“Do you want to go out tonight?” he pushed, realizing that she was trying to find out when he was taking her out – and felt something weird flop in his chest at her sweet little giggle that escaped her. Man, she seemed really happy about this, and he was on cloud nine right now.

“I’d love to,” she replied, beaming at him. “I’ve just gotta go home and change or…”

“You look fine.”

“Really?”

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