Page 2 of Take the Bait

He raised his eyebrows suggestively. Hanna grimaced.

Dear God, make it stop, Hanna thought.

She heaved a deep, over dramatic sigh, wondering if that would ‌elicit a response from Josh. But he barreled on, telling her in great detail about his investment portfolio and how a friend of his followed his lead and they’d be rolling in the dough‌.

It was time for Hanna to up her game.

Getreallyunhinged.

She picked up her silverware setup and grabbed where the napkin enclosed it, then unceremoniously dumped all her cutlery out. Her fork, knife, and spoon hit the table with loud clinks, startling the people one table over, their heads snapping in her direction.

Still, Josh kept talking.

Hanna grabbed her phone from her pocket, not caring about being discreet this time. She opened up her camera, held it up high, and took a selfie—making a duck face like it was 2009.

“And, erm,” Josh spluttered for a moment, eyes briefly darting to her phone. Then he got back to it. “Anyway, like I was saying, blockchain technology is the future…”

Another failed attempt to shut him up.

It was time to bring out the big guns.

Hanna was going to burp.

She’d been able to burp on command for most of her life, which was her father’s crowning accomplishment and her mother’s deepest shame. She’d often entertained her dad byburping the alphabet on road trips, and once burped the Pledge of Allegiance in her homeschool co-op’s talent show.

But if she was really going to throw him off, she needed this burp to be a doozy. She picked up her Shirley Temple and started to chug as Josh droned on, now having moved onto talking about his latest golf game.

Hanna’s throat started burning with how fast she was drinking the soda, but she pushed through. This burp was going to be massive.

Shrek-level massive.

She felt absolutely diabolical.

Their appetizer was placed in front of them, set down by a man in a tight, black shirt with an impressive sleeve of tattoos and a kind smile.

She felt her cheeks redden just looking at him.

Hanna’s plan started to feel a little ridiculous.

Hold it in,she told herself.

She was absolutely not going to embarrass herself in front of their waiter—who probably was also a model—by releasing the beastly burp inside her.

Nope. No way.

Even if she exploded because of all the gas inside her begging to be let out.

Even if it was the last thing she did, Hanna would hold this burp in until he left.

Josh picked up a shrimp and dipped it in the sauce, then scowled.

“What is this?” Josh asked, disdain dripping from his voice.

“It’s our shrimp cocktail, sir,” the sexy waiter responded, his brown eyes crinkling into a patient smile.

“This isnotshrimp cocktail. I’d like to speak to the chef.”

Hanna’s jaw dropped, then she snapped it shut so the burp didn’t accidentally sneak out.

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