Page 96 of The Main Event

She narrowed her eyes. Perhaps she picked up something in my tone. “You were going to take me to a museum, weren’t you?”

I turned rueful. “I considered it for a grand total of five minutes. Then I realized that we can’t do what I want to do most in a museum.”

“We’re not doing that in a pub either.”

I chuckled. “Not that, although I’m hoping to entice you to my room again later when we get back. I even bought Hershey’s Kisses as a lure. I’m going to leave a trail of them in the hallway until you find your way to me.”

“Ah, very smart. You know my weakness.”

“I want to talk to you.” It was true. I didn’t care what she was talking about. I just liked hearing her talk, and seeing how excited she got over things I’d never considered before. She was a happy person. When I was around her, it was as if the sun had come out, even on a blustery day like this one.

“So, basically you’re saying you want to get me drunk and see what ridiculous things I say,” she surmised.

“I just want to see you happy.” I stroked her hair away from her face. “If you want to get a little tipsy, I’m all for that. Let’s not get so drunk we can’t have fun, though, huh?”

“We can have fun when we’re drunk.”

“Not unless I feel you’re together enough to consent, baby.”

Her mouth fell open. “Such a gentleman.”

“Were you expecting an animal? Because, if so, I can be an animal.”

“Like … a bunny?”

I gave her a dirty look. “Like a bear.”

Her lips trembled, telling me she was close to bursting out laughing.

“It’s true,” I insisted. To prove it, I leaned in again and growled, grinning when her skin pebbled, and she involuntarily shuddered. “We can hole up in my room and pretend it’s a cave tonight.”

“You’re kind of freaky when you want to be,” she said.

“I’m just saying, I’m a bear.” I studied her for a beat. “What animal would you be?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it. What animal do you think I am?”

I cocked my head. “You could be the bunny.”

“I think you’re only thinking that because you want me to hop on you.”

I laughed at the way she wiggled her nose. “No, you’re cute like a bunny. You’re strong, too.”

“If you’re about to refer to me as an elephant, we’re going to have problems.”

“Not an elephant.” I poked her side. “Elephants aren’t cuddly.”

“Actually, I’ve seen documentaries that suggest elephants are very affectionate.”

“I’ve lost track. Do you want to be an elephant or not?”

She laughed, as I’d hoped. “What goes with a bear? I could be a bear too, I guess.”

“I guess we’re both bears then.” I rested my forehead against hers and briefly closed my eyes. Levi said I needed to find the strength to be the man she needed. He was right. How did I even go about doing that, though?

I TOOK HER TO TWO OF MY FAVORITE PUBS,where we enjoyed some microbrews and laughs. I learned all about her. It turned out pink wasn’t actually her favorite color. It was purple. She was fond of blue too. She said she knew in middle school that Levi was gay. She didn’t push him on it, and instead let him tell her when he was ready. When she told him she already knew, he decided to kiss her … just to make sure. They both almost threw up.

That had to be an exaggeration, but the way she told the story was adorable.

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