Page 141 of Broken Grump

“Hayden? Everything alright?”

“What?” Her voice instantly brings me back to reality. “Uh, yeah. Of course.”

She looks reluctant, but nevertheless, returns her focus on the menu. “I think the Baja striped bass sounds good. What are you in the mood for?”

You.“Um, well . . . I guess the lamb neck might be alright.”

“Ooh, yeah. It sounds decadent. Although,” her nose turns up, “my nursery as a child was decorated with lambs, so I’ve never been able to stomach eating one.”

“No lamb it is.”

“No, no.” She reaches her hand over. “You get whatever you want. Please do not let my hang-ups interfere with your meal.”

Regardless of all that, I still decide to go with the spinach bucatini instead.

“Isn’t it crazy that we finally own the land for Ivory Shores now?” she says later.

“Yeah, crazy,” I answer half-heartedly.

She shrugs and exhales sharply from her nostrils. “Hayden! Seriously, what’s going on with you?”

I set my utensils down and blot at the corners of my mouth before confessing, “I’m sorry. You just look so exquisite tonight. I’m having a hard time paying attention to anything other than that dress of yours.”

After swallowing her latest bite, she glances down. “Is there something wrong with it?”

“Yes.”

“What?” Her eyes squint, and her lips pout.

With a clenched jaw, I explain, “What’s wrong with it is that I’d like to rip it off of you right here, right now.”

She bursts out into laughter. But when that subsides, she teases me, “And what makes you think you’re going to get lucky tonight, Mr. Cohen?”

“Mr. Cohen?” Something about the formality of that gets me even harder.

“Why, yes. After all, I am a lady. Ladies have manners. They call people by formal names, and theydon’thave sex after first dates.”

I scoff. “First date? Isn’t this our second? Plus, Addie, I’ve known you forever.”

Her eyebrow is perched when she replies, “Still.”

In a high-pitched, mocking voice, I repeat, “Still.”

“Hayden!”

“What?” I play dumb.

“Stop making fun of me!” she demands, throwing some hair over her shoulder.

“I wasn’t.” To emphasize my point, I pick up some asparagus in my fork and plop it into my mouth.

She clicks her tongue. “You’ve been making fun of me since we were kids. Remember when Talia and I did that number for our school’s winter concert?”

Oh, God. How could I forget.“That haunting Sisters song fromWhite Christmas,right?”

“It isn’t haunting. It’s adorable.”

I lean closer to her. “Addie. Close your eyes and sing it really slowly in your head. Go ahead. I’ll wait.”

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