Page 99 of The Enemy Face Off

"Oh. Okay. Where does that come from?"

"It doesn't affect my day-to-day life, so I haven't given it that much thought. Most people have something they don't like, and height is my thing."

"Are you okay with flying?"

"I am. I even prefer the window seat. It's only when I'm outside, like if I were on a rooftop."

"Ohhh."

"What?"

"So that's why you took a giant step back at the lookout."

That was such a tiny detail, and yet she noticed, she remembers. I nod. "It is."

"I meant to ask you about it, but we were talking about your retirement plans, so I got sidetracked."

I shrug. "Like I said, it's not a big deal. I stepped back from the edge, and I was fine."

"So no Ferris wheel then?"

I wince. "I mean, if you really wanted to I suppose I cou?—"

"Milo, I'm kidding. I've watched way too many amusement park disaster videos to ever go on one myself."

I huff out a relieved sigh. "Good. Okay. My turn. So thisisa first-date question, but given you are who you are, I need to know."

"Should I be worried?"

I smile. "Not at all. What's your favorite book?"

"Perfectly Imperfect," she replies without hesitation. "And I'm not just saying that because it's my sister's debut novel. It's a legitimate bestseller, having sold millions of copies worldwide. She's in talks with a few streamers who want to acquire the rights for it, and it's just really good."

I love seeing her get so passionate. "What's it about?"

"It's a romance, naturally. A second chance which usually I'm not a fan of, but the way she was able to make me fall in love with both characters, I was drawn in from the first sentence."

"Is one of those characters a hunky hockey player by any chance?" I tease.

She laughs. "Funnily enough, no. They're both 'normal people'—"

"Am I ignoring your use of quotation marks?"

"You are if you know what's good for you," she quips with a grin.

"Fair enough. Continue."

"It's just so relatable. Two people who aren't perfect. In fact, they've both made a huge mess of their lives, but when they come together, they bring out the best in one another. It'snothing revelatory, but it was done really well. Oh, and Maverick Pendleton."

"Who's that?"

"He's the hero, and in my humble opinion, the ultimate book boyfriend."

"What on earth is a book boyfriend?"

She giggles before explaining, "It's the male character in a romance who is so wonderful that readers fall in love with him and imagine him as their book version boyfriend."

"I see." My eyebrows pinch together, and my voice gets a little gruffer. "And what makes Maverick Pickleton so great?"

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