Page 34 of Icing the Enemy

“Sorry, Luna. I went home to Kentucky, then to Atlanta where I met this one.” I drape my arm over her shoulder. This is like a dress rehearsal. If I can make Lou and Luna believe we’re on a real date, then we can go somewhere a little less private. “This is Oakley.”

Luna grins and says, “Have a seat wherever you want. What do you want to drink?”

“Two light beers.” Luna wipes her hand on her apron and walks over to the bar. “There are certain things I love to drink beer with. And now that hockey season is officially underway, I indulge once in a while.”

“Beer or Coke is a must with pizza.” Oakley smirks at me, clearly amused by my choice of restaurants. "This is a pretty fancy first date, huh?" she teases.

"I have impeccable taste," I reply with a grin, scanning the worn checkered tablecloths and cozy booths. “Is this one okay?”

She nods and sits down in the booth.

“I think you brought me to this tiny hole in the wall because you want to be on safe ground where the people know you and not me, but you’re lucky I love pizza of any kind.”

“Really?”

“Thick or thin. Pan or woodfired. Chicago or New York style. Margherita or meat lovers.”

We order a classic pepperoni pizza. It’s between thin and thick, and when it arrives, the first bite is pure bliss—crispy crust, tangy tomato sauce, and the perfect balance of cheese. "Impressed?" I ask, eyebrows raised.

"I’ll admit, it’s not bad," she says, trying to play it cool as the flavors dance on her tongue, and a moan slips from her mouth. “Look, they have Pacman.” I look in that direction and realize that she has taken the last piece. “Do you want to play?”

“Careful, little thief, you seem to like my company.”

“Nah, just love pizza, beer, and Pacman, no matter who I’m with.”

I’ll believe it when I see it.

I put both hands over my heart, feigning hurt feelings. And I find myself intrigued by the blond-haired, snarky beauty. Rodney’s words ring in my ears about her being soft on the inside, and I’d love to touch every inch of her soft skin.

A man walks in, probably around my age with a pot belly. “If you can have fun no matter who you’re with, what about him? Let’s see how much fun you have with him.” I dare her.

Her gaze collides with mine, and she says, “Well, that would be rude of me to leave my date.”

“Didn’t stop you before.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

oakley

“And you thinkI’m the smart ass. I explained what happened… my father and…just forget it. I can see you’re the type to hold a grudge.” I pick up my purse, walking off abruptly to the sanctuary of the Pacman machine. I dig out two quarters and shove them in the slit when I hear the bleep, bleep as it swallows the coins whole. Pushing the joystick left, then up and to the right, back down and into the corner, I eat the power pellets, gobbling up ghosts and before I know it, I’ve cleared the first board.

As I straighten, waiting for the next course, I feel a hand on my shoulder. It’s large with the heel of the palm on my shoulder blade and the fingers folded over my collarbone. It’s warm and for some reason, it feels intimate. I’m trying to remember when someone had their hand on my shoulder like this. People have patted my back and put their hands on my shoulder when we were face to face, but this feels different.

The music plays, and the new screen is set. Nerves wash over me as he stares over my shoulder, but I complete the next two boards, and now Pacman meets Mrs. Pacman.

“You’re good.”

“Thanks,” I say as I shove the controller to the left and right at a quicker pace. The ghosts are turbo boosted in this phase, but I clear the board. Twenty minutes later, I finally lose my last life.

“You should be in video game tournaments. Or this could be your side hustle,” he says.

I turn to face him, and our bodies are so close that I can smell the garlic and spicy pepperoni on his breath. “Was that a compliment from the great Corbin Shearer?” I ask, crossing my arms.

He doesn’t answer. Instead, he says, “Let’s go.” He yells at Luna and Lou that he’s leaving and lays a hundred-dollar bill down, so he gives them a one hundred percent tip. Must be nice.

“What’s your hurry?”

“I need to get home.”

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