Page 80 of Clean Out of Luck

“I guess we better go on that date before I get too sidetracked,” I mutter as I reach up to brush her hair behind her ear.

She reaches for my mouth, swiping her thumb back and forth. “It was only a little bit of lipstick.”

I chuckle as I reach up to feel for the damage. My hand comes away with some pink on it. “You really like to leave your mark, don’t you?”

She shrugs as she reaches for her purse sitting on the counter behind her. “I never thought I would be territorial. But turns out, I am.”

Scarlett swings open the door and steps outside. I flip the lock and pull it closed after me. “Wait, you can’t just saysomething like that then walk away!” I call after her as she runs up the concrete steps.

“Seems like I can!” she says in a sing-song voice.

I reach for her hand and lace my fingers through hers. We’re walking to dinner tonight. It’s staying light longer and the weather’s nice. Amor Serendipia isn’t far.

“When did you get all territorial?”

“That’s what you want to know?” She looks at me with incredulity in her face.

“Yes, I think it’s important to establish the facts.”

“And everybody thinks Phoenix is the lawyer,” she mumbles.

“I like to know when you get jealous. It helps me feel good.”

“At least you don’t mind airing your insecurities,” Scarlett teases.

“Not when it gets me what I want.”

We stare at each other, standing on the corner of the street.

“Oh look! Traffic’s clear!” Scarlett tries to tug me with her to the crosswalk. I stand firm, pulling her back to my side.

“Scooter…don’t make me beg,” I growl.

She spins to face me. “You’d beg for me?”

“I think I’ve already proven that I would.”

She smiles softly up at me. “It was at the courthouse when Claire was talking to you. It seemed like she was flirting with you.”

“Are you sure you weren’t mad just because it was Claire?”

She smirks up at me. “No. Because I was mad atyou. I didn’t want you to be giving her the attention. I wanted you to be looking at me.”

“And so you decided to flirt with Jack?”

She shrugs. “It caught your attention, didn’t it?”

I bend down and give her a quick kiss. “You’ve always had my attention.”

Scarlett’s cheeks flush and she squeezes my hand.

Somebody honks their horn at us and shouts out the window, “Are you crossing the street or not?”

Scarlett grimaces and we hurry across the road, the man sitting in his Tesla glaring at us as we speed through the cross walk.

By the time we reach Amor Serendipia, I actually am hungry.

The same man that had been there the night Jack and I crashed her date, greets us at the door.

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