Page 64 of Off Season

He blows me a kiss. “Only when you make me purr like one.”

Evan smiles at our interaction. “Where are you two kids off to tonight?”

I clap my hands in excitement. “Our first stop will be for dinner.”

Cheetah’s eyes widen. “Is it Indian food? That’s my favorite.”

I make a look of disgust. “Ew. No. I’m introducing you to the greatest way to eat dinner ever. Fondue. I can’t believe you’ve never been to a fondue restaurant.”

Cheetah asks, “What’s our second stop?”

I wink. “It’s not PG enough for Evan’s virgin ears.”

Cheetah grins. “Let’s skip to stop two.”

I bop his nose. “All good things to those little boys who wait.”

I wrap my arms around his neck and softly kiss his big lips. “Happy birthday, Sir Cruz Gonzales, Knight of South Philly.”

He dips me and kisses me hard in return. When he pulls meback up, he says, “If you play your cards right, you could be the Dame of South Philly.”

“Why would I want to be dame when I’m already a queen?”

He shivers before adjusting himself. “Fuck, that made me hard.”

Evan shakes his head and points down the block. “Be gone before you scare your royal subjects, sir.”

We laugh as Cheetah takes my hand, and we begin our walk toward the restaurant.

He smiles down at me. “Can I get a hint about stop two?”

I shake my head. “Nope, kitten. It’s your present. Can’t open it too early. It’s one of those things you have toseeto believe.”

I look at him for a reaction to the clue I just gave him, but he’s oblivious.

We arrive at the restaurant and are seated immediately. I had requested a dark corner because he’s often recognized and people hound him for photographs and autographs. It happens to me now and then too, though not nearly as often as it does to him.

We make it through the first course, cheese, and the second course, shrimp and steak, which we cook in a vegetable broth. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t love this, but he’s pretending to for my sake.

When it comes time for dessert, I naturally order dark chocolate. He smiles when it arrives along with a big plate of fruit and cakes for us to dip into the chocolate. “Does stop two entail me rubbing this chocolate all over your body and eating it off you?”

“No, but that’s not a terrible idea.” I sigh. “You don’t like this place, do you?”

“I like the company. And I’d like it more if you were to spread that chocolate across your lips and kiss me.”

“Hmm. I can do that for you.”

And I do.

When we messily break apart, he takes my hand. “I have to ask you something. You’re going to be reluctant at first, but listen allthe way through because I’m throwing in a big incentive at the end.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “I’m listening.”

“I told you that I go home for Christmas every year, right?”

“Yes.”

“And that my mother is relentless about me marrying that woman from my hometown.”

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