Page 36 of Never Kiss Your Neighbors

As he drives off, Cam asks, “Do you like teppanyaki?”

The word sounds familiar, but I can’t place it. “I don’t think I know what that is,” I tell him.

“It’s a Japanese style of cooking, where they cook food on a griddle at your table,” he says.

“Oh, right. I’ve seen that on TV, but I’ve never had it.”

“Are you up for trying it?”

“Sure, I’m up for anything.”

When Cam glances my way, there’s a little flare of heat flashing in his eyes.

At the restaurant, Wyatt opens the car door for me and offers his hand to help me out.

He keeps hold of my hand as we walk to the door, and it’s wild how much of a distraction this simple gesture is. Partly because I’m wondering if Cam notices and if he minds, but mostly because Wyatt’s touch is sending my body on alert. My skin is tingling, and my nipples feel sensitive.

Get a grip,I tell myself.It’s just hand holding.

After a short wait, we’re taken to a large rectangular table that has seating for eight people around a built-in cooking surface. Cam holds out a chair for me at a corner of the table, and he and Wyatt sit on either side of me.

A man and a woman are already seated at the other end of the table, and another couple is brought over to join us. I wonder if it seems odd to the other people that I’m here with two men.

I’m relieved that neither of the women seated with us seem to recognize Cam and Wyatt from their channel.

The men look especially good tonight. Cam’s wearing dark jeans with a light olive green button-down shirt, which is actually buttoned up for a change, and Wyatt has on a dark gray short-sleeve linen shirt with gray chinos. They both smell good, too.

Shortly after we place our food orders, a chef comes to the table and doesn’t just cook, but puts on a fun show, with impressive knife skills and some jokes. At one point, he flips a small piece of shrimp at Cam, and Cam manages to catch it in his mouth.

The food is delicious. Each of us ordered a different protein, and we sample each other’s food. I can’t decide what I like best, because it’s all so good.

“Do you think Jessie would like this restaurant?” Cam asks when we’re nearly done.

“She’d probably like the food, but the part where the chef created all the flames might be a little scary for her.”

I finish the last drop of the cocktail I ordered, something with lychee, pineapple, and vodka in a fancy glass. “It’d be fun to bring Jessie here, but it’s nice to have a night out as an adult.”

“That’s good,” Wyatt says. “Would you like another drink?”

“Oh, no. That one was plenty.”

“Ready to go to our next destination, then?” Cam asks.

“There’s more?” This was already like dinner and a show.

“Of course,” Wyatt says. “We’re just getting started.”

On the way out, it’s Cam who takes my hand, but I don't sense anything competitive in the gesture. In fact, he does it in such an easy and casual way, as if it’s something he’s done a million times.

But there’s nothing ordinary about it for me. It triggers all the same fluttery feelings I had when Wyatt held my hand.

The next part of our date is an escape room.

“Have you ever done one?” Cam asks.

“No, they sound like fun, but I don’t think Jessie’s old enough for it yet,” I say. Actually, I thought escape rooms were for kids, and it figures that these guys would choose an activity like this, being overgrown boys themselves.

The room we play has a colorful candyland theme. “We thought it would be appropriate,” Wyatt says. “Maybe marshmallows will be involved.”

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