Page 20 of Plus Size Player

“What was your favorite before this one?”

“The one of you when we went ice-skating.” He chuckled, amused with himself. “It was the look on your face that made it my favorite. The fact that your camel toe was on display from that angle was a happy accident. I didn’t plan it like that. It just happened.”

I tried to keep a straight face as he laughed through his explanation. “You took the picture. You didn’t crop the picture. And then you proceeded to call me Kristy Yamacoochie,” I reminded him. “It didn’t just happen.Youjust happened.”

When our laughter subsided, he sat back in his chair.

“This is exactly what I needed,” he pointed out.

“The laugh?” I guessed.

“All of it. The escape. With good food. With good company. A good time.”

I tilted my head to the side, running his words over in my mind. “This is an escape?”

“Youare my escape. You are my fantasy—”

“Can I get you two some dessert?” the waitress asked, interruptingRuss. She smiled politely at me before turning her attention and obvious attraction to him.

“Yes,” he answered quickly, shifting in his seat. “Crema catalana.”

“Chocolate-and-tahini date bars, please,” I requested.

“And I’d like an order of Greek cookies to go,” he added.

She looked between us. “Anything else?”

“No, that’s all. Thank you,” he replied.

As soon as she left, he gestured to the restroom sign. “Excuse me a minute.”

“If your dessert comes before you get back, I’m tasting yours,” I warned him.

“No worries.” With a smirk, he stood. Before passing me, he leaned down and put his lips on the shell of my ear. “I plan on tasting yours, too.”

He walked away and I still felt his breath on my neck. I squeezed my knees together, his words stirring something inside me. Staring at my bracelet, I twisted the gorgeous piece of jewelry around my wrist.

I noticed there was a word engraved near the clasp.

Fantasy.

I got butterflies.

“Here’s a refill,” a different waitress said as she interrupted my thoughts. She poured water into our glasses. “Are you two celebrating something?”

“No, it’s just a date,” I replied.

“Oh! Really? Are things serious?”

“Why do you ask?”

Her face became flushed, and she shook her head. “Oh, um, no reason.” She scurried away.

I watched as she seemed to report back to the waitress who’d been serving us.

Interesting.

It was clear our waitress had a thing for Russ the moment she approached our table. I went to the restroom earlier, and I cameback to find her giggling and flipping her hair over her shoulder. When she saw me, she quickly exited. Every time she’d come to the table, she was nice enough to me, but she was gawking at him. I was debating whether or not I should be concerned about her doing something to my dessert when Russ returned.

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