Page 57 of Taking It To Overtime
Her brain glitches, every neuron freezing in place, refusing to make any sort of connections. She coughs, probably choking on her own spit because what she definitely needs in this moment is utter humiliation.
“A date?” She swallows hard. “With me?”
“No, with Vic.” He smiles, “of course with you.”
Her heart is going to fly out of her mouth. Her stomach is going to fall out of her butt.
“Me?”
He rubs his hand across his forehead and sighs.
“Vera. I asked you to come with me. I told the twins to fuck off. I paid for your ticket. I’ve been hoping to lure you into the haunted house so you can press up against me and I can be the big, strong, brave guy who saves you. I’m going to buy you cider donuts and caramel corn and literally anything else you ask for. Yes. This is a date.”
“A date.” She tries to remind herself to play it cool. To not squeal and launch herself at him like a kid on Christmas morning. She doesn’t want him to have regrets. Not when she’s been waiting years for this moment.
His brows pinch together and he bites down on his lower lip.
“Did you… did you not know?” The words are so quiet she almost misses them.
She hadn’t known. Hoped, but hadn’t known.
“If I’d been more clear, would you have said no?”
No.
She’d have said yes.
“It’s not that.” She shakes her head. “I just didn’t know youliked meliked me.”
His jaw goes slack, and then he tips his head back, rubbing his hand over his eyes.
“Vera.” It’s the same tone her dad used when she left that java chip frappe in his car for an entire weekend last summer, and he had to spend three days with the windows and doors open to air out the smell. “I’ve liked you for forever.”
“Well yeah,” she says with a small smile, “we’re best friends.”
He frowns. “I don’t want to just be your friend. Ilike youlike you.”
“Really?”
He steps into her body, close enough that he can tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, fingers lingering on the skin of her cheek.
“Really really. I’ll always be your best friend, but I want more. I want to be your boyfriend.” He cups the back of his neck. “If that isn’t what you want, please tell me.”
“Robbie.” She tugs on the edge of his shirt. “I know what I want to replace my monkey.”
He sighs. “Right. I didn’t just bare my soul here or anything. I’ll give you whatever you want, V. You just have to ask.”
“Robbie.” She steps into his body, close enough that each inhale brushes their shirts together. “As my new boyfriend. I want you to give me a kiss.”
And he does.
My mouth ison Robbie’s the minute the hotel room door snicks shut behind us. I deserve an Olympic medal, an Oscar, an Emmy, something, for making it all the way through dinner, especially because Robbie is a fantastic kisser.
“Is this okay?” I ask as I press him into the door and push up on to my toes to better reach his neck.
He groans, one hand spasming on my waist as the other thuds against the doorjamb.
“Is that a yes?” I drag my tongue up the column of his throat and bite into the skin under his ear. Robbie pulls me into his chest, his free hand slamming back against the solid metal frame. I almost smile, thinking about what that must’ve sounded like to anyone out in the hall.
