Page 68 of Can't Text This

“That I can do, but I have to ask…why does she think I’m playing you? What could possibly give her that idea?”

“Because she’s been burned too many times and she’s taking it out on me.” I shrug. “She thinks you’re just going to sleep with me and bail.”

“That’s a dick move. However, she’s not wrong—I mean, that is our plan, isn’t it? To get to know each other and do our thang to get this out of our systems, bring that first night here full circle, and then move on?”

When he puts it like that… “Yes. I suppose you’re right.”

“But you didn’t explain that, did you?”

I shake my head. “I did not.”

“Didn’t think so. Can I ask… Why? Are you embarrassed of me?”

“What? No! Not at all. It’s just… That’s not me, and Denny knows that. If you think she freaked out this time, her knowing our plan would make it even worse.”

He twists his lips and scratches at his stubble. “I can see that. Fine, I accept your answer.”

“Gee, thanks.”

The bartender finally slides in front of us.

“What can I get you?”

“I’ll have another Corona, and an unsweet tea for the lady.”

The guy behind the bar nods and goes to grab our order.

“How’d you know I wanted that?”

“Because you’re safe, Monty, and you’re already sweet, so you don’t need more sugar. Plus, you’ve told me about your tea obsession before.” He winks and turns back to the bartender, who’s already back with our beverages.

My stomach drops at his words, not because I told him my drink and he remembered, but because he’s right.

Iamsafe, and I don’t want to be known as safe to Robbie. Safe sounds boring, and I want to be anything but boring.

I want to be that girl who has fun at the bar, who meets a new guy, who isn’t afraid to take a leap and do something daring.

I want to be free.

“Dance with me,” I say suddenly.

Bottle raised to his lips, Robbie looks surprised. “You dance?”

“No, but I can learn.”

“And you wantmeto teach you? All I can do is bump and grind.”

“Bump and what?” I roll my eyes and take a sip of my drink. “Never mind. Let’s just go. If I think about it too much, I won’t do it, and I want to do it.”

“What a coincidence—I want to do it too.”

I give him a hard stare. “Pretty sure youritand mine are two different things.”

“Two can become one.”

“Did you just backward quote Spice Girls to me?”

His mouth drops open. “You know the Spice Girls?”

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