Page 37 of Can't Take My Eyes Off You

Alex smirks, stopping in front of me and looking me up and down. ‘Olivia says you like what you see.’ He motions down, winking my way.

‘Um…’ She said I liked his penis? What a weird thing to say. How do I respond?You’re OK too. Five stars. Solid ten. Total smoke show. I’m sorry, but you can’t compete with the guy who ran off with my heart years ago? Ugh.

‘You know what, I never told you this because you always had a boyfriend but I always had a bit of a thing for you back in high school.’

‘Really?’

‘Yep. You’re gorgeous, girl. Always have been. Willy might have got to you first but if he hadn’t, I’d have given it a shot.’

That’s… oddly sweet?

‘Let’s get dinner,’ he suggests, grabbing my hand, pushing my jacket sleeve to my elbow, and scribbling his name on my inner forearm in black Sharpie marker that I’ll have to scrub for days to remove. And I was worried his vanity-laden come-on line was the douchiest part about him. Maybe he’s just nervous? I mean, this is awkward. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.

‘You like Italian food?’ he asks.

‘Sure.’ I nod, staring at his signature across my skin. He made the Os in his name into little hearts. Maybe he’s a romantic deep down?

He smiles when I look up, his face lighting up when he does. Tall, blond, handsome, fit. Maybe he’s a little into himself but is looking at him painful enough to say no? Olivia’s right. Will and I are clearly over. Perhaps Alex and I will somehow click?

‘Olivia gave me your deets,’ Alex says.

‘Perfect,’ I say, glancing at Olivia, who’s staring at her chest where Alex did indeed brand her directly under her face. She already gave him my ‘deets’, did she?

‘I’ll call you. We’ll set it up,’ he says, backing away from me towards another kid with a proud grin on his face. ‘I’ll see you later, gorgeous.’

A weird schoolgirl giggle bubbles up and out of my mouth. He smiles wider then disappears into the crowd of fans once again.

‘Ugh.’

I grip my chest, glimpsing his autograph on my arm again. Why does my chest hurt? Like I’m somehow guilty.

Calm down, Berkley. It’s just a date, not a marriage proposal.

Olivia, Gunner and I all watch Alex walk away when the after event is over. Each of us silently daydreaming about him probably very different ways. Beautiful, arrogant, yet somehow charming? God. I think I have a type? The three of us head towards the stadium exit together and as we walk I hold out my arm for them to see the signature that literally goes from elbow to wrist.

‘You were right,’ I say to Olivia. ‘He does seem to like me and he doesn’t make me wish I didn’t have twenty-twenty vision. He does seem kind of conceited, though.’

‘Isn’t that your thing?’ Gunner laughs.

Asked and answered. Olivia laughs along with him, lifting a hand that Gunner meets with his, high-fiving right in front of me.

‘This feels weird,’ I say, shoving my hands into my pockets.

‘You’ve dated one person your entire life; of course it feels weird. Shockingly, I’m with Gunner on this one. If you want to know if Will will follow through on your future life plan, this is how you do that. By bringing an equally successful, handsome man into the mix. Will’s too drunk now for that life you’re dreaming of, Berx. Who knows if he’ll snap out of it. This may well be the new and not-so-improved Will Adler. Experience new things. Go out, be seen, end up in the tabloids with a new handsome man. Will is. Let him hurt a little. It’s only fair.’

‘There are times when you terrify me,’ Gunner says to Liv, who looks as if he’s just complimented her.

‘Let me get this straight. You two think I should date Alex andtellWill this?’

‘Yes,’ they say in unison.

‘Sleep and tell, girl. We’ll spread the word.’ Olivia motions between her and Gunner.

‘Oh, great. Gossip. That’s not at all weird when you’re a dude in his late twenties,’ Gunner says, shaking his head.

Olivia flips her head his way, her eyebrows raised. ‘You just fangirled over a soccer player who’s going to sweep our girl here off her feet and treat her like a queen. That’s where you should be embarrassed, not over gossip. You fangirl like a lady, by the way,’ she says, jabbing his internal buttons intentionally.

Gunner laughs, but walks away without saying a word. They totally like each other. This is middle-school flirting at its worst. I’ve been noticing it for a while now.

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