Page 14 of Drop Shot
“I used to want three or four,” I answer honestly. “I’m not sure now.” Arching a brow, I volley the question back at him, “What about you? Any little Elias Juniors I should know about, running around somewhere?”
God knows I’ve had to pick up condoms for him more times than I’d like to admit.
“No,” he snorts. “None that I know about, and truthfully, I haven’t really thought about how many. I want kids, but I never thought farther than that. Just figured it’d be something I figure out with my wife when the time comes.”
The waiter comes for our drink order. We both request a glass of water and wine. When the waiter has disappeared, Elias relaxes back into the booth.
“I’m really sorry you got dragged into all this.”
I smooth my hands down my dress—more so for something to do rather than a genuine need to straighten my clothes.
“I’m happy to help.”
I mean it, too. Elias has been a good boss, even if some of the wild goose chases he sends me on are rather ridiculous, like the time we were in California and he decided there was some kind of Swedish candy that he had to have or he wouldn’t be able to play. But he’s always treated me nicely and paid me well, so I have nothing to complain about. Plus, I’ve gotten to experience some of the most beautiful places in the world.
“You’ve saved my ass a lot the past few years,” he muses, fiddling with the cloth napkin wrapped around his cutlery.
“It’s my job.”
“You could’ve quit,” he reasons.
“What would you have done without me?” I counter.
He grins, eyes crinkling at the corners. It takes me aback, just how handsome he is. When he smiles, he’s in a whole other league that no one else can come close to touching.
I give our waiter a small smile as he sets down our ice waters and fills the already waiting wine glasses. He sets the bottle on the table.
“Have you all decided on your order?”
Elias raises a brow, gesturing his fingers calmly in my direction. “Whim?”
“I’ll have the carbonara.” I close the menu and slide it to the side.
“The steak frites for me. Medium rare.” Elias sets his menu on mine.
“Excellent choices. I’ll put those right in.”
He scoops up our menus and then he’s gone.
I feel like perhaps in this small nearly enclosed space with Elias that I should feel overwhelmed, but I don’t. I’ve been navigating around my crush for long enough that I’m fine being around him in large doses like this.
“So,” he drawls the word out, fingers tapping at the table. “We’ll tell both our families this week?”
I rub my lips together. “Yeah. Please don’t hold me responsible for anything my mother says,” I beg, already dreading the excitement she’s going to bestow upon him. “Or my sister. She’s a menace.”
I’m fairly certain Junie’s favorite pastime is roasting me.
His smile grows large when I mention my sister. “Most sisters are.”
“But I really love her,” I sigh, settling my hands in my lap.
“Tell me something about her.”
It’s hard for me to think of just one something when it comes to Juniper. There are so many things about my sister that I love.
“She made the entire family dress up as the Addam’s family one year and you might be thinking oh, she was Wednesday. But no, this is Juniper so she was Lurch.”
“She sounds fun.”
