Page 54 of Win Some Love Some
“I know. I know,” I said, cutting her off.
Larissa appeared with our fries and plates and we both dug into crisp fries covered in the best chili and a mountain of cheese.
“So good!” Nora moaned and the sound caught my attention. Like it was on some weird frequency I’d never heard before. I shifted a bit to make the weird feeling in my stomach go away. It was like on the boat when she pressed that cold can of pop to her neck and she’d made that noise in her throat. I’d tried not to notice, but what man wouldn’t be able to notice? It had been a sex sound. The sound she just made in her throat? A sex sound.
Nora made sex sounds now.
What the fuck are you thinking? Sex sounds? Nora? Have you lost your mind?
“Hey, Nora.”
And like a cold bucket of water, there was Peter Tanner weaving through tables towards our booth. His smile was all familiar and smug.Look at me, I’m a big deal author and I’m gracing you with my presence.
“Peter!” Nora stood up from the booth and the two of them hugged and kissed each other on the cheek. Each cheek. Like we were in Paris and they were long lost friends.
She never kisses me like that. And I’m an actual long lost friend.
“So glad I ran into you,” Peter said. He wore a long overcoat, and a white shirt underneath like he was a detective in one of his novels. I pulled down the hem of my Nick’s Garage hoodie that was black so people couldn’t see the grease stains. “I was hoping to chat about something.”
“We’re eating,” I said, gesturing to the excellent chili fries that were going to get cold the longer this guy stood around kissing Nora’s face.
“Oh. I’m not trying to interrupt.” Peter held out his hands.
“It’s fine, Peter. Please,” Nora said. “What did you want to talk about?”
“No, I’m sorry,” he said sheepishly, pushing his dark hair off his face. “I didn’t realize this was a date.”
“A date,” I scoffed, my heart suddenly hammering in my throat. My face went hot. “Seriously? A date? Us? It’s not a date.”
“Nick,” Nora growled. “We get it. Not a date.”
I looked at her in shock. “Like I would take someone for fries at a diner as a date?” I turned back to Peter. “You think because I work in a garage I can’t afford to take someone on a nice date? I can only afford a diner and one order of fries?”
“Uh.” Peter looked at Nora and then back at me. I was being an ass, I got it. But I’d jumped on this train with both feet. “No?”
“Nick!” Nora barked. “Enough. You’re losing it.”
I wasoffended. What was it called? Class shaming? I was about to tell him where he could put his NYT bestselling book when Nora kicked me under the table.
“Fuck,” I muttered and pulled my legs out of range.
“Peter, I promise. It’s fine,” she said, sliding down the bench toward the wall to make room for him. “Sit and tell me what you wanted to discuss.”
“Well, if you’re sure.” He looked at me like I might bite. And who knows, maybe I would.
“I am,” she insisted. “Nick’s just a littlehangryand needs to eat more fries.”
Peter swung into the open seat. I all but dared him to reach into the pile of fries but he kept his hands in his lap. I stuffed two fries dripping with chili and cheese into my mouth. They were too hot, but I gutted it out.
“So, you know I’m in town working on a new book,” he said.
“I can’t wait,” Nora rubbed her hands together. “Can I get an early copy?” she asked and then her eyes lit up “Maybe I could review-”
She stopped, blinked and it was her turn to go red.
Review it on her social media account, that’s what she’d been about to say. Swept up in the moment and excited about something, she’d forgotten that she’d put all of that behind her.
She didn’t see herself as I saw her. As everyone saw her. Her talents were perfect for what she’d been doing, and absolutely that account and that life was over, but she didn’t have to reject what she’d been so good at.
