Page 29 of Afterglow
“Just” —he taps a spot on his cheek— “here, can I?”
My throat tightens. “Yeah.”
I almost lose control of my breathing when his thumb swipes over the line of my jaw to rub a missed spot of moisturizer in.
His phone interrupts with a buzz, breaking the tension. “Alright, food’s here.” Fletcher gets up and moves toward the front door.
“What did you order?”
“Poutine. Is that okay?”
I cross my legs beneath me on the couch, motioning for him to hand it over. “Hell, yes. It’s my favorite.”
He pulls his lips into his mouth while removing the baskets of cheesy, gravy-covered fries from their foil sleeves. “I know.”
My eyebrows lift. “You do?”
“I noticed you eating it that day when I caught you crying. And half a dozen other times when you were upset. I figured it was a comfort food.”
“It is.” I pause to thank him with a smile. “Thanks, Fletcher.”
“Anytime.” He passes me a fork and a napkin before settling himself into the couch, too. “So, when do we wallow?”
“You know, it’s weird,” I say between gooey, delicious bites. “I don’t really feel like wallowing anymore.”
Chapter 11
I’ve Never Been on a Date Before
Fletcher
I munchon some popcorn while waiting for Antiques Roadshow to return to the screen.
It’s the closest I’ll get to betting while the guys are away.
Behraz throws open her door and gives me a thumbs up. “Brown noise with the Pomodoro method helped. I got all the flashcards right!”
“Nice.” She joins me on the couch. My heart rate picks up. “Taking a break?”
“Just ten minutes or so.” A fistful of popcorn disappears from my bowl and into her mouth. “Whatcha watching?”
“Antiques Roadshow.”
“Wow,” she says through a crunch, “you really are a nerd.”
“I know. But I like what I like.”
An older woman appears on screen, seated with the appraiser at a table.
“Alright, Betty. What do you have for us today?”
“So this is a family heirloom that I received when my grandmother died. I’ve always been told it’s an emeraldpendant on a gold chain, and it was gifted to her on her first date with my grandfather.”
Behraz snorts. “Dating is so different now.” She steals another handful of popcorn, and I slyly leave the bowl on her lap. “I swear I couldn’t pay someone to take me on a date.”
“Sorry?You’venever been on a date?” I mean,I’venever been on a date, but I’m a pathetic loser. Behraz, though? She’s everything. I’d date her so hard.
“No need to rub it in.”
