Page 81 of Waiting for Acceptance
“There’s more, but the rest aren’t gag gifts so if you don’t like those then just…lie to me. Which is the only time in your life you’ll hear me say those words.” I reach into the bag and pull out another record, though this one is a Frank Sinatra collectible. I look up at her and she’s chewing on the inside of her lip again.
“Sweetheart, this is amazing. Where did you find this?”
“You really like it?” She looks so hopeful.
“Of course, I do.”
“I noticed last time I was here that you had a Christmas one but he has so many good non-Chrismtas songs that would sound amazing on vinyl.” I look at it again, turning it over to look at the songs listed. “There’s more.” She jiggles the bag and I laugh at how impatient she is. I pull out the next item—a heated blanket.
“We already bought a blanket.” I frown and her face falls.
“You’ve been without a woman in your life for far too long, there is no such thing as too many blankets. But thereissuch thing as too few, and that’s where you’re currently at.”
“Noted.” I look in the bag and see one last item, pulling it out with another confused look on my face.
“Turn it around.” I turn the small package around and see a handwritten note taped to the back of the card game.
I want to get tUNO you better. Xo, Trouble.
I bark out a laugh reading the pun and she smiles. “I know it’s cheesy, but it’s also true, so…” She shrugs, letting a few pieces of stray hair fall from her bun.
I brush them out of her face, leaning closer to her. “Then I’ll tell you anything you wanttUNO.”
Her hand shoots up to cover my mouth. “I instantly regret making that joke, please don’t ever say that out loud again,” she says through another fit of giggles.
“Fine,” I mumble into her hand. She moves it when I stick my tongue out and lick her. She tilts her head in disapproval. “Thank you, Trouble. I think this might be the best birthday I’ve ever had.” Her hand caresses my cheek, flipping it over to do it again with her knuckles.
“You’re welcome.” Then she presses her lips softly to mine, right before the timer on her phone goes off. “Pizza is ready!”
“I’ll pour our drinks.” She practically bounces over to the oven and I catch a glimpse of her ass when she bends over to pull the pizza out. When she stands back up and looks over at me, her hair back down in her face, my heart constricts painfully in my chest.
I fear I’ve fallen in love with my fake girlfriend.
“So, how does this work?” We’re having a full-blown picnic on my living room rug, pizza and wine off to the side as she shuffles the deck of UNO cards.
“You’ve played UNO before, right?” she asks.
“Yes.”
“Okay, so basically anytime you have to draw, you have to tell the other person something about yourself the other doesn’t know. Skips skip your turn to ask a question, and reverse changes the order meaning you get to ask two questions in a row. Got it?”
“Did you make these rules up?” I ask, seeing the genius behind it all.
“Yes.” She continues dealing the cards.
“Hm. Smart girl.” She glares at me. “I’m serious.” Her glare disappears.
“Oh. Okay. You ready?” She readjusts her position, grabbing her wine in her free hand.
“Let’s do it. How do we know who goes first?”
“Fitz, it’s your birthday. You go first, duh.” We both set about three cards each down before I have to draw one. She does a little dance in her spot, taking another sip of her wine before setting it on the coffee table next to us.
“Something I don’t know about you, go!” I think about it because I’m just not realizing how much there is we don’t know about each other.
“Uhh, okay. I wear glasses.”
Her eyes narrow on me. “Try again, genius. I already know that.”
