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“Oh, I’ll pay for myself.”
“Meg, stop being stupid. I’m paying for you.”
“In that case…” I look at the cashier. “I’ll take a large cookie dough shake.”
Tyler seems amused. “Do you think you insulted me by ordering the large?”
“Maybe.”
“I’ll take anextralarge cookie dough shake.”
The cashier’s expression falls. “Sir, we don’t haveextralarges.”
“Oh. Then I’ll have the same as her.”
I cover my mouth with my hand, holding in my laugh.
“Here’s your number.” The cashier hands him a blue stand. “We’ll bring it out to you.”
I turn to go find Krew in the arcade, and suddenly Tyler’s arm is slung over my shoulder, pulling my body closer to his. He leans in next to my cheek, sending hot breath down my skin.
He loves to do that.
My body tenses from his nearness. I’m focusing on breathing.
In and out.
In and out.
“Meg?”
I swallow. “Yes?”
“Do you know how to play pinball?”
“No.” I shake my head. Then I realize I’m an idiot and that everyone knows how to play pinball. “I mean, yes.”
“I’ll make you a deal,” he says against my cheek. I’m not sure what he’s about to say, but the answer is yes.
Yes to everything.
If it means keeping Tyler Dixon this close to me and feeling his arm around me a little longer, then the answer is YES.
“If I win pinball, I get to walk you to your door…like a date.”
I slowly turn my head, putting our faces inches apart. I love this close-up view of Tyler. I love how I can see the different shades of stubble that dot his chin. I love seeing the perfections and imperfections of his face, the pattern of blue in his eyes, the creases of his crow’s feet, the way his hair flips out the front of his backward hat, the subtle bounce of his Adam's apple as he waits for my answer.
I raise my brow. “You have a deal.”
Now I just have to lose pinball on purpose.
* * *
Another silver ballgoes through the flippers at the bottom of the pinball machine. Tyler hides his gloating smile with a bite of his cookie dough shake.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were losing on purpose so I can walk you to your door, because no one can bethisbad at pinball.”
I place my hand on my hip and face him. “I think you set me up, because nobody is thatgoodat pinball.”
