Page 7 of The Fun Part
“Sounds about right. Ludbury House is only a block from my house, so that makes it easy. I can drop you off by your car after Happy Endings. Let me grab a cart.”
We head to the back room, my mind already skipping three steps ahead—Happy Endings, alone in an area only employees have access to; no, we’ll go to his hotel. Much more room to maneuver in a bed; then I’ll drop him off in the lot. I’m going for it. It’s now or never.
“Your feet must be killing you in those heels,” he says. Funny, most guys wouldn’t even think about my comfort level. Well, he does have a sister. He must be well versed in women’s fashion complaints.
“Nope. I’ve been practicing walking in heels since I was a preschooler. Mom has an extensive shoe collection. Besides, these were my Valentine’s gift.”
“Ah.” He glances at me. “From whom?”
“Me.”
He grins. “I didn’t know that was a thing. Women getting themselves gifts on Valentine’s Day.”
“I know best what I like, so why not?”
I grab a two-shelf cart and wheel it out to the table with the large covered stainless steel dishes. Cal takes a dish by the handles and puts it on the lower shelf of the cart. He bendsslowly like he’s being careful of his knees. I bet giving up baseball was hard for him.
We work in tandem, accomplishing the task quickly.
“Are these going to fit in your car?” he asks as he pushes the cart toward the exit.
“You ask me thatnow?” I tease.
“Right.”
“The trunk is roomy, and the back seats fold down. No problem. I’ve done it before many times.”
The lot’s empty except for my Honda Accord. I chose this car for its reliability because I’d rather spend money on cute shoes than a pricey car. Also, I can’t afford a pricey car. Ha-ha.
We load up the car and get inside. I glance over at him in the passenger seat. His knees come up high because there’s not enough leg room. “You can push the seat back farther with the handle on the side.” I start the car and back out of the space.
He adjusts it, looking only a little less squished.
I shift gears and head out. “Guess they didn’t make this car with a tall person in mind.”
“I’m not even that tall. Six four.”
“Tall to me. If you were seven feet or eight, you’d need to ride around in a van.”
“A van? Try a custom car. That’s what the pro basketball players do.”
“Ever consider basketball?”
“I played it in high school, but baseball was always my favorite.”
When I pull up to a red light, I turn to him and get right to the point. “How do you feel about casual fun with me tonight?”
He clears his throat. “I feel favorably.”
I grin. “Excellent. After we drop off the dishes.”
He’s quiet. I hope that means he’s imagining all the dirty things we can do to each other. I sure am.
Cal
I’m having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that this morning I was living with Rayna, then I went to a Valentine’s Day dance (first time for that), and now I’m with an incredibly sexy woman who radiates warmth and kindness. Something sorely missing in my life.
When she introduced me to her family and friends, it was clear how much she loves them. She remembered everyone’s latest news, gave out compliments like candy, and sang my praises as the new Clover Park lawyer, even though she knows next to nothing about me. I guess being Sutton’s older brother gives me some credibility.
