Page 30 of Chasing Lyric
“You think these roses will impress my mother?” His eyes run up and down my body. Is he trying to be seductive?
“I’d prefer Chinese carnations myself.”
“You really do say what’s on your mind, don’t you?”
“Yes, sometimes I mean to. But sometimes it just slips out uncontrollably.”
He grabs a bunch of the yet-to-be-marked-down flowers, dipping his head at me. “So… um… dinner?”
My body comes alive with the thought. “Yeah, for sure. When did you have in mind?”
He checks his watch. “I’d better get some work done tonight. Someone held me up all day…” He smirks, letting me know that even though I stopped him from working, he clearly doesn’t mind as he continues, “But maybe tomorrow night? If you’re free?”
I shrug, trying to seem nonchalant. “Sounds good.”
“Guess I’m gonna get your number after all.”
I roll my eyes. “See? All those dramatics with Rip were for nothing, Hallmark.”
“Dramatics? You make me sound like a teenage girl.”
“You were being a brat.”
He laughs. “Says the woman who lives on a sugar diet.”
“Don’t knock it till you try it.”
He turns up his lips. “You don’t get abs of steel from pounding back corn syrup and flour paste, Starlight.”
I tilt my head, a Red Vine dangling from my lips. “Please. I prefer to think of it as a balanced diet. Sugar and carbs. Potato, potahto.”
He narrows his eyes at me. “Whoa! We got ourselves a comedian over here.”
I park my hands on my hips, grinning at him. “You gonna buy those flowers or just stand there looking pretty?”
He tilts his head. “Naw, you think I’m pretty?”
Rolling my eyes, I grab one of the bunches from him and start walking toward the cashier’s desk while he chuckles to himself. I step behind with Rory, who’s watching my every move, as I tap the price in and take off a further five percent discount. Then I throw in some nutrient feeder and an‘I love you’balloon.
He raises his brow at me while I shrug. “What? You love your mother,don’t you?”
He pouts out his bottom lip. “And here I thought you were confessing how youtrulyfeel about me.”
My stomach twists at the cute expression on his face.He’s mocking me.I should be annoyed, but in all honesty, I want to spend more time with him. “I don’t do love. It’s an emotion leading to an inevitable pit of despair and endless doom spirals.”
The humor drops from him instantly, his brow rising as he exhales in seriousness. “Okay, that was dark, a little depressing. Nevertheless, it’s good to know. But, it doesn’t scare me off, Lyri. So, for the umpteenth time, can I get your damn phone number?”
I exhale as Rory bounces on her toes, not even trying to hide her excitement. I groan, but pull out one of our complimentary cards and write my number on it.
No name.
Nothing else.
Just my number.
That’s when I notice it’s the card with the printed hearts and the wording in a beautiful script font,‘With love.’
Damn! I should have thought this through.
