Page 84 of It's Not PMS, It's You
I stared down at his empty plate, curious of something that I had just thought of. “Why did you give me your last two pieces of sushi?”
“Why not? Life is more enjoyable when you share it with someone, don’t you think?”
I believed that to be true.
That was the reason I had started this whole dating campaign in the first place.
“Yes. I do believe that,” I said. “But did you do it because you felt guilty about what happened with Edward?”
“I won’t ever feel guilty for doing what I believe is right. My actions may not always have the best outcome, but as long as I have good intentions, that’s what matters most. Plus, imagine marrying that guy. Could you really see yourself with the last name of Butts?”
I laughed. “No.”
“Ruth Butts. It kind of has a nice ring to it. Can I get you anything else, Mrs. Butts? Butts, party of two! At your wedding, the guests will say, ‘Wow, I’ve never seen so many Butts in one place!’”
I laughed again. “Please . . . I don’t even want to imagine what kind of a nickname they would come up for me at work if that was my last name. No, thank you.”
“Do they have a nickname for you now?”
I nodded. “Ruthless.”
He chuckled. “Why am I not surprised?”
“What can I say, I guess I earned it. What about you? Do you have a nickname?”
“Does Nick have anickname?” He grinned. “See what I did there?”
“Yes, corny and maybe a little cute.”
“A little? Anyway, in college, some of the girls called me Nick-fil-A.”
I laughed. “I should have seen that one coming. Any others?”
He smiled. “When I was younger, I had two nicknames, actually. One was Knick-knack-paddywhack.”
I laughed. “That’s cute.”
“The other one wasnotso cute.”
“What was it?”
“Well, I had a weight problem as a child and some of the other kids called me Moby Nick.”
My jaw dropped open. “That’s horrible! Kids can be so cruel.”
“They can be, yes. What about you? Any nicknames as a child?”
“No comment.”
“Okay, now you have to tell me or I’m going on strike. Do you want the gazebo installed or not?”
“Speaking of which, don’t you need to get back to work?”
“Says the workaholic who’s hanging out at sushi restaurants like she has absolutely nothing to do. Which I have to say is quite surprising and refreshing, actually. But back to the topic at hand, I gave you two of my nicknames as a child. I’m only asking foronefrom you.”
I sighed. “Think candy bars . . .”
Nick shook his head. “I’ve got nothing.”
