Page 101 of Ice Ice Maybe
“Oh, please,” I scoffed, then pointed to Jing and Tyson’s seafood burritos. “What about them? They ordered the same thing, too.”
Jing smiled. “What can I say? Tyson clearly has excellent taste in food.”
“And in company,” he added, his eyes never leaving hers.
“Smooth,” Jing said. A slight blush crept up her cheeks as she playfully bumped his arm. “You sound like a sales guy.”
Tyson grinned. “Close enough. I work in marketing.”
“Me, too!” Jing said.
As Tyson launched into a surprisingly entertaining story about the Sea Lions latest promotion and how the team mascot got stuck in a bathroom stall for over twenty minutes, Nolan reached over and grabbed my hand to squeeze it, then threw me a wink. Our plan was working even better than we’d hoped. I marveled at how seamlessly the set-up had unfolded. The laughter hadn’t stopped since we’d sat down, and the chemistry between Tyson and Jing was off the charts. They’d bonded over everything from childhood mishaps to their shared love of movies.
Tyson, still chuckling from Jing’s spot-on impression of Reese Witherspoon fromLegally Blonde, asked, “Anyone in the mood for continuing the fun over coffee at California Bean?”
I sighed regretfully. “I’d love to, but I’ve got another board meeting at the foundation. I’m still playing catch-up after being out of town last week.”
“And I promised my parents a trip to Cabrillo Monument,” Nolan added.
Jing looked disappointed. “That sounds like fun, but I came with Zena in her car.”
“I can drop you back at work later,” Tyson offered. “I don’t mind at all.” He gestured to me and Nolan. “We can talk about these two behind their backs.”
“How can I say no to that?” Jing said.
After we said our goodbyes, Nolan walked me to my car, our fingers intertwined. Neither of us could stop grinning about the lunch.
“Did you see how Tyson nearly spit out his drink when Jing made that joke about the beans?” I asked.
“Oh, yeah.” Nolan said. “That was pretty funny.”
“I tried to get your attention, but you missed when they both reached for the salsa at the same time and had a moment when their hands collided!” I said.
“That wasn’t so funny,” he said. “I’m going to have a bruise on my shin because of you.”
“It’s your own fault for not paying attention,” I said, arriving at my Malibu and leaning against the door. “But you have to admit, we are pretty good matchmakers.”
“We certainly are,” he said. “Do you think they knew we set them up?”
I shook my head. “No way. That was flawless execution.”
Nolan nodded, then moved closer and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Let’s get back to my favorite romance, shall we? When can I see you again?”
I frowned. “Good question—I won’t be at tomorrow’s game.”
“That’s too bad,” Nolan said, caressing the side of my face. “And the day after? I really want to see you again soon. We need some time alone without family or friends.”
I felt playful and batted my eyes at him. “Oh? And why is that?”
We were near the street, with cars whizzing by, but the moment suddenly felt more intimate when he pulled me closer.
Nolan’s gaze locked with mine. “Because …”
My heart raced as I waited for him to finish.
Those three words were coming my way.
He opened his mouth again to speak and?—
