Page 27 of It's Just You

Lean hips. Slender. Sexy.

“That’s one of the plus sides of working at a gym,” I said. “I can eat what I want and just burn it off later.”

“I somehow envy you. I mean, I wouldn’t be caught dead sweating, let alone working out, but… At least I have the metabolism to eat a lot of what I want.”

Oh, if his body was any indication, his metabolism was perfect. His body was perfect. The thought only brought me back to my confusion. I definitely didn’t drool over the body building muscular type even though that was exactly what I was — and maybe that was the reason why. I wasn’t like someone you’d see in magazines or TV, but I definitely had clear muscle definition and I was proud of how I looked.

“You should try it sometime,” I suggested, though it felt weird to mention it to him. “Come by when I’m working. I’ll give you a tour and an intro workout.”

Finn’s eyes sparkled. “Was that an invitation to a private workout?” He wriggled his eyebrows, letting me know exactly what he meant by that.

I blushed. “Do you take everything that way?” I asked. We got to the diner, and I opened the door for him so he could step inside first.

“Everything? No. Everyone? Also no. But some guys…” He gave me a slow once over and smirked. “Yes.”

“Should I feel honored or terrified?” I asked, following him into the diner. “Because I’m really not sure.”

“Let’s just say, I don’t make that offer to everyone. So feel honored.”

What offer? What was he offering? Christ, did he mean a fuck? Or was my mind just in the gutter because of his tight jeans and the way my mind wouldn’t stop thinking about him? I simply didn’t know. I did know that the flirting had been amusing at first, but now it was getting uncomfortable. Everything seemed to be an innuendo. Maybe deciding to get a drink or something had been a bad idea.

Finally, I chose not to reply at all, just following him to our table.

As we sat down, Finn immediately picked up the menu. Before he even looked down at it, though, he asked, “What do you want? I think I want a milkshake, and… Are you getting food?”

“Maybe something light. I can’t eat too much before work.” Which was the antithesis of diner food, but there were at least a few non-greasy options on the menu. They weren’t even all salad.

“Good idea. I think I’ll get something light, too. Maybe a BLT.”

For all that I bragged about being able to eat anything I wanted, that didn’t mean I actually did. I nodded. There was a salad I always got, and even though I couldn’t delude myself into thinking it didn’t have as many calories as other food when I drenched it with dressing, it at least felt better. “Yeah, that’s good. It’s all good, really. I’m mostly here for the milkshake though.”

“If they’re that good, I can totally understand. I prefer something to…” He licked his lips. “Suck at, too.”

I frowned at him. “Finn…” I lowered my voice, not wanting anyone else to overhear. “That’s enough, okay? I’m not interested.” And even though my mind and body were confused, the constant flirting was far too confusing for me. “Please don’t make things sexual.”

Finn looked quickly down at the menu. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”

“I know,” I said, even though I didn’t. “Just… lay off a little, okay? It’s making me a little uncomfortable.” Not that no one ever flirted with me, but they weren’t usually this obvious about it.

Finn’s voice was so quiet, so small, that I could barely hear him when he replied, “I’m truly sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. I just… I kinda…” He trailed off.

“Kinda…?” I prompted.

“Nothing,” he mumbled, still not meeting my eyes.

“It’s okay,” I said. “It’s over and done with. We’re cool.”

“I’ll do my best to stop it, okay?” The way he kept avoiding my gaze was kind of weird, too. I didn’t like the over the top flirting that made everything sexual, but this didn’t feel right either.

“Okay.” I reached out and lightly touched his hand before pulling back. “Now let’s get our food. I’ve been dying for some ice cream since I mentioned it.”

By the timewe got back to my house, I was already regretting saying something about the flirting. Finn had gone really quiet, almost timid, like he’d been afraid to say anything at all. I hadn’t meant for him to completely retreat into his shell, and now that he had…

I felt the loss of it.

I didn’t know what to do. I wanted the Finn I’d first met back, with his sparkling eyes and contagious laugh, the one that let me feel like I didn’t have a care in the world. But how was I supposed to fix this? Tell him he should start flirting with me again?

Sam’s car was in the driveway, and I glanced at it before shoving my hands awkwardly into my pockets. “So, um… Thank you for having ice cream with me. I have to get to work soon, but I enjoyed that. All of it. The ride, the diner…”

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