Page 77 of Third and Ten

“And, um, you wanted me to know about this because…” I have to cut off my own inner monologue before I get myself into trouble.

“Well, I thought about it…”

She’s been thinking about it?

“And it only seems fair that I should tell you now that I don’t really trust contraception, which also means I take the physical intimacy part of dating very seriously…and slowly.”

“Oh,” I respond, swallowing hard. “Because you don’t want to get pregnant?”

She sighs, probably in disbelief at my lack of maturity. “Yes, that’s one of the reasons.”

“And you’re worried I’m planning to steal home on the first date?” I ask with a smirk, finally garnering some confidence.

She clears her throat, and her face flushes. “Of course not. And this whole conversation wasn’t necessary, because you probably weren’t even thinking about that yet.” Then she turns back to the window, and it looks like she’s scolding herself.

“Tenley, listen. I don’t know if I’ve ever stopped thinking about that—with you—for the past few months,” I correct her. “Especially after the bra incident. I’m just trying not to sound like a creep.”

She faces me again and smiles, still looking embarrassed. “So, I wasn’t being too presumptuous by initiating this talk now?”

“Definitely not,” I answer, grinning. “I’m glad you brought it up. And while I’m good with taking it slow, you should never doubt my attraction to you. So it’s probably best if you set the pace. I’d like you to be honest about what you want and when you want it to happen.”

“Well, this’ll be a disaster,” I think I hear her mutter under her breath.

“What?”

She shakes her head quickly. “Nothing. It’s just…well, I’ll explain the rest later. I’m so used to talking about women’s health and bodily functions all day that I forget it makes most people feel uncomfortable.”

“I’ve studied my fair share of anatomy and physiology in college. That stuff doesn’t bother me,” I reassure her.

“I don’t know, you seemed pretty honte when we were perusing the feminine-hygiene department together a while back,” she replies with a smirk.

I scrunch up my nose. “Yeah, that had a lot more to do with the tight leggings you were wearing that day and a lot less with the tampon aisle,” I admit. “I think I’d convinced myself that we were on a date, except for the part about you having absolutely no idea about it.”

She giggles this time, making my insides feel all warm and gooey. “Is that so?’

“I was crushing so hard on you that I was willing to do anything to spend time with you. In fact, I literally used a charity case to my advantage.”

I look over, expecting her to laugh again, but she’s blushing instead. “Were you really?” she asks shyly.

“Absolutely,” I confirm, resting my hand palm-up between us. She hesitates for a second before dropping her hand in mine. “Couldn’t you tell?”

She huffs. “I wasn’t kidding before when I said I was really bad at this.”

I can’t help but laugh at the notion that she’s the awkward one here. “Well, I’m pretty sure I’ve set a record with the number of times I’ve made myself look dumb in front of you.”

“That’s probably my fault. I’m kind of a jerk,” she explains. “I don’t even do well with making friends because I usually end up pushing people away. I’m too serious…and too blunt.”

I shake my head as I keep my eyes on the road. “Nah, I’m going to have to disagree with that. I know exactly what it is about you that makes me nervous. I think you have a great sense of humor, and I happen to like that you don’t fake it or sugarcoat what you’re thinking most of the time.” She squeezes my hand a little tighter. “With the exception of the past few months while you were playing hard to get,” I add after a while, making her laugh.

“JD,” she begins. “Are we only going to this fancy restaurant because you think it’s what I like?”

I glance her way before I answer, and she’s staring as if she’s reading my expression. “Truth be told, I would rather have burgers and beer in front of a wall of TVs playing live sports than to sip wine and pretend to enjoy a plate full of weird garnishes. Or even better, I’d really like to pick up a pizza and bring you back to my place to watch football and chill,” I admit, hoping she’ll appreciate my honesty. “And by chill, I mean make out. But I figured you might enjoy going somewhere a little nicer, since that’s what you’re used to, and I’m down for anything that allows me to be with you.”

She sighs, her cheeks turning pink. “That actually sounds kind of perfect to me.”

“Which part?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

“Cheat day with burgers and beer, watching football and hanging out…”

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