Page 127 of The Fast Lane
The bartender moseyed down to us and asked if I wanted anything. “Can you make a Wrecked Pirate?”
Theo chuckled. “A Wrecked Pirate?”
“I’ve been doing my research.”
Theo laughed softly, the sound sliding through me. “You have a thing for pirates?”
I turned my body and propped an elbow on the bar. “I might. You know any?”
The corners of his eyes crinkled. “Maybe.”
My drink appeared, and I took a sip, pleasantly surprised at the taste. “Shiver me timbers, as the sea dogs would say.”
He laughed. “Did you memorize a pirate dictionary?”
“Oh, no. I’ve been reading these pirate romances. So good.” I leaned in closer and lowered my voice. “Very educational.”
“You’ll have to tell me more about these books,” he said solemnly, although his eyes sparkled.
“I see that in our future. Although I should warn you, the author has a very active imagination.” I slid closer.
Mouth stretched in a wicked little smile, he placed a hand on my knee. The skin there thrummed warm at his touch. “Are you flirting with me now?”
“Aye. How am I doing, matey?”
We stared into each other’s eyes wearing matching dopey, smitten smiles like dopey, smitten lovebirds for far too long before Theo leaned forward to press a kiss to the tip of my nose. Both of us straightened. I took a healthy sip of my drink to fortify myself.
“I’m sorry,” we both blurted at the same time.
“I tried to call you a few times,” he said. “Knocked on your room door, too.”
“I turned off my phone then I fell asleep. Mack woke me because Dad and Abe got into it, and then I went for pie with my mom.” I bit my lower lip. “I wasn’t ignoring you, I promise.”
“What kind of pie?”
I smirked. “That’s your question.”
He grinned. “I tried to tell you about the interview earlier, but we got distracted.”
“So, there’s really a job in Chicago you’re considering?”
“I am.” He shook his head. “I was.”
I sat back, putting distance between us, and pretending my heart wasn’t starting to ache. “Chicago is a long way away.”
“After my mom died, I felt sort of alone, restless even. Like I should be doing something. And things were…hard. There was this woman I couldn’t stop thinking about, but she was in a relationship. I thought I was in love with her, but I wasn’t sure how she felt about me. So, I thought a change of scenery might be a good idea.”
“Who’s this woman?” I asked, sounding like the jealous girlfriend I totally was.
He gazed at me intensely. “You don’t get it, do you?”
“Get what?”
“A few months before my mom died, we were at a family dinner at your parents’ house. It was before Cal left and you and Alec were still together. You were sitting next to me, and you were teasing Frankie about his workout clothes.”
Strangely, I remembered the family dinner he was talking about. Frankie had been deep in his wrestling onesie phase. Someone had to call him out.
“You turned to me and smiled and asked me to pass the salt and pepper. That’s when it hit me.”