Page 18 of For the Record
I leaned back, tilting my head to take him in. “I don’t know, your whole vibe screams sea shanty to me. Sailor fits. What other nickname could I give you?”
“Not that one.”
A snort of a laugh left me, and I popped a jalapeño bite into my mouth. “Fine, fine. Just not much to work with on Adam. Got a middle name?”
“Ezekiel.”
“Hmm. What does that mean?”
He hesitated. “God will strengthen.”
I leaned back, tilting my head to take him in. Wide chest, large forearms, strong grip, remembering how light I felt in his arms. How I had never met someone so utterly masculine before. “Strengthen, he did.”
His eyes lightened up a little. “And yours?”
“Stevie.” I smiled. “Dad picked it because of Queen Stevie Nicks, of course.”
Adam nodded. “Ahh. Steve.”
“Not Steve. Stevie.”
“Whatever you say.” He shrugged casually, but I didn’t miss for a second how his mouth twitched in amusement.
I wondered what I would have to do to get the guy to smile. A real one, showing all those pearly whites. Someone had to, so why not me? I was generally good at working a crowd. And I was pretty good at this casual flirting and the back-and-forth we had going. He was lucky I was a girl who could read physical reactions. Otherwise, I might assume he really was an a-hole and not a teddy bear inside.
“No, not whatever I say,” I laughed and boldly took a sip from his champagne flute in hopes he wouldn’t deny me. “I refuse to be called Steve.”
“It fits you.”
I laughed. “You are such a—”
Bzz. My obnoxious vibrating phone on the table between the two of us caught our attention. Shoot, it was Dad. I’d completely forgotten it was a Friday night.
My fingers itched to answer, hand reaching out. Sure, we were mid-conversation and I was prepared to spit verbal fire at this guy, but Dad came first. He always had and always would. There were no exceptions. If I didn’t put him first, who would?
“Hey, sorry I didn’t realize the time,” I rushed out before he could speak.
“I wanted to make sure you were okay, is all.” The nostalgic raspiness of his voice settled over me like warm honey. “You don’t have to come. I know you’re busy.”
My heart beat fell back into a regular rhythm at the clearness in his voice. Today was a good day.
In all the craziness of Layla’s event, I hadn’t considered that it was dance night at the community center in Dad’s complex. I’d never missed it. Not once. And let me tell you, learning a tango with a double ear infection is awful. “No, no. I’ll be there. Tell Joann to wait until I’m there before she plays any CCR.”
“You know she won’t.” He laughed, and it felt like a hug, his arms holding me tight like when I was little and he would dance around the room with me on his toes.
“Okay, see you soon.” I smiled as I hung up and reached for my keys.
“CCR?” Adam asked with a quirk in his brow.
“Oh, they’re—” He didn’t know anything about music, right? He had said so that one night. “Never mind. It’s line dance night at my dad’s assisted living complex. I always go. That way, he has a partner.”
He nodded his head and took a sip of his drink, his lips placed just where mine had been. “Have fun.”
I guess that was his version of goodbye. But I wasn’t quite ready for that. I hadn’t seen him all night, and it was still early. I mean…
“You could come with me,” I offered with a smile.
His hands reached into his pockets. “I don’t dance.”