Page 27 of Masquerade Mistake
“I don’t know.” I study him, my eyes landing on the lion tattoo. I lift the edge of his sleeve, a shiver going through me as my finger brushes his skin. I notice the brief goosebumps that appear on his skin, then disappear just as quickly. “Metal rock,” I say. He laughs, then presses a button on the dash, and the music switches from soft country to edgy electric guitar with a beat. I tilt my head, trying to place the music.
“I give up. Who is this?”
“Primus,” he says, and then the next song comes on and I know it’s Tool. I definitely like this better than the country, that’s for sure.
“You listen to this?” he asks. I shake my head no.
“I know it, and I like it, but it’s not exactly what I listen to.” I plug my phone into the car, and the music makes another dramatic change.
“Wow. Falsetto, huh? I didn’t think guys could sing that high.”
“It’s Novo Amor,” I say, nudging his knee with my hand. I linger for a moment but move my hand away before it seems too awkward. He reaches toward me and takes my hand back. I look down, marveling at how small and light my hand appears clasped in his.
“What would you call this?” he asks.
“I guess it’s indie folk,” I say. “But that’s not everything I listen to.” I take my hand away, but just long enough to switch the music again.” When I put my hand back in his, Tupac blasts over the radio.
“Nineties gangsta rap?” He laughs. “You are filled with surprises. That’s about as random as country and metal. Probably more.”
“Probably,” I laugh. “But I only listen to this when I’m alone in the car.” I stop myself, realizing I was just about to talk about Finn. “Not everyone likes to listen to guys rapping about bitches and hoes,” I finally say.
“And you do?” His grin is almost wider than his face.
“So, I know I’m supposed to be offended by the misogyny—and I am—but come on, how badass do you feel when you listen to this? Late at night, when I’m working on cranking out a huge order, I put on headphones and blast it. Then I feel like I can do anything.”
Plus, Finn can’t hear it while he’s sleeping.
Ethan glances at me, then looks back to the road, shaking his head.
“You are going to break my heart,” he says. His words take on a different meaning now that I know about his dad. He takes my hand and lifts it to his mouth, kissing my knuckles. Then he glances back over at me. “I just know you are.”
I won’t, I silently promise him, even though it might be a lie. This is just one night. One more night to find out who he is, if he’s worth figuring out. If he’s not, I’ll cut it off. It’s better to end it before we get too tangled up in whatever is happening here.
But if he is worth it…I’m too scared to think the rest.
“Break your heart, huh? Are you predicting the future? Is that what you’re putting out to the universe?” What if he’s the one to break mine?
“You’re just too perfect. I find you utterly irresistible, and it scares me to death.”
“Me too,” I whisper. He squeezes my hand, and I realize I wasn’t as quiet as I should have been, even with hip hop blaring through the car. I bite my lip, then look at him. I laugh at the same time he does. There’s no need to say more.
He finds a parking spot near downtown, and we walk the rest of the way to Chicago Dogs. I’d suggested it as a joke because I didn’t want Ethan to go broke over our meal. But the other part is that I really love these hot dogs. Every now and then, I skip making dinner for Finn and we’ll walk to the park for a hot dog. Then we sit at the fountain, letting our feet dangle in the water while we eat.
“Okay, I have an idea,” Ethan says, pulling me aside before we reach the hot dog cart. “But it’s a dangerous one. Are you game?”
“It depends,” I say.
“How about I put the toppings on your hot dog, any way I like, and you do the same for me.”
“No.”
He looks genuinely shocked at my answer. “You’re not even going to humor me?”
“No. You have no idea how seriously I take food, especially food I love.”
He laughs as if I’m joking, but I shake my head.
“I’m not kidding. I’m not adventurous when it comes to food. If I know I like something, I will eat it that way forever. I don’t even eat different things off the menu. There’s just too high of a risk that I’ll order something I don’t like, and then I’ll be stuck paying for something I won’t eat.”