Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 105306 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 527(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105306 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 527(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
Shit.
I barely let Dallas say his piece, and then I flat-out ignore him, short of blocking him on my phone. Does that make me the asshole?
I keep telling myself I was justified in not trusting him because we haven’t known each other long enough; I also keep telling myself women “like Tiffany” come with the territory and is that the kind of life I want for myself? Besides worrying about him feasibly being injured in a game, but are quarterbacks typically injured all that often?
Lord, time to read up on football…
“Winnie, what should I do?”
She walks over and gently removes the dishrag from my hand, tucking it into her apron, then reaching for mine. Unties the bow in the back and takes it from me.
“I think you owe it to yourself to go over there and see what he has to say. You like him, don’t you?”
I nod.
“And haven’t you been kind of miserable since you stopped talking to him?”
I shake my head, in denial. “No.”
“Liar.” She smiles. “It’s all you can think about. And you didn’t go to class because you’re trying to avoid him, but you’re only avoiding him because you’re hurt.”
All right, fine.
She’s right; any warm-blooded female would be hurt by the original photograph of Dallas and Tiffany that was leaked, but not all women are willing to put themselves through this kind of drama to date a guy they’ve only known a few weeks.
Kyle comes out of the kitchen, beelining for me. “Girl, if you don’t go get that hunk of a man, I will.”
Only it’s not that simple.
I still have to wrap my brain around dating a minor celebrity. And then during the draft, he’ll become a major one, if you consider professional athletes celebrities.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Kyle is grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze.
“No.” I laugh. “I don’t need you there hitting on my boyfri—”
He gasps and covers his mouth. “Oh my God, see! You called him your boyfriend!”
Almost.
Caught myself just in time.
“Yeah, yeah.” I walk toward the back door where my coat, hat, and mittens are hanging, taking them all off their hooks.
“Yay!” Winnie claps. “You’re going!”
“We’ll let Ben know—he’s on his way in.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m so sure he’s going to love that I’m being flighty again.”
Kyle still has the spatula in his other hand. “Trust me, Ben Davis isn’t going to care that you fled to the stadium to rendezvous with the hottest guy on campus.”
Davis? “I didn’t know that’s his last name.”
“Can you please focus?” Kyle tosses the spatula into the kitchen, plucks my hat off the hook, and plops it on my head. “There’s no time to waste. They’re at the end of the third quarter. Tick-tock!”
“No time to waste.” Winnie stands behind me, holding my jacket open so I can step into it.
“I feel like Cinderella going to the ball.”
I hold out my arms so Kyle can shove the mittens on my paws.
“This is as close as I’m ever going to get to royalty.” Kyle ushers me closer to the door. “You better start bringing that guy around here more, not just when you’re pissed at him and he comes groveling. Which was super hot, by the way.”
The groveling was super hot, but I wouldn’t really consider him coming to the diner to give his version of the truth groveling.
“Let’s see how this goes, eh?”
“We have faith in you.” Winnie kisses me on the cheek and smacks me on the rear as they push me toward the exit.
I pause.
Turn.
“Hold that thought. How the heck am I getting there?”
They both stare. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t have a car!”
Kyle pulls the apron over his head faster than I’ve ever seen anyone pull an apron over their head, and I’m shocked he isn’t flipping it to the back like a Superman cape.
“Don’t worry—I got you.” He’s grabbing his keys off the hook and his jacket, too.
“Um, Kyle…small problem,” Winnie points out. “You’re our only chef.”
“I’m a line cook with no line, not a chef. And Ben will live, or he can fire me. I’m doing the community a service by taking you to the stadium.”
“Can’t she just borrow your car?” Winnie looks confused about the entire situation that’s unfolding. “Or I can borrow your car to drive her.”
Kyle is already out the door. “No. Hell to the no.”
He is not missing his chance to run into other players; he’s that big a fan.
“I would rather watch this pit go down in flames than miss this chance,” he announces as he bleeps the locks on his car, pointing for me to get my ass inside.
“You’re like a knight in shining armor,” I tell him as I buckle in.
“More like a knight wrapped in tinfoil, but I’ll take it.” He glances over at me and cocks his brow. “Better buckle up. This is going to be one helluva ride.”