Part 16 (2/2)
And I get excited off her gettin' excited.
”Surprise.”
”No, no, no.” Her lip juts out. ”Please tell me.”
It's hard not to give into that look, but at the same time, I like the effect I'm havin' on her.
”Nope.”
Instead of beggin' and whinin' like most girls would, her mouth turns up into the hugest of evil grins, and she turns the station on the radio, lands on Katy Perry, then cranks it up to burst your eardrums level.
She's good.
But I'm not cavin'.
And I shock the c.r.a.p out of her by bursting out in song with her. By the end of the song we're both laughin' our faces off, and that's the first time in the history of ever I've liked listening to pop.
”Okay,” she says as she turns the music down and wipes her eyes, ”well played, Mr. Grant. Well played.”
I laugh and try to be smooth about grabbin' her hand. Pretend to go for the radio, but she sees right through it and yanks her hand away like I'm about to taze her.
d.a.m.n it.
”Uh...” She looks out the window. ”Are we going downtown?”
”That okay?”
Her smile swallows her face when she looks back at me. ”Oh, heck yes!”
She's too cute. Can't believe I'm on a date with her. And I don't care she's not wanting to, I offer my hand, stickin' it out in an obvious, *hold my hand or I may die' kind of way. She looks at it, looks at me, then giggles and tucks her fingers between mine.
No suave Faberge-or whatever that b.u.t.ter commercial guy's name is-but hey, it works.
We talk, and she tries to get me to tell her about my hand, but I won't. I don't want to ruin this night by talkin' about Gabe. And I also don't have the brain power either since I'm focusing on tryin' not to sweat a waterfall into her palm. Trip takes about twenty minutes-doesn't seem that long-then I'm pullin' in the parking lot.
”Mother of a pearl necklace.”
Just the reaction I wanted. I grin, let go of her hand-I'll get it back in a second-and get out of the car to open the door for her.
”This okay?”
”Are you for real?” she asks as she steps out.
”Only if you still want to.”
She eyes the sign out front, the bright neon flas.h.i.+ng INFINITY TATTOO. When she turns to me, she leaps into my arms so fast I lose balance and crash into the hood of the car.
”Whoops! Sorry.” Her face goes bright red as she climbs off me, but I pull her back, keeping her hand strapped to my swollen one.
”I take that as a *yes'?”
She nods, draggin' me inside.
”I know exactly what I want to get!”
Darn girl can't stand still. She's bouncin' around with a huge smile, and even though she just said she knows what she wants, she's lookin' at all the options.
And I can't keep my hands off her. But she's lettin' me, so I lean over her like I did in her kitchen, breathing in her scent as she flips through the laminated pages.
There's a flush in the back and a few seconds later, London comes walkin' out from the c.r.a.pper, drying his hands off on some paper towels before chuckin' them in the garbage.
”Hey, Brody,” he says as he makes his way behind the counter and we clasp hands and b.u.mp shoulders. I accidentally smack Hayles in the back of the head with my chin and she ducks out from underneath me. I was pus.h.i.+ng my limits anyway.
”How's it goin'?”
”Same s.h.i.+t.”
I take a glance at Hayles' face, but I must've missed the cringe, or she's too distracted to notice London's cursing.
”So, you here to get some more ink?”
”Actually-”
”I'm getting one!” Hayley's still bouncing as she looks at London, big smile on her face. ”It's my first one! Yay!”
London barks out laughin', and I want to sock him if he's makin' fun of her, but he leans forward, lookin' at the book she's got and says, ”Do you have anything in mind?”
She flips through more pages, and her lips turn into an incredibly s.e.xy pout. ”I can't find it.”
London waves his hand in the air, leaning closer to her.
Wait a second. Is he hittin' on her?
”I really want something that'll represent like, pa.s.sion or love or something. Nothing too girly and frilly and stuff, but something that's like, s.e.xy.”
”Hmm...” He moves from the counter, and I take a step closer to Hayles. I know it's possessive, but I don't care. She's my date.
”How about the lotus?” He grabs a couple pieces of art work from the back counter and sets them in front of her. ”It's a flower, which is girly, I know, but... if you want, I can make it smoky. You see this one here?”
He points to the one in the top right of the page, red smoke curling around a dark purple, near black lotus flower. It looks like it was the only thing remaining from a fire. It's pretty bada.s.s for a chick tatt.
”Oh my gosh, yes! That's the one I want. It's freaking beautiful!”
”Thanks. I designed this last week. Haven't been able to use it yet.”
Hayles starts to bounce up and down again and I slide my arm around her waist. She recoils, and I drop my arm and go for a *I was just tryin' to put my hand in my back pocket the long way' kind of thing. I look like an idiot.
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