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“You know this show?” She looks gobsmacked.
Busted.
I shrug. “I’ve watched all six seasons since my mom forced us to have bonding nights if I was going to live on their property. It grew on me.”
Really, I’d just wanted to squeeze a home-cooked meal out of my mom and she dragged me into watching TV with her after. I can’t lie, reality shows are addicting, and she introduced me to this gateway drug. I’ve been hooked on D-list celebrities doing funny shit on screen ever since.
“Liam Ashton, you are full of surprises, aren’t you?” The way she bites into her lip when she says that has me thinking she means something completely different than my taste in television.
I didn’t come over to get in her bed tonight, though. Hell, I long for that so badly that my balls have been blue for a week. But I made a promise to take this slow and give space, so that’s what I’m trying to adhere to.
Thinking about taking my time with her on a mattress for the first time is mighty enticing, though.
“Well, you’re here, so let’s watch? Plus, it’s probably better if I don’t house this entire pint by myself.” Gabrielle claps her hands as if she’s made this the plan we’re sticking to.
“Only if you don’t mind. In which case I’d love to.”
“It’ll be fun to watch with another fan. Let me put these in a vase and I can bring us two bowls.” She turns for the kitchen.
“If you wanted to eat it from the pint, don’t bother. Just bring me another spoon.”
Gabrielle spins as she begins to walk backward, a small smile on those gorgeous lips. “Ice cream is so much better out of the original packaging.”
“Never heard truer words.”
I sink into the couch and get comfortable while she makes noise in the kitchen. Part of me can’t believe she offered to let me come in and hang out, yet the me of twenty minutes ago hoped my arrival would lead to this.
“These are beautiful, by the way, thank you.” She sets the vase down on the coffee table, and the daffodils bring a cheery energy to the room. “Always bringing me daffodils, huh?”
“These were more well received than the first time.” My voice isn’t sad or mad, but I relish the progress she’s allowing us to make.
“What woman doesn’t like getting her favorite flowers from a man? Well, when the moment is appropriate, I guess. Oh! Did you see her just throw that plate across the room?” she yelps at the TV.
We dig into the mint chip, which is arguably not my favorite flavor, but Gabrielle seems to love it, so I shut my trap. There is something intimate about us each taking turns holding the container while the other scoops from it, like we don’t mind swapping spit or sharing in a way that’s different than getting naked and horny.
“Would you ever go on one of these shows?” she questions.
“Hell fucking no, do you know who I am? I barely talk to people I like.”
Gabrielle giggles with enjoyment at my self-deprecation. “I don’t know, you could be the quintessential grumpy character, it might bring a hell of a lot of entertainment to a show. This hot growly farmer cussing people out, getting pissed at the shit the producers make him participate in.”
She laughs as if she can imagine it.
“So you think I’m hot, huh?” It’s the only thing I choose to highlight.
Those green eyes roll as she pops green ice cream in her mouth. “You asking is just fishing for a compliment.”
I shrug as if trying to deny it. “How about you, would you do one of these shows?”
A beat of silence passes. “I guess it might be fun, but no. There is something invasive about putting your life on TV, and if I had a family so near and dear to me, no way would I jeopardize their privacy or our relationships. If I had something so loving and close to me, I’d keep it just mine.”
What she isn’t saying, or so it seems, is that she’s never had something like that to protect, so she can only imagine it.
“And that’s why you’re the type of person I would want in my life.” My words are hushed, but I keep my eyes on hers when I say it.
Everything she is, everything she tries to be, is so goddamn attractive to me. She’s my dream woman incarnate, and I feel like I need to pinch myself that I’m sitting here next to her.
The moment seems to become too serious for her, because she turns back to the TV and makes me start ranking my favorite characters on this channel’s franchises until we both cackle around bites.
