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“He’s all tuckered out,” I said.
Neil smiled. “It’s no wonder, with all the excitement.” He placed the boxes on the coffee table.
I approached, feeling sensitive to the fact we no longer had Archie to use as a buffer between us. Neil must have felt the tension too, his hand darting to fidget with the neckline of his shirt. “Feeling better now?” he asked.
“Yes. You?”
“The walk and fresh air helped.” He shifted, his arms crossing and uncrossing. “If you’d rather not hang around, you can take a pizza home if you like.”
I appreciated his offer, but the way he looked at me, his dark eyes soft and imploring, suggested he really wanted me to stay. And so did I. “Are you trying to get rid of me?” I asked.
“Believe me, that’s not the case.”
“Then I’ll stay, if you don’t mind.”
“Very well.”
Neither of us could pretend this was about Archie anymore. We had opened up to each other in a way that had blurred the line between us into something beyond recognition. I didn’t know what we were to each other now, but I wanted to find out.
Neil grabbed plates from the kitchen, then joined me in the living room. I dared to take a seat next to him on the couch, rather than on a separate armchair. He flipped the TV to a game show and opened the pizza boxes. The aroma of melted cheese and charred crust rose up. I helped myself to a slice.
“It’s so good,” I said, relishing my first bite of tangy sauce on crispy crust.
“Have as much as you want,” Neil said.
We ate without the need for small talk, the lively game show providing a comfortable backdrop. I pretended to watch, but paid much more attention to Neil’s sharp profile in my peripheral vision, acutely aware that he was just a few centimetres away from me. Now and again, our elbows bumped.
When I had finished eating and the game show credits rolled, I searched for something else to occupy myself with. A basket full of video games under the side table caught my eye. I leaned over and rifled through it. “I never would have guessed you’re a gamer,” I said, running a finger across the spines.
“Why not? Do you still get the impression I’m not a fun person?”
“No. I know you’re fun.”
And cute. And dreamy.
“Do you want to play something with me?” Neil asked.
I perked up at his proposal. “Sure! Which game?”
He selected a racing game and popped it into the console. He passed me a controller and explained the buttons as the game loaded.
“I have to warn you, I’m terrible at video games,” I said.
“That’s all right. I’ll go easy on you.” Neil grinned.
We started racing, Neil’s red sports car overtaking my bulky blue hatchback. I gripped the controller hard as I struggled to steer around turns. Neil offered instructions, but it was hopeless. I just couldn’t get the hang of it. Before long, we both dissolved into laughter at my lack of coordination.
“This is ridiculous!” I said, as I crashed my car for the tenth time.
Neil’s shoulders shook with mirth.
We played several more rounds. Without realising it, we had drifted closer together on the couch until our arms and legs brushed with every movement and laugh.
“I give up! This game is impossible,” I said as my car veered off the track yet again.
Neil laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “You can’t quit now. We still have two more tracks to go.”
I sighed in exaggerated annoyance. “Fine. But when I come last again, don’t laugh at me.”
