Page 82 of Challenge Me

“Hey, Remi.” Jeffrey held up the hand with a missing finger.

I offered him a generic greeting and a half-hearted smile. Some of the other guys nodded at me, but they were too busy to say much. When I reached Amir, his eyes went to where Mal was sitting, and I saw the worry there.

“We’re both pretty hungry,” I said. “Will you be able to take a break soon?”

“Probably not. Shawn’s in a mood. Why don’t you grab something and bring it back here?”

“Are you sure? I could kidnap your child.”

He crossed his arms. “Are you going to kidnap my child, Remi?”

I clicked my tongue as I considered whether a joke would land the way I wanted it to. “Black market prices are up this month.”

“Just go,” he laughed.

“You want anything?”

“Surprise me.”

“Brussels sprout burrito coming right up.”

He made a disgusted sound, but he still yanked me closer. Cupping the side of his face, I kissed him in a way that made a soft sound come from his throat. The guys around us whistled and threw out some interesting jokes, and I found myself laughing against his mouth.

“You smell delicious, by the way.”

He snorted. “Yeah, all this sweat really adds to the appeal, huh?”

“It does.” I dropped my face to his neck and kissed his damp skin. When I pulled back, I licked my lips before I turned around.

After I grabbed his keys from the locker room, I returned to where Mal was writing in her notebook. Without a word, I jerked my head. She jumped to her feet and followed along beside me, silent as death. Once we were in the car, I asked her what she wanted to eat, but I didn’t get a response, so it seemed I’d have to surprise them both. As I drove, I checked every sign, hoping something would stand out to me. I hated fast food, so I drove on by those ones, which Mal didn’t seem to mind.

Movement from the backseat made me glance at her in the mirror. She’d sat up and was staring out the window with sudden interest. Following her gaze, I saw some sort of event going on. There was a banner with a muscle car on it, and judging by the crowd, I figured it was something exciting.

“Do you want to check it out?” I asked.

Her eyes met mine in the mirror, but they didn’t stay there. With her pinky, she rubbed across her lower lip while she no doubt thought about whether to answer.

Flipping on my blinker, I made a U-turn. She set her notebook on the seat and watched out the window as I searched for a place to park nearby. Once the car stopped, she unbuckled. I grabbed my backpack and swung it over my shoulder.

“Stay with me,” I instructed when we were both on the sidewalk. She nodded and remained at my side, not close enough to touch but close enough for me to be confident that we wouldn’t get separated.

I paid for two tickets, then put my hand out when the woman tried to put a bracelet on Mal’s wrist. I took it from her, then held it out to Mal, who didn’t hesitate to pluck it from my fingers with the hint of a smile on her face. Once it was situated, we continued inside.

I looked around, a little overwhelmed by what I saw. There were cars everywhere, from early 1900s open-bodied ones to steel-framed muscle. The entire area was set up like an outdoor museum, with one lane that weaved between the rows of cars, allowing for people to walk through and admire them. An engine revved in the distance, a sound that could never come from the coupe I used to drive.

Mal let out a sound, then took off. I ran after her, and my first instinct was to grab her arm, but I remembered the way she’d reacted the last time I touched her, so I made sure to stay close. She stopped near a Mustang that looked a hell of a lot like the one she carried around, but it was blue instead of red.

“Is it the same one?” I asked.

She studied the body of it, her pinky tracing along her lip absently. After a second, she shook her head, but the excitement remained in her eyes.

I hummed. “Maybe they have it here. Let’s keep walking.”

There was an adorable pep in her step as she continued on. Pulling out my phone, I snapped a few pictures of her.

“Hey, Little Valkyrie.” She turned to look at me. “Strike a pose.”

Her lips thinned for a second, but then she moved closer to an open-bodied vehicle from another era. Spreading her arms to the side diagonally, she bent one leg and kicked her heel back. I laughed as I captured it. After the time I’d spent with her, I could track the slight tilt to her lips and the way her eyes betrayed the emotion most wouldn’t be able to see.