Page 132 of Power Play

“You doubted me?”

“I watched the first seven attempts.”

“We don’t discuss the developmental phase.”

I set the fries on the counter and reached for the panda, but Ryan pulled it back.

“What?”

“You name him first.”

“That wasn’t part of the agreement.”

“There was an agreement?”

I looked at the stuffed animal. “He looks like a Walter.”

Ryan stared at me. “Walter?”

“He does.”

“That’s a middle-aged accountant.”

“Walter could contain multitudes.”

“You’ve learned too much literature.”

I held out my arms. “Give me Walter.”

Ryan tucked the panda against my chest, and the ridiculous thing nearly swallowed me.

He laughed. “You look happy.”

The teasing disappeared from his voice.

I looked down at the panda. “I am.”

Ryan touched my hair and smoothed one strand behind my ear. “You looked at him first.”

“I did.”

“So I wanted you to have him.”

My throat tightened unexpectedly. “That’s stupidly sweet.”

“Don’t ruin my image.”

“Nobody’s ever bought me a giant panda before.”

“That seems like a failure of the men around you.”

“Nobody’s ever noticed which prize I looked at.”

Ryan’s expression changed before he leaned down and kissed my forehead.

“I notice you.”

He said it all the time in different ways. He paid attention. He noticed me. He asked what I wanted and believed in me until I could catch up.