Page 18 of Wanna Bet?

“…Birds?” He cocked a brow, confused by the beautiful woman in front of him.

“They’re friendly,” she said seriously. “At this point they’re basically my best friends.”

He blinked at her but she held his gaze, completely straight-faced. “You want me to meet your bird friends,” he said slowly.

“Yes.”

“That’s the invitation.”

“Yes.”

He was completely enamoured by how equally strange and stunning this woman was, so he nodded once. “Okay.”

Her smile widened like she hadn’t expected him to agree so easily.

“Okay?” she repeated.

“Yeah, why not?” He didn’t even hesitate. The answer had left his mouth before his brain could analyze it, which felt telling in ways he wasn’t prepared to unpack. “I’d like that,” he added.

Something softened in her expression.

He opened his mouth to say something else–maybe to ask when, maybe to offer his number so they could actually plan it like normal people–but her phone rang, making her wince.

The sound seemed to irritate her on a cellular level. She pulled the phone from her pocket and glanced at the screen, annoyance flickering across her face so quickly he almost missed it.

“Sorry,” she said, already stepping back. “I have to take this.”

“Yeah, no, go ahead,” Jace said quickly.

She paused, then pointed at him. “Come by Good Times tomorrow. We’ll set a date.”

His heart did a small, reckless somersault. “Okay,” he said.

She nodded once, satisfied, and answered the call as she turned toward the door. “Hello?” Her tone shifted–still polite, but tighter. Controlled.

Jace watched her leave, the bell chiming softly behind her. He stood there for a second. Two seconds. Five.

Ellis cleared his throat, making Jace slowly turn his head. The man stared at him with the expression of someone who had just witnessed something extremely interesting.

“…What did Myah want?” Ellis asked casually.

“Nothing,” Jace said immediately.

Ellis’s eyes widened. “Oh my god.”

“What.”

“That’s the girl you have a crush on.”

“I do not–”

“You absolutely do.”

“I don’t.”

“You look like someone just handed you a winning lottery ticket.”

“What? No I don't." Jace said, far too defensively.