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I snorted. “I don’t owe you anything.” But as I turned to walk away, I wondered if he was right. I had agreed to the bet.
“A date,” he called after me. I stopped. “Go on a date with me.” Again, he didn’t ask, he demanded.
“No.” I stretched out the hand he’d held earlier. Stupidly, I could still feel his smooth fingers around mine.
“Your phone number, then.”
When I didn’t respond, he added, “You lost the bet, Laura. You have to concede something. Go on a date with me or give me your number. The choice is yours. But I have to warn you, you’re only delaying the inevitable.”
I fisted that hand now. “What’s inevitable?”
“One night with me.”
4
Laura
My body flushed from head to toe. I didn’t know why. I’d heard filthier things from the boys on the street corner, but hearing Ryan say those words made my stomach drop.
“That’s never going to happen,” I said, even though I walked back toward him. “But I admit I lost a bet and I’m not one to renege.”
I held out my hand, palm up, and waited. He quickly withdrew his phone from inside his suit jacket.
I opened a text message and punched in my number. That finished, I moved on to the message. It only took a second to think of what to type. With a grin, I passed him the phone, imagining his reaction to reading my message.
I’d texted: Never call this number.
His eyebrows squeezed together and I enjoyed the confusion on his face.
“Have a good night, Crawford,” I called and walked away.
I didn’t see Ryan for the rest of the night, but I may have been avoiding him. At the end of my shift, I gave Sam a wave goodbye and drove straight home, without looking for green eyes belonging to a tall, lean frame.
It was late, but my girl Mavis was there to greet me when I walked through the front door. “Hey baby, I’m so happy to see you.” I rubbed her belly as she lay on her back and pawed at my arms. It was as though she said, ‘I’m just here for the belly rubs.’
There was a mountain of books on the dining room table. I still had at least a couple of hours of studying to get through tonight. I sighed and went to the kitchen in search of coffee.
But when I opened the cupboard, we were all out of pods and my dad and I haven’t used coffee grinds in years, so there was no chance of there being any of those either.
Maybe I could skip the coffee?
A buzzing near the kitchen table distracted me. I opened my purse and pulled out my phone. Who’d call me at this hour? But it wasn’t a missed call, it was a text.
From him.
Goodnight, sugarplum.
Since you were hesitant to give me your name earlier, I thought perhaps it was because you didn’t like it. So, I’ll try pet names for you instead. Let me know which one is your favorite, k pumpkin?
Never in all my life, not even when I was a little girl and my mom still lived with us, had anyone ever called me sugarplum or pumpkin. They sounded so ridiculous that I couldn’t help but smile and shake my head.
Me: I told you not to contact me.
Ryan: No. You said never to call. So, I texted. Not the same thing. You should really be specific next time.
I should have known dealing with a lawyer that wording was important and he’d find a loophole somehow.
Me: Fine. Don’t call OR TEXT me. Ok, honey bunny?
