Violet reached across the table and laid her hand on top of mine. A zap traveled up my arm and shot south. I went to pull my arm back, but her grip tightened.
“The women at the table off to your right keep staring at us and whispering to each other.” She smiled. “Pretend you like me.”
I stole a quick glance out of my peripheral. Violet was right, they were definitely staring. I turned my hand over and grasped hers, trying—and failing—to ignore how small and dainty her hand was compared to mine. How soft her skin was. How the simple touch was wreaking havoc on my body.
Almost absentmindedly, I brushed my thumb across the skin on the back of her hand, and when I felt her shiver under my touch, I raised my gaze to her face. She stared intently at her menu, giving away nothing else.
We sat like that, together but seemingly in our own little worlds, until the waiter appeared and Violet pulled her hand back.
After we ordered and were left alone once again, I leaned back in my chair. Conversation wasn’t something I was good at. But it wasn’t like this was the first time I’d been on a date.
Fake date, I reminded myself.
When was the last time I’d done this? Months? Before I’d moved here for sure. But then, that was with Lucy, and we’dbeen together for years before things ended right before I moved. So that was not really a first date situation.
“Did you read the comments?”
I raised a brow. “What?”
“That video of you bringing me down the ladder. Did you read the comments?”
I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “Those women were shameless.”
She chuckled. “Some of them were pretty funny.”
“It’s a total double standard, you know. If I was a woman, that would have never happened.”
“Oh, totally.” A smirk pulled at her lips. “But most single guys would like the attention.”
“And you think I’m like most single guys?”
She shook her head. “No. I definitely do not.”
I had to smirk at the way she said it. And of course she caught it.
“Is that a smile?”
I schooled my features. “Don’t get used to it.”
As she smirked back, her tiny nose ring glinted, catching my eye. “How many piercings do you have?”
“Twelve.”
Most of them looked to be in her ears, but that didn’t stop me from wondering where the ones I couldn’t see were. My gaze traveled down to the small rose covered in spiderwebs on her right wrist.
“Tattoos?”
“Three,” she said before adding, “but I want a few more.”
And now I was back to thinking about the places on her body that weren’t currently visible.
“I had a place I liked in Asheville. Shame there aren’t any shops here in town.”
I blinked and forced my gaze back to her face. “The drive to Asheville isn’t far.”
“I know.”
“Is that where you’re from?”
