I’ve never been one for girl-on-girl drama, and I’m definitely not the jealous type, but come on. We’re clearly on a date. So what if it’s lunchtime?
“What can I get for you?” Zoe finally asks, flashing Brady a big, accommodating smile.
He turns to me, totally oblivious. “Ladies first.”
“I’ll have iced tea, please.” I smile up at her, pretending she wasn’t just flirting with my date.
Brady orders a lemonade and when Zoe sashays away, hips swinging, he doesn’t seem to notice.
“You can’t be real,” I blurt out, shaking my head.
A wrinkle forms between his brows and he cocks his head to the side. “What do you mean?”
“No one is this genuinely nice. You’re helpful, polite, you don’t swear, and you’re completely unaware of your own charm.” I smirk. “You’re like Captain America, bearded edition.”
He laughs low and deep, the quiet rumble doing unholy things to my body.
“I can honestly say this is the first time anyone’s compared me to a super hero. I think I like it.” He rubs the back of his neck. “But for the record, I do swear on occasion.”
“Good. No one should be perfect.”
After all, it’s our flaws that make us human.
We chat about classes and when Zoe returns with our drinks, Brady once again insists I order first.
“I’ll have the bacon cheeseburger and fries.” I hand her my menu.
“Are you sure?” She opens the menu and flips it around to reveal the first page. “We’ve got some really great salads if you’re in the mood for something lighter.”
“If I was in the mood for a salad, I’d have ordered a salad.” I meet her stare head-on. I’ve dealt with enough fat phobic assholes to know she isn’t trying to be helpful, and I’m not about to let her shame me into changing my order.
“My girl wants a bacon cheeseburger,” Brady drawls, the words rolling off his tongue. “And that’s what she’s going to get.”
Holy. Hell.
My ovaries nearly explode at the possessive way he saysmy girl. It doesn’t matter if this is our first and last date. It’s the hottest damn thing I’ve ever experienced.
The server grimaces when he doubles the order, and this time when she leaves the table, there’s nothing suggestive about her movements.
“I think you scared her,” I whisper, leaning in to rest my forearms on the table. “We might have to pick up our own meals from the kitchen.”
He grunts. Actually. Freaking. Grunts.
“I wasn’t trying to scare her, but I didn’t like the way she treated you.”
“People suck.” I shrug. “You just have to ignore it.”
His nostrils flare with indignation. “I will never sit back and ignore it when someone disrespects you.”
Could this man be more perfect?
Not likely.
“The world is full of fat phobic people. If I let them get to me, I’d never leave the house.”
“You’re fucking gorgeous, Piper.” He reaches across the table, taking my hands in his. They’re big and rough, but it feels like the most natural thing in the world when he touches me and I can’t bring myself to pull away, even though I know I should. “Inside and out. Only a fool could miss it.”
A slow flush creeps up the back of my neck, and for once, I’m the one who can’t seem to find words.
