Chapter 17
“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Tanner exclaims, nearly throwing his hands in the air but remembering we’re neck-and-neck in the final round of Mario Kart. “A blue shell?!”
I laugh, maneuvering my driver, Princess Peach, past his Bowser, officially putting me in the lead.
“Oh, you’re fucking bogus for that!” he groans, leaning forward with his tongue peaking from the corner of his mouth, as if that’d help him win. I’m too focused on the game to respond, but the smile doesn’t leave my face.
I don’t know what I was expecting coming over to Tanner’s tonight, but I certainly wasn’t expecting to have so much fun. We’ve been playing Mario Kart for the past two hours somehow, and a box of half-eaten pizza rests on the coffee table in front of us. Gia texted me at some point a while ago, and I sent her a picture of Tanner mid-bite of his pizza to confirm that I was, in fact, still alive, but other than that, I haven’t checked my phone since I got here. It’s been nice being in the moment despite my initial anxiety over anticipating how this night would go.
There hasn’t been too much talking—not any at all—and I’m okay with it. Maybe it’s because we’re playing a game and are too focused on beating the other, but I feel my body relax against his couch cushions. It’s easy being around Tanner. Comfortable.
“Alright,” he groans at the final screen, leaning back on the couch in pure defeat. His head lulls on the couch before he turns to look at me. “You win.”
I smirk. “I know.”
He mocks me playfully, rolling his eyes, although a smile that makes my heart stop for a moment pulls up on his mouth. “That was bullshit -what you did during the final round.”
I stand and stretch my arms overhead, a small groan coming from my mouth. “I seized the opportunity. I told you I’m the best.”
“Bullshit,” he grins, standing and reaching for the pizza box before walking into the kitchen. I follow. “You know we’re going to have to do this again, right? I can’t let you go undefeated and live to tell the tale.”
For a brief moment, my eyebrows raise as I walk behind him, but quickly replace the surprise with excitement. “Sounds like you have a bruised ego, Tan.”
The nickname slips suddenly, but my stomach bottoms out when he looks up through his lashes after setting the pizza box on the counter. He smiles and glances down, rolling his lips into his mouth to avoid outright smiling before turning around to the cabinet wordlessly. My hand reaches up to tug on my earlobe as my face, per usual while I’m in his near proximity, heats.
He pulls out a plastic container before facing me again, packing up the remainder of pizza.
I try to remain as casual as possible.
“So,” he says, covering the container with a lid and sliding the packed up food across the island to me. I tilt my head curiously at the same time he leans over his kitchen counter, his weight resting on his forearms.
There’s something attractive about seeing Tanner in his home. His face is relaxed, his eyes brighter. From the brief conversations I’ve had with him, he can be pretty intense at work, and seeing him outside of that setting has shown me that he’s not all that bad.
Except at Mario Kart.
“So,” I repeat, slowly making my way to the opposite end of the counter. “‘Suppose I should head out?”
His smile slowly falls, but he nods. “Probably. it’s getting late.”
I hum and push off the counter, walking over to the entryway to slip on my shoes. From my peripheral, I see him grab the container with pizza before following me to the doorway. He leans against the wall and shoves his free hand into his pocket. “Thanks for hanging tonight.”
“Thanks for having me,” I reply, bending down to tie my shoe laces loosely before standing upright again. “I wouldn’t be opposed to doing it again.”
Surprise flickers across his face as he adjusts his position on the wall. “Yeah?”
I shrug, a small smile on my lips. “Maybe. Guess we’ll have to see if you continue to suck that bad.”
“Okaaaay,” he drawls. “I was going easy on you.”
“Uh-huh,” I smile fully this time. “That’s what they all say. See you Monday?”
“Yeah,” he smiles, outstretching the hand with the pizza in it. I tilt my head curiously. “You want me to take the pizza?”
“Yeah,” he says as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “I hate leftovers.”
I stare at him incredulously, shocked. “You don’t eat leftovers?”
He shakes his head. “Nah. Freaks me out.”
I blink. “Are you serious? You won’t eat leftover pizza?”
He grimaces, holding the container away from his body. “Even pizza. I could have an entire pizza leftover and it’d sit there until it either molded or I threw it away.”
“Wow,” I say breathlessly, taking the container form him, still in both awe and shock. “I’m not sure whether to be amazed or surprised by this admission.”
“Thanks for not judging me,” he deadpans. “But if I had to choose,” he continues, “I’d hope amazed is higher on the scale of the options. I’m one of a kind.”
“You’re definitely something,” I mumble, although the glint in his eyes tells me that he’s fully aware I mean it in a good way.
The silence lingers between the two of us, that same tension thickening the air. We’re caught staring at each other for what feels longer than necessary. His mouth parts at the same time I hook a thumb over my shoulder.
“I’m going to head out,” I say softly, taking a step back. “Thanks for the meal.”
A disappointed look flickers across his face, but it’s gone before I have time to decipher it. He jerks his head towards the door. “Get home safe?”
“I will,” I reply, reaching for the door handle with my leftover pizza. I smile over my shoulder before stepping into the hallway. “Later.”
He walks to the door, holding it open as I start walking down the hall.
“Hey,” he calls out. I turn around and watch him step into the hall. “Text me when you get home?”
I can’t help but smile and start walking backward. “I will. Goodnight, Tanner.”
He grins, and butterflies swarm in my stomach. “Night, Daisy.”
I turn around and walk towards the elevator. It feels wrong to be so excited over having that much fun, especially because I enjoyed myself way more than expected. I anticipated tonight being awkward, and yet there was an easiness to our interactions that made me feel somewhat comfortable letting loose. I press the button for the elevator and step in when it gets to his floor, the smile never leaving my face the whole way home.