Chapter 27
Teagan
“Oh my God,” I moan as I chew on the homemade spinach ravioli that Quentin prepared yesterday.
“That good?” Quentin asks, eyes gleaming with pride across the island as he watches me eat. He finished eating minutes ago, and when he went to clean up our dishes, I dashed after him into the kitchen, stealing my bowl back for another serving.
I nod enthusiastically as I swallow, then say, “It might be my favorite thing that you’ve ever made. Whenever you retire, I think this is your calling.”
It’s not my business to pry, but I wonder if it’s something he’s considering or what the story is there.
Quentin stiffens at my words, and I instantly try to backtrack. “Not that you’re old or anything, or that you need to retire. You’re amazing on the mound.”
He loosens slightly at that, not seeming as stiff since his lips form a crooked grin as he stands. “Two compliments in under two minutes? Are you sick?”
“Shut up.” I chuckle, shoving the last bite into my mouth. He takes my bowl without a word, rinses it, and puts it in the dishwasher. I can tell he’s changing the subject, but I go along with it.
A phone ringing interrupts my thoughts as Quentin pulls his phone out and answers with, “Pauly, what’s up?”
I make my way to the kitchen table to give him some privacy, where our half-finished puzzle lies.
The mountain is semi-finished, with the landscape mostly missing because all of the pieces are green. How the hell am I supposed to finish this when they all look the same?
While I’ve been having fun doing this with Quentin, I don’t think it’s a hobby I’d ever do by myself.
Moments later, Quentin sits next to me at the table just as I find the missing piece.
I shoot the puzzle the middle finger as I laugh deviously. “Ha! Take that, puzzle.”
“What did the poor puzzle ever do to you?” Quentin laughs.
“It’s taken years off of my life sitting here and looking at the same shade of green for what feels like hours to find one piece.”
“Fair enough. Sorry about that, by the way. Pauly’s driving me up a wall.”
“Don’t apologize. What’s going on?” I ask as I tap the new puzzle piece I’m holding against the table.
He chuckles softly, picking up his own piece to try and fit somewhere.
“He’s on this dating app and wanted my, Ryker’s, and our other friend Cole’s advice.
The problem is Pauly is thirty-two, but acts twenty at times.
So we give him all of our advice and try to help him, only for him to start talking to a new girl anyways. ”
“It sounds like he doesn’t know what he wants and just likes the attention,” I surmise.
“You got that right. What’s your dating history like? You know mine, but if you don’t want to answer, it’s okay,” he asks as he places his piece in the puzzle.
I don’t mind that he asked at all, as I have nothing to hide or be ashamed to talk about.
“I’ve never had a boyfriend. Growing up at ESA in high school, everyone was too motivated to seriously date, and I had that same mentality once I graduated.
I’ve had my fair share of fun, but nothing ever serious.
Hell, I don’t think I’ve ever even been on a real date before.
” I giggle but stop when I see the look on his face.
He looks put off by my admission, eyes narrowed, brows drawn together. “Seriously?”
“Is that a bad thing?” I counter.
“No, it’s just that I expected everyone to jump at a chance with someone as beautiful as you,” he says easily.
My belly flutters at his compliment, but I try not to read too much into him calling me beautiful.
“It’s fine. I liked being single.”
Quentin picks up another puzzle piece. “What would your ideal date be?”
“Are you insinuating we should go on a date?” I raise a brow at him, wondering where he’s going with this.
“Just answer the question,” he says, not taking his eyes off the puzzle.
“It might sound silly, but I’ve always wanted to go mini golfing. I’ve never been before, so I always thought that would be a fun first date.”
Quentin tosses his puzzle piece on the table and pushes his chair back as he says, “Let’s go.”
“Go where?”
“Mini golfing. That sounds like a lot more fun than staring at this puzzle any longer.”
“We can’t go on a date. Remember the pact?”
“The pact says we can’t touch one another. It says nothing about going out and having some fun,” he points out, and goddammit, he’s right. It does sound more fun than this puzzle, and it would be nice to get out for a bit.
“Fine. But it’s not a date,” I say as I wave my finger from side to side.
“Not a date.”
And yet…