Chapter 13 #2
Finally, she shrugs. “It’s just flirting. Making out. Playful banter with sexy undertones. It’s foreplay. Stolen moments. Building tension. Longing glances. Unbearable anticipation.” She giggles, shaking her head. “It’s dating, Flynn. We’re dating.”
“Dating,” I echo, slowly nodding. “It feels like torture.”
She coughs a laugh. “Torture? You started this. The reason I touched myself after you left yesterday is because you teased me to the point of feeling like I wanted to scream.”
Again, what should I do with that bit of information?
“What’s the surprise?” She holds out her hand.
I stare at it way too long before taking it and leading her down to the street level. After a quick look in both directions, I pull her across the street.
“Ta-da,” I say, nodding to the red MINI Cooper.
“You got a new car?”
“I bought it for you.” I pull her from the front of the car to the sidewalk as cars get closer to us.
“You need a car. It must get tiring having to order rideshares for everything, especially when you get groceries like today. It’s a 2008, and it has almost 170,000 miles on it.
And it has a salvaged title. But it’s had one owner.
The inside is really good. No funky odor.
No rips in the leather or sticky shit on the seats.
I looked over the engine myself and took it for a test-drive.
They were asking three grand, but I talked them down to twenty-five hundred. ”
With a slack jaw and slow blinks, she ping-pongs her gaze between me and the car. “You, uh … you bought me a car?”
“I got paid from the Rawlings, yesterday. It was more than I anticipated, so yeah, I bought you a car. Oh, and I bought caulk too, so I can finish fixing the leak.”
“Flynn.” She shakes her head. “I don’t want you spending your money on me. Not like this.”
“It’s fine. Believe it or not, this car only took half of my paycheck. I still have plenty of money.”
Not gonna lie. I was expecting a little more excitement from her. But maybe she’s more like me than I thought. I have trouble accepting anything that feels like charity.
“Here.” I pull the key out of my pocket and dangle it in front of her. “Let’s take it for a spin.”
“I, uh …” June takes the key and bows her head, staring at it while fiddling with the ring. “I don’t … well, I don’t have a valid driver’s license.”
“Oh. So what. No big deal. Just don’t speed. We don’t have to get on the freeway or anything. This week you can get your license updated.”
She nibbles on her lower lip while squinting against the sun to inspect traffic. “Maybe I should wait until it’s not so busy.”
“It’s not busy. This is nothing compared to rush hour.”
“Yeah, but I bet it’s less busy at like two in the morning.”
I laugh. “Two in the morning?”
“Also, parking is extra for my apartment.”
“How much? I can pay the extra for you as long as I keep my job.”
With a slow exhale, she gives me a sad smile and steps closer, leaning in the last few inches until her forehead hits the top of my chest. “This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
“I have a hard time believing that. Do you have parents who love you?”
She lifts her head, looking up at me. “Yes.”
“Then we both know you’ve had nicer things done for you.”
“You waited a week for a second date because you didn’t have enough money to take me to dinner. If this car cost half of your paycheck, you’ve essentially given me half your money. I won’t have anything remotely close to half of my parents’ money until they die.”
“Pfft.” I roll my eyes. “I bet your parents have more than five thousand dollars to their name.”
She opens her mouth, but clamps it shut just as quickly, gaze landing at my mouth. “Flynn?”
“Yeah?”
“Let’s go back to my apartment and hang out in my bed for the rest of the afternoon.”
I slide several locks of hair away from her beautiful face. “I’m rethinking that idea.”
Her expression sags.
“I don’t want to take a single second with you for granted.” I brush my knuckles along her cheek. “And I like to imagine you have a really protective father somewhere who expects any man who touches his daughter to be worthy of her. I didn’t buy you a car to get into your pants.”
“My pants know that,” she says, and it brings a smile back to her face.
I mirror her expression. “It’s just …” The jumbled thoughts in my head make me feel like a word-fumbling idiot. “This feels big. And I want to get it right because I think you only get one chance at the really big moments in life.”
Her brow furrows, and it almost looks like she has tears in her eyes, but that makes little sense. Unless … she feels rejected.
Shit.
I’m not rejecting her. Just the opposite.
“You think I’m a big moment in your life?” she whispers.
I laugh it off. Is she serious?
“Get in.” I release her and open the passenger door.
Despite the confusion on her face, she slides into her car. After I get in the other side, I grin while fastening my seat belt. “Yeah, Juju.” I start the car and check the mirrors before pulling out into traffic. “Nothing and no one even comes close to you.”