16. Noah
NOAH
NOVEMBER PRESENT DAY
“So, you like Purgatory then?” I ask as she takes another bite.
The sounds she’s making…Fuck. I don’t think she even realizes what she’s doing to me.
“If this is what Purgatory’s like, I’ll gladly stay there for eternity,” she laughs as she finishes off the last bite.
A small drop of the peanut butter sauce is on the corner of her lips. She reaches for her napkin, but I’m already there.
“Here. Let me.”
Her eyes slightly widen as I lift the napkin to the corner of her mouth and wipe away the sauce. My hand closes around the napkin as the back of my knuckles caress the side of her cheek.
She’s so fucking beautiful. She looks almost exactly like the age-progression renderings Monty was able to do, except nothing could ever compare to the real thing.
“So, do I have to bribe you?” I ask again.
“I don’t know…”
“Come on. This is basically like a second interview.”
I relax in my chair as I take another bite of one of the burgers.
“No, it’s not.”
“Why not?”
“Because you haven’t asked me work-related questions.”
Those stunning eyes narrow on me again.
“I asked you why you wanted to become a lawyer, didn’t I?” I say, teasingly.
“Yeah, but that doesn’t make me a good lawyer.”
“You said it yourself, Willow. I need you on my team.”
Game. Set. Match.
She’s the one who said it, not me. Her eyes become slightly less narrowed, then she grabs another quarter of Purgatory.
“Maybe. Can I give you my answer tomorrow?”
“What time?” I teasingly ask.
“I don’t know. Are you on a time crunch to fill the position?”
“No. Your friend just said I had to have you back by three. I didn’t know what else I need to do between now and then to convince you how badly I need you.”
Those plump lips part ever so slightly at the heat in my words. Oh yes, Little Rabbit, that’s exactly how I meant it.
I. Fucking. Need. You.
She pulls her cell phone out of her purse and glances at it before tucking it back inside.
“What do you want to do after this?” she asks.
“Depends. How do you feel about arcade games?”
“Like pinball?”
“Pinball, video games, air hockey, Skee-ball, and racing games. That sort of thing.”
“You want to go to Dave ‘n Busters?”
“Nope. I know somewhere better. Less crowded.”
“It’s almost nine. Are you sure they’ll still be open?”
“Yep. They’re open until midnight. I checked before coming to pick you up,” I say as I quickly get our waitress's attention to get some boxes.
“You planned out more than just dinner?”
She seems confused by this, and it’s kind of adorable. Oh, Willow, you’ll see soon enough. I’ve planned out our entire fucking future, Little Rabbit.
Our waitress quickly brings over the boxes and the bill. I don’t bother looking at it and just hand her my card. The sooner it’s paid, the sooner we can leave.
“Of course I did. Just in case I had to bribe you, you know.”
I wink at her before dividing up the burgers between the two of us.
“Okay. Let’s go play some arcade games,” she says, excitedly.
“What’s your favorite?” I ask.
“Hmm. Probably air hockey or ski ball. I suck at ski ball, but it’s fun,” she says as she stands.
I grab her jacket off the chair and hold it up for her to slip it on. I help pull her hair out of the jacket, letting my fingers brush against the side of her neck.
Damnit. Big mistake. Just the slight feeling of her skin beneath my fingertips has my heart racing. My throat suddenly feels tight and it’s like everything else in the world goes quiet.
“Thank you,” she says breathlessly. As if the minuscule contact had just as much of an effect on her as it did to me.
She grabs her bag as the waitress comes back with my card. I quickly sign their copy and grab her by the hand.
“Come on, Little Rabbit. Time for me to kick your ass at air hockey.”