Noah shrugged as he turned onto the street where my parents lived. “He made mistakes. We all make mistakes. He did a lot of good stuff, too.”
“I’m sure serial killers have done good stuff, too, but nobody thinks they should be released from prison for mowing their elderly neighbor’s lawn.”
“Killing numerous people and making romantic mistakes are on the other ends of the bad person spectrum here, don’t you think?”
“I guess it depends why they killed the people.”
“I should have known you’d be a true crime fanatic when you laid out such a well-reasoned argument about a fictional character.” Sighing, he pulled up outside the house.
“I’m not a true crime fanatic, I just think some people have it coming to them.” I glanced at the house and saw the curtain twitch. “Like Great Aunt Bethel. Pretty sure nobody would blame me for whacking her with a lamp.”
Noah laughed and leaned to the back seat. He pulled my bag from the liquor store through to the front and handed it to me.
“Or a bottle,” I added as an afterthought.
“Make sure you drink it first. You don’t want to waste wine.” He winked.
“Pro tip.” I clicked my tongue and winked right back. “By the way, I can’t wait for you to text me and tell me that I’m right about Ted.”
He shook his head as I opened the truck door. “Never gonna happen.”
“Go home and watch all the episodes I mentioned and tell me he isn’t a terrible character at the end of it.”
“It sounds like you’re still salty about the end of it.”
“Of course I’m salty about the end of it. I dedicated myself to that show for years, and they repaid me by shitting on my head in the worst possible way.” I jumped out and gave him a pointed look. “We should all be salty about that ending. Even the people who’ve never seen the show.”
Laughing, he leaned over. “I think you need a lie down before you give yourself a migraine.”
I slammed the door shut. “I’ll be waiting!”
“For a very long time!” he yelled back.
I stopped at the front door and turned to look back at him. His truck was still there, and he was grinning at me through the car window. Being mature as I was, I poked my tongue out at him, making him laugh.
He raised his hand in goodbye and pulled away right as I pushed the front door open and stepped inside.
All while steadfastly ignoring the fluttering in my stomach.
That’s right.
I was totally ignoring the fact that I’d just had lunch with a man who made my stomach flip.
Yep.
***
NOAH: All right… I admit it.
Grinning, I rolled onto my side and flicked my hair out of my face so I could reply.
ME: Admit what?
NOAH: You were right. Ted is the WORST.
“Yes!” I punched the air, almost hitting my hand on the nightstand when it fell back down. I knew it. I knew he’d give in and admit that I was right.
ME: Is it childish if I gloat?
NOAH: No, but it’s not that ladylike either.
ME: Eh, I’m not really a lady.
ME: YESSSS YESSSS I TOLD YOU SO!!!
NOAH: … I was expecting a video, not gonna lie.
ME: I’m in bed. Nobody needs a video of me in bed.
NOAH: *smirk emoji*
ME: You didn’t need to take that in a dirty way.
NOAH: I didn’t take it anyway. Maybe you took my response in a dirty way.
ME: MAYBE YOU SHOULD BE QUIET, NOAH
NOAH: Touch a sore spot, did I?
ME: I’ll touch your sore spot.
ME: That sounded better in my head.
NOAH: I’m embarrassed for you.
ME: Thank you. That saves me a job.
NOAH: You’re welcome. Even though you don’t deserve it for the stunt at lunch.
ME: What stunt? Paying for my own food? Is it that rude now?
NOAH: Not that. Saying how we met so the server heard us.
ME: Why? Do you think she’s hot?
ME: Bear in mind, you’re screwed no matter how you answer that. If you say no, you’re lying, and if you say yes, it’s rude, and if you refuse to answer, I know you did.
NOAH: You’re thinking into this a lot. Do you care, Reagan?
ME: Hardly.
NOAH: I actually have no idea if she was hot. I didn’t look at her that much. I was too busy with you.
ME: Smooth. Not quite 10/10, but I’ll give you a solid 7.
NOAH: Am I not allowed to tell the truth?
ME: I didn’t say you were lying, I just said you were smooth.
ME: I’d be looking at me, too.
NOAH: There’s nothing like tooting your own horn.
ME: Says Mr. ‘I Saved Your Life I Can Hold A Door For You’
NOAH: But I DID save your life.
ME: I’m not disputing that, I’m just saying that if we’re talking about horn tooting, you’re pretty darn good at it.
NOAH: Yeah, but when you save people’s lives, you’re allowed to toot your own horn.