He thinks for a moment. “Well, what do you want done if I get it wrong? Or you get it wrong when it’s your turn?”
This is new. Still, it’s a little interesting, and I’m game. So, I bite my lip and consider. I don’t really know what I want from this game. My eyes drop to my purse, and I flick it open, spotting the lipstick within.No.That will have to do for a different game or maybe the same one but in a much more private setting.
“I don’t know,” I finally admit with a shake of my head. “I really don’t.”
“Okay,” he thinks for a moment. “What if you lose a certain number of questions and have to go on a second date with me? My choice of a date. We do what I want.”
I eye him for a moment, and he grins. “Okay, and if you lose a certain amount of questions?”
He shrugs and leans towards me, lowering his voice. “What do you want?”
I shrug and look at Landon and Marcy. They’re completely absorbed with one another. They aren’t kissing anymore, but they’ve both pushed aside their drinks and are leaning across the table, talking and laughing. I look at Colton, biting my lip in thought.
“How about if you lose, I get to choose the second date. Whatever I want.”
His eyebrows shoot up in surprise, and I’m pretty sure he wasn’t expecting me to say that.
It takes him a moment to pull himself back together, and he shrugs. “All right, that’s a deal. I can go first if you’d like.”
I shrug and look around, but there’s no sign of the waitress. “Okay,” I agree as I turn back to him. You can go first. But how many questions is this game?”
His eyebrows furrow. “How about whoever gets seven wrong first is the loser? Besides that, we just take turns.”
I huff out a breath of air. “Okay, that’s fine by me.”
He grins and holds up a finger as the waitress appears, sitting down a few appetizers that go with some of the dinners. She sits a few dressings in front of me for me to choose and then bustles off again. I watch her back as she goes to another table to take their order. Finally, I look at Colton again. Drawing my hands to my lap, I rub my palms against my dress, trying to dry their sudden clamminess. I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about this. I know I’m nervous, but am I even allowed to be? I know Colton, well, somewhat anyway. I shouldn’t be nervous with him, but I am. It’s not just that, though. I’m worried that I’m going to just fuck everything up. One wrong move will end everything, and I just can’t let that happen. I’ve worked so hard to get back to a decent life. I’m not one hundred percent where I should be, want to be, but it’s a hell of a lot better than it used to be. That, I’m sure of.
Realizing he’s waiting on me to speak, I clear my throat and draw myself up, smoothing the skirt of my dress around me. I sit my purse on the table, forcing my hand not to clutch at it out of habit.
“Okay, so I just come up with something about myself, and you guess?”
He nods, but it’s a patient one. He’s willing to wait, and seeing that alone calms my fluttering heart.
Chapter16
Gracie
Before I can really start, our food arrives. A little quicker than expected, but it saves me from the embarrassment of having to play this game. I know I’m going to lose. I’m not good with people. I think at one point in my life. I had been. But that part of my brain hadn’t been allowed to work in such a long time. I literally have to rewire it back into action.
I scoop up the green leaves and vegetables with my fork, eating with deliberation and intent to keep my attention off Colton. I eat slowly on purpose, and when I glance up at him now and again, I can see him also taking his time. Though, I don’t think it’s for the same reasoning as me. Marcy and Landon busy themselves with their own food as well. I don’t miss how all three of them don’t have a single alcoholic beverage. When we were kids, I recall how Marcy and I would dream of being adults and going to restaurants, ordering champagne or wine to drink with our meals. We thought it would be the best, most grown-up thing in the whole world.
Now, because of me, Marcy can’t even do that right now. I mean, maybe she can when I’m not around, but I still feel guilty. I just don’t know what I’m supposed to say. I try to make it known that no one has to change what they do around me, but people don’t take me as seriously as they should. They walk on glass around me, and it's honestly just very annoying. I want them to be themselves around me. I think it’s just because it’s still new, and no one wants me to slip. While I get that, it still sucks.
With only half of my plate eaten, I turn back to Colton, deciding on how to start the game but add more to it. I’m a little nervous to just sit here and throw around questions. This guy doesn’t really know me and vice versa. There’s no way either of us would win unless by absolute miracle.
So, I lean toward Marcy and tap her on the shoulder. “What’re we doing after we eat?”
She grins and swallows, taking a drink of her soda before turning fully to me. “Well, we could go to a movie or a walk in the park. Anything, really. What do you remember doing when you’d go on dates with Devon or Owen?”
I think for a moment and shrug, shaking my head. “Dinner, maybe. Movies, definitely. We were teenagers and couldn’t afford much more than that. We also had curfews.”
Curfews, yes. Which Devon and Owen always stuck to. Me, though? No. Whoever I was on a date with would leave me at home, and I would wait until they were gone to sneak right back on out.
“Curfews don’t really exist in adulthood. We can do anything. Stay out late, whatever. We also have a whole world to explore as adults.”
There it is again; the realization that I’ve missed out on so fucking much. I look at Colton, who has taken a break from his hamburger and is watching me with curiosity, not saying a thing just yet. Looking at him reminds me of the game we’re supposed to play and why I wanted to talk to Marcy in the first place.
“Can we go to the park?” I ask, turning back to her. “Play a game that Colton wants to play.”