Sweethearts

She took his hand. He was so much bigger than she was. Large, football hands.

Interesting.

They walked toward his car, and he held open the door and she slid inside. Her cell phone was inside her pocket so if anything bad happened, her mother was a phone call away. Callie had already told her she’d buy ice cream for them to talk for when she got home. This was why she loved her mom. Callie always knew what she needed even before she realized it.

Theo dumped his bag into the trunk before climbing behind the wheel. His car wasn’t flashy, or an up-to-date model.

Again, she didn’t really know anything about cars.

They pulled out of the parking lot, and he pressed on his horn, giving his teammates a wave before they left.

“Did you win?” she asked.

“You really want to know?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t be able to understand the game or anything, but I hope you won.”

“Hell, yeah, we did. The crowd was going wild.”

“Cool.” She smiled.

“I see that look. Are you interested yet in watching a football game at all?”

“Nope. It doesn’t appeal really, but if you want me to, I will. You’ll have to tell me everything that is going on, but I can learn.”

“We’ll leave that for now. What do you like to do for fun? Besides studying.”

“Come on, studying can be fun. Just think about the future you want and realize it all depends on how well you do in high school. You get the best colleges wanting your ass, and you move up in this world. Easy.”

“College is important to you?” he asked.

“It is. Especially for what I want.” She didn’t tell him what she wanted to become.

“Your dad went to a good college, didn’t he?”

She didn’t like talking about her dad but saw there was no point in avoiding it. “He did.”

“I’m sorry about him leaving you.”

She chuckled. “It was a long time ago.”

“I’m nervous. I don’t know what to say to you.”

“You’re nervous?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“You’re one of the most popular guys in school and you’re nervous.”

“I’m with a girl I really, really want to impress. Yeah, I’m nervous.”

She stared down at her thighs. She liked that he was nervous. It was a good thing for him to be nervous, right?

“I’m nervous too. I’ve never been on a date before.”

“You haven’t?”

“You’re the first guy to ask me and for me to accept.”

“You’ve been asked before. You have to be.”

“Why?” she asked.

“You’re beautiful, smart. You’ve got this incredible smile that won’t let any guy look away.”

She leaned her head back on the chair and looked at him. He didn’t seem to be speaking bullshit or trying to string her along. “You’re sweet.”

“I’m speaking the truth. That’s all I can do.”

Chapter Three

The pizza parlor was incredibly busy when they entered. The moment the locals saw him, they started to talk about the game. They waited in line, and he wasn’t willing to be rude to the team’s fans. Theo had no illusions they were his fans. It was all about the school football team, and he was merely on it.

However, he didn’t like that Ruby kept getting ignored.

Talking with her was so easy, even with her nerves, and so much fun. He loved listening to her as she spoke and of course, making her laugh.

It was a date.

He’d made sure she was aware of them being together, together. So, while one guy was talking about one of the shots he made, he wrapped his arm around Ruby, drawing her close.

She looked ready to run off at any minute.

The guy, who he believed ran the hardware store, seemed to take the hint, finished his point, and got back in line.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I’m making sure everyone knows I’m here on a date.”

“You really have to make a show of it like this?”

“Do you want me to talk about football all night?” he asked, watching her.

“If that’s what you want to do.”

He smiled. “And you could brand this the worst date ever. Not happening.”

“It wouldn’t be a terrible date. Just one I don’t understand.”

The line soon got down, and he ordered himself a pepperoni. Ruby asked for the same, and they both waited for their order to be ready. There was a small booth in the back, and he kept eyeing it, hoping no one took it.

Their pizza didn’t take long, and he was more than happy to be given the hot wings, free of charge.

No one took the booth, and carrying their food over, he waited for Ruby to slide in. The booth had a round table, but only had one way of getting in and out. By making sure Ruby sat on the other side of him, she couldn’t escape.

“You’re a celebrity in this town,” she said.

“You know that already.”

“True.” She took a piece of pizza, and he watched her take a large bite. He and a bunch of the team had come to the pizza parlor with the cheerleading squad. Most of them chewed their way through a salad, never once touching the pizza. He often found it sad. Pizza, with all the gooey melting cheese and assortment of toppings, was the best thing in the world. “Have I got cheese on my chin?” She wiped at her face.