The Perfect Game (The Perfect Game 1)

“I didn’t realize I had a choice. ” I rolled my eyes so he’d notice.

“What did I tell you about that, Kitten?”

“How many times do we have to go over this whole ‘Kitten’ thing?”

“How many times do we have to go over the eye roll thing? It’s bad for you and I’d hate to see anything happen to those gorgeous green eyes of yours. ”

I struggled to formulate a comeback as his c

ompliment floated in the air. My breath faltered and my mind stopped focusing on anything but the sound of his voice and the look on his stupid, beautiful face.

“Cat got your tongue, Kitten?”

“The next red light you come to, I swear to God, I’m jumping out of this death trap and walking home. ”

He chuckled, clearly amused. “Alright, I’ll stop. ”

I narrowed my eyes, refusing to believe his words. When we arrived at the restaurant, I hopped out of the car quicker than he could turn off the ignition. The place was a converted old ice cream shop. The few items they offered were written in chalk on the wall when you first walked in. An old cash register sported a handwritten note that read Cash Only, and when I got a look at the number of diners packing the room, my brain quickly went from wondering how they stayed in business to how they kept all their customers happy.

“Is it always like this?” I asked Jack, shocked at the massive crowd.

“Hey, Jack. ” A gorgeous brunette rushed passed us, reaching out to touch his arm.

“Hey, Sarah. Busy tonight, eh?” he shouted, trying to be heard over the hum of the crowd.

“Always!” she answered with a smile and a wink.

It figures. “Come here often?” I asked, annoyed already.

“I told you, it’s the best burger place in town. ”

Sarah reappeared and rested an arm on Jack’s shoulders. “Sit anywhere you want, sweetie. You want your usual?”

He glanced at me before answering her. “Cass, you like bacon? Fries?”

I nodded my head. “Mm-hmm. ”

“Make it two, please. Thanks, Sarah. ”

She looked at me briefly before turning her attention back to my date. “I get off at midnight,” she whispered in his ear loud enough for me to hear.

“I’m on a date,” he said harshly.

“Oh, of course you are. Later then. ” She scurried away, her face flushed from embarrassment.

“Sorry about that. ” Jack put his hand lightly at the small of my back, leading us to a small booth in the far end of the room. “Oh, I almost forgot! I’ll be right back. ”

Before I could argue, he hopped from the booth and ran out the front door. I watched through the restaurant’s large plate-glass window as he opened the passenger side of his death trap and reached into the glove compartment. I fiddled with strands of my hair, tucking pieces behind my ear as I watched Jack’s every move. Two water glasses appeared in front of me and I turned to greet Sarah with a smile. She didn’t return the gesture as Jack reappeared and slid into his side of the booth.

“First things first,” he said, pulling a paper bag from his jacket pocket. I heard the sound of metal clanking against fiberglass as he poured the entire contents of the bag onto our table.

Quarters spilled out in every direction. Several rolled off the table, spilling onto the floor and into my lap, the rest covering portions of the tabletop. “What the hell?”

“Fifty cents a touch, right? This oughta cover me for a while. ” He grinned, obviously proud of himself, as he folded his arms behind his head and leaned into them.

I welcomed the heat rising in my cheeks. “Cute,” I admitted reluctantly, gathering the quarters into a pile at the end of the table, fighting a smile.

One for Jack Carter. Dammit.