“There’s an arcade,” he said almost shyly.
“What?”
“Did you expect me to take you to the opera like Edward took Vivian?”
“YOU! You’ve been watching Pretty Woman! You know their names!” she accused laughingly.
“Yeah, I watched it the other night while I was going through some emails. It’s still appallingly bad, but I liked the music. It had a pretty good soundtrack.”
“I know! But it’s romantic. You have to admit, when he puts the ice on her face it’s so loving...”
“His friend punched her. For real, we’re giving him credit for getting her ice after he told that loser she was a prostitute? He might as well have hit her himself.”
“No way!” Paige protested, “It was not like that. He had no idea that the lawyer was going to try to get frisky with her. Edward was totally respectful to her and kicked that guy’s ass and fired him. He was a knight in shining armor!”
“You have really got it bad for that old guy. So, I guess the opera would’ve been a better pick.”
“No, I’m not dressed for opera. I wouldn’t know how to act. I’d be nervous. Like, what if you have to get up to go pee? Can you leave and come back like the movies or do they make you wait till intermission or something?”
“Well, here you can go to the restroom whenever you like. I promise,” he said.
“Thanks,” Paige said, following him inside.
It was dim and noisy, crowded with young couples and groups of teenagers. Luke led her to a table and placed the order. Soon Paige was drinking a fizzy rootbeer and taking a giant bite out of some crusty garlic bread. She dunked the crust in marinara sauce and gobbled it up. Luke was smiling at her, watching her eat.
“You’re not eating,” she said.
“I ordered it for you. I’ll have a slice of pizza when it comes.”
“A slice? What do you live on, kale?”
“Not entirely. I eat a lot of fish, leafy greens. That sort of thing. For maximum efficiency.”
“Sounds super fun. I’m just saying, if I eat garlic bread and you don’t, you’re going to think I stink. So, I guess it’s insurance against kissing.”
“I guarantee I’ll kiss you no matter what you’ve eaten. As long as you’ll let me.”
She felt the thud of her heart, the rush of blood to her cheeks, the pull of attraction in her belly. It made her press her knees together beneath the table. She sat like she was afraid her panties would spontaneously combust just because he said he was going to kiss her no matter what. That sounded like fantastic news.
Paige finished her slice of bread and drank some more of her soda. She couldn’t think of anything to say other than, “Please kiss me now.” So rather than scandalizing an entire roomful of teenagers by making out with her boss in the middle of a crowded pizza place, she sat quietly and looked around as though she were really interested in the basketball game on TV or the license plates on the wall.
A pizza arrived along with a large bowl of spinach salad. She looked from the toppings on the pizza to her date.
“It’s white chicken pizza. Supposed to be quite popular. Do you hate chicken?”
“No, I’ve just never eaten it on pizza with, er, alfredo sauce?”
“I think so. Go ahead, be brave,” he said, urging her to try it.
Paige scooped a large portion of salad onto her plate just in case she didn’t like the pizza. Everyone knows pizza has red sauce and pepperoni, for goodness sake. Only a boy from Exeter would order highbrow pizza toppings. She took a slice and eyed it dubiously. She took a tiny bite from the tip of the pizza. The crust was pillowy and tender, the sauce rich and garlicky. It was delicious and cheesy. The chicken was—well, it tasted like chicken, but it didn’t bother her.
She ate the whole slice and took another. Luke was halfway down his huge plate of salad, a slice of pizza untouched on his dish. She raised an eyebrow at him. He shrugged and cut a small bite with a fork.
“Nope. I disallow it. You’re not bringing me to a place like this and eating pizza with a fork like a big snob. Pick it up!” she teased.
Luke rolled his eyes, but he picked up the slice and took a big bite defiantly. He nodded approvingly and took another bite, “Not bad.”
“Let me guess, that’s the most carbs you’ve eaten in like a year.”