Somethin' About That Boy

As I accelerated onto the main drag of Kilgore, I hated to change the subject, but I had no clue where I was going.

“Tell me where to go,” I said. “Because the only place I know is good is Dairy Queen. And I’ve had that twice this week.” I paused. “I would kill for a fuckin’ salad.”

She blinked. “Like actual salad? The stuff with green leaves?”

I chuckled as I said, “As an appetizer would be fine. Just something that has some nutritional value to it. I’m in sore need of something healthy. Especially after today’s practice. Fuck, I was slow.”

Her brows rose. “You were slow?”

I nodded. “All my bad eating has caught up to me. I need to find a new CrossFit gym, too. You know any?”

Her eyes went wide. “You CrossFit, too?”

My brows rose.

“Where to first, then I’ll answer,” I said.

“If you go up to the light and take a left, there’s a place called ‘The Back Porch,’” she said. “That’s where I know they have fairly decent salads. Though, if you’re really wanting a good one, you have to drive into Longview for it. Texas Roadhouse. If you go there, you’re going to end up eating about thirty rolls, and that kind of seems counterintuitive seeing as you’re trying to eat healthy.”

I grinned and started toward the restaurant she’d mentioned.

“To answer your earlier question,” I said. “I do CrossFit in the offseason. I still do it during football season, but not nearly as much. There’s just not enough time in the day for me to fit that in. But on the weekends, I’d still like to get a good workout in.” I looked at her. “And you’re one to talk. You literally run track, do gymnastics, and play volleyball.”

“You forgot cross-country,” she countered. “And how do you know that I still do gymnastics?”

I flashed her a grin. “I don’t. It was just a guess on my part. But you just confirmed it.”

She shook her head. “You do a lot of stuff. You know how it is.”

My brows rose. “You could be right.”

She gave me a grin that made my heart start to pound.

As I pulled into the restaurant, I wondered what exactly I’d gotten myself into when it came to Perry.

Getting out of the truck moments later, I made my way to her side to see her already shutting her door.

“This is a nice truck,” she said.

I snorted. “It’s my brother’s. I ride a motorcycle, but with the rain, I didn’t think you’d want to ride on it. Someone is supposed to be bringing my car over here, but in the meantime, I’ll borrow so you don’t get wet.”

She grinned. “My father would’ve had a cow.”

I snorted. “Maybe. Or maybe he would’ve let you come. He seems pretty cool.”

She shot me a smile and ran in front of me to open the door for an older couple that were walking as slow as two sloths.

I waited patiently in the rain while they moseyed through the door. When they finally made it through, I took the door from Perry and gestured for her to go in front of me.

She did, walking straight up to the hostess stand and patiently waiting behind the older couple as they asked for a booth and ‘somewhere private.’

She gave me an amused look over her shoulder, making me want to lean down and kiss her.

I took a step back instead and turned my head to the hostess who smiled at us both.

I was unsurprised when I saw one of her friends there.

“Echo!” Perry grinned. “What are you doing here? I thought you had tonight off?”

Echo, the quiet girl that had almost not even been a blip on my radar today, smiled hesitantly. “I did, too. I got called in because Candace called in.”

Perry scrunched up her nose in disgust.

“They need to fire her already,” Perry muttered darkly.

Echo snorted and gestured for us to follow her.

I didn’t know what I was expecting when we were taken to our seats, but a completely isolated spot in the back of the restaurant wasn’t it.

“This is where I had a reservation cancel last minute,” she said to Perry’s unspoken question, which happened to mirror mine. “I heard that Symphony was on her way in with John, and I decided to go ahead and seat y’all before she got here and requested it.”

I snorted. “You knew she was going to ask?”

Echo looked at me for the first time and blushed. “She always does. She treats this place like her personal hangout. Just like her predecessor.”

“Predecessor?” I asked in confusion.

Echo jerked her head toward Perry. “She’ll explain, I gotta go.”

Echo was gone just like that, and I gestured for Perry to slide into the booth across from me before I took my own seat.

“Predecessor?” I asked again, this time the question aimed at Perry.