Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 107673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 431(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Dash nodded, shaking his hand in a “sort of, kind of” way.
“Oh man, that totally clicks.” Scott’s palm landed on the table with a whack, his smile spreading wider.
“Meaning?” Dash replied. Scott’s words hit a nerve. It seemed Dash still tried to pretend he was an average guy.
“I think he means how you present yourself,” I answered, cocking my head to better see Dash.
“How do I present? I’m fitting in,” he said, lifting both his hands as if he looked the same as the rest of us. All three of us burst out laughing at his absurdity and absolute cluelessness. Dash shot out an elbow, jabbing me in the ribs. “I blend in fine. We’re dressed the same, eating the same food. I would have had a cocktail but I’m not sure how Beau feels about it.”
Scott’s loud bark of laughter couldn’t be contained. He drew everyone’s attention around us. “Who says cocktail around here? We’re country folk.”
“You guys, good?” the waitress asked.
“Ever hear the word cocktail around here?” Scott asked.
“Not that often,” she said, unsure of her response. She scanned each of our faces, looking for the landmine she’d somehow stepped in. “But yeah, so you play football for Samford, right?” she asked, her eyes landing on me while gathering the baskets from each of us. “You’re the one everyone goes nuts for.”
As the spotlight shifted to me, my mom knew the drill and grabbed her purse, starting out of the booth. Scott followed. “Used to. I gotta get a job now. It’s a family thing.”
Dash got my pointed stare. He needed to hustle out of the booth, but he didn’t budge.
“Man, everybody’s gonna be disappointed.” She cast a long glance over her shoulder to the guys sitting at the bar.
Something went down in that exchange, further signaling our cue to roll out of there before I got swarmed with questions. I’d be offered jobs and cash on the side to stay.
“Well, have a good night,” she said.
My mom placed tip money on the table. We’d paid for our food up front when ordering. Dash just needed to get hustling.
“I’m about to have an onslaught of people comin’ to talk football with me. We need to go.” I gave him a solid hip bump. If he fell to the floor, I’d toss him over my shoulder and get the hell out of there. “We’ll get trapped.”
“Where’re your mom and Scott?” Dash asked. A snail moved faster than him. He checked his clothes, shook out his jeans, completely unhurried. From my peripherals, I caught the waitress with the guys. Gasps ensued.
I grabbed Dash by the elbow, pulling him out the front doors with me. We were loading in my mom’s car in seconds flat. I swear the entire restaurant watched us leave.
“I have plenty of space over here. It’s gotta be more comfortable than that cot,” Dash suggested. His hand patted the fancy air mattress I’d splurged on at Lowes today.
“I’m fine,” I lied. Anything had to be more restful than this old army cot.
“Clearly not,” Dash pointed out. The mattress didn’t make a single noise as he lifted, propping himself up on an elbow. “Your legs are dangling off the end. Your arms would too if they weren’t crossed over your chest.”
“Go to sleep. We gotta get up early.” I understood I was being difficult for no reason. It was just where my head was right then.
“You’ve been awake for the majority of the last thirty hours. You’re not falling asleep because you’re uncomfortable. Hop on the air mattress.” Dash scooted to the farthest side. “Well, don’t hop or I’ll go flying, but get down here. I’ll keep my distance, but the fact you don’t want inside this bed with me concludes that you may not want me to keep a distance, and it scares you. Don’t be afraid. You’ll sleep better here.” He patted the bed again annoyingly.
He wasn’t wrong, but when the desire floodgates finally burst, it wasn’t going to end well for either of us. Well, it would end good. Great actually…just not here.
But his words still had merit. I rolled onto the mattress pressed directly up against the cot. I grabbed my pillow, tucked it under my head, and Dash covered my body with blankets. He faced me, a hand tucked underneath his pillow. We were maybe a foot apart.
“I rented us a car in Mobile. They’ll deliver it once we get to your mom’s place.” Although he whispered, it wasn’t quite the right bedtime conversation to lull me under.
“She said we could use her car,” I said, trying to understand how a rental car might be delivered like that.
“It’ll make it easier if we have a car. I could also get a hotel room.”
“You’ll hurt my mom’s feelin’s. She’s excited you’re here.” Dash eyed me, probably trying to decide how much truth was in my words.