Page 56 of Demo
Blushing, she pushed hair behind her ear, but it fell right back in her face, so I reached over and did it for her, my fingertips grazing her temple and following along her earlobe. “Just be you, Lizzie. Just have a conversation with the woman. You do that, and she’ll open right up, I guarantee it.”
She looked at me like she was unconvinced.
“Baby, you have a way of putting people at ease. Making them feel comfortable in their own skin. You are honest and empathetic and understanding, and people just want to talk to you. Go in there, and just start a conversation with the woman. Stuttering and all—”
“I don’t stutter!”
“You do a little bit,” I said, putting my hand up and measuring an inch with my pointer finger and thumb. “You do this thing where you start a sentence, and then you pause, and then finish your thought. It’s endearing! It’s genuine.”
Giving me the side-eye, Lizzie let out a sigh, then pushed her salad off her lap and onto the tailgate beside her before reaching over and grabbing my sandwich out of my hands and taking a giant bite. “Oh man,” she groaned around a mouthful. “This is so much tastier than that rabbit food.”
I laughed as I leaned back on my palms, watching her enjoy my lunch. “Finish it. I’m good.”
“I was planning to,” she mumbled as crumbs fell out of her mouth.
“Do you feel any better?” I asked.
Resting her hands still holding the quarter of a sandwich on her lap, Lizzie swallowed. “Yes, thank you,” she said, turning her head toward me. “But I’m still a little unsure about how I’m going to be able to see eye-to-eye with her. I mean, she tried to kill her kids for God’s sake.”
“Yeah, well, you’re not a psychopath so you can’t expect to totally understand her.”
“Jury’s still out on that one,” Lizzie mumbled under her breath without skipping a beat, while going in for another bite.
“There she is.” I barked out a laugh.
Sighing and crumpling up the sandwich wrapper, she nodded. “OK. I’ll give it a shot.” She leaned back on her palms, mimicking my posture.
“How’s everything else going at the paper?” I asked her.
“Good. Remember that new receptionist I told you about?”
“The one you said was certifiably insane and had a mouth like a sailor?”
“Dee,” Lyzbeth answered with a chuckle. “Yeah, that’s her. She’s actually really cool, and I think we could be friends. She’s … interesting.” She slid her hand over so it was touching mine. “How’s work for you?”
“Busy,” I answered truthfully, brushing my pinkie finger with hers. “Fucking busy as all hell, but that’s a good thing. At least for my dad.”
“That’s great, Knox.” My eyes found hers when she continued. “You know I think you’re super talented, right?”
Giving her a smile, I replied, “Right back at you.”
Lizzie let out a hard breath. “Well, I have to get going.” She hopped off the tailgate and brushed sawdust off the back of her ass, and I followed suit.
“Thanks for lunch,” I said as I pulled her into my arms. She nestled her face into the crook of my neck as she wrapped her arms around my middle, and I rested one hand on the back of her head, my other arm snaked around her shoulders. “You any less stressed?”
“Maybe a little,” she murmured into my neck.
“Good,” I said, turning my head to kiss her temple. “Can I come by later tonight to help you with those interview questions?”
“Yes, please.”
I grinned as she pulled away from me, our arms disentangling and palms sliding down one another’s shoulders, elbows, forearms, until our hands, then fingertips pulled apart. As she backed away, Lizzie put her fist to her ear, her thumb and pinky sticking out, and mouthed “call me.”
Grinning, I just shook my head. She turned and started to walk toward her car when I called her attention back to me. “Lizzie!”
She spun and looked my way. I stood with my hands on my hips and pierced her with a dead serious stare before I said, “You ever call yourself fat again, and I’ll put you over my knee and spank you.”
Her eyes widened, then softened.
