Page 52 of Somewhere Only We Know
I wanted to get him something embarrassing but it had to be therightkind of embarrassing. Something caught my eye then. It was one of those black-and-white ampersand name shirts:
Jo &
Meg &
Beth &
Amy
I snorted. Perfect. If he got theLittle Womenreference I would faint. And then marry him, let’s be honest.
I held it up and waved it at Sissi, who gave me a thumbs-up from across the store. Heh heh. The bathroom was down a narrow hall lined with mops and lockers. I knocked on the door.
“Hey, Sissi said you can wear one of the shirts here. I picked one out for you.”
The door opened and Jack stood there with the bottom of his button-up soaking wet with water and soap suds. He peered at the shirt in my hands. “Let me see it.”
I held it up right under my eyes, the cotton brushing against my mouth. “Cool, right?” My voice was muffled behind the shirt.
He stared at it, bewildered. “Who the hell are those people?”
He raised his eyebrows at me and I pushed the shirt into his chest. “Only the four coolest women ever.”
“I don’t even want to know,” he grumbled as he started to unbutton his shirt.
I stared. “What are you doing?”
“Changing?” He kept his eyes on his shirt as he continued to unbutton.
Keep your eyes on his face. “Well, okay, Magic Mike.” That made absolutely no sense and was embarrassing and weird and revealing way too much about the exact way his undressing was making me feel right now.
Laughter made his eyes crinkle in the corners as he looked up at me. I was paying such close attention to his eyes right now. Two spherical organs nestled into a skull. That’s all. Like, nope, not gonna look below those eyeballs. Just keep starin’ at the eyeballs.
“Are you trying to see into my soul?” he asked. His body was shifting now, he was taking off the shirt.
“Yeah. And I see a black void. Congratulations, you have no soul.” And try as I did to stop it, my gaze shot down to Jack’s shirtless torso.
Are you freaking kidding me? Goodgravy, he was pleasing to look at. All lean, corded muscles and smooth, tanned skin. I wanted to throw the shirt into his face in frustration.
He took the shirt from me. “Thanks.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Stop trying to be… seductive.”
“What! You’re the one standing there while I change.”
“Don’t say ‘thanks’ like that.”
“Likehow?” He pulled the shirt on.
“All…thanks.” I tried to make my voice low and liquidy like his but it was pretty much impossible. That voice was patented and preserved forever by the Jack School of Undercover Hotness.
What am I even…
The hallway felt claustrophobic—hot and, somehow, the air was thick.
Jack folded up his button-up neatly and tucked it under his arm. “You’re so hot and bothered by this entire situation.”
The words “hot and bothered” were really too much. I actuallyfanned myselfwith my hand. “Well! I mean!”
