Page 81 of Wicked Player
“Yes.” He smiles. “I dug for a little info.”
“What did you ask her?”
“Well, favorite foods and movies, of course,” he tells me. “And she also told me you loved wearing fuzzy socks, eating chocolate and drinking tea. And by the way, I have a wide selection of chocolates and tea in the kitchen, if the mood strikes.”
It all finally makes sense now. “Is that what you wanted to talk to her about?” I ask. “That night, after your party?”
“Yep… I was taking notes. I’ve been planning this night for a while.”
I smile up at him. He’s very sweet. “I thought you had chosen her, you know…” My words trail off.
His eyes grow wide. “Oh, no. Oh, I’m sorry you thought—”
“It’s okay,” I quickly say. I don’t want him to know I was crying in the coat room over it. I’m still mortified about that.
“Cassie’s not really my type,” he says. “She’s a nice girl, but too perky, too flaky for me.”
I stare at him for a beat, brows furrowed. “That’s my best friend you’re talking about.”
“I’m sorry,” he says, quick to apologize. “I didn’t mean… she’s great, super nice. She just doesn’t give me the feels… I can’t explain it.”
“Not your type?”
“Well, she is my type, sorta. She’s pretty and fun…” He’s at a loss for words. “To be honest, there are a lot of women who are my type physically, but emotionally they just don’t do it for me. And if I’m being completely honest, I almost never get the feels.”
The feels… They talk about that in songs, and we all know what it means. It’s something that can’t be explained easily. It’s just a feeling… I want to ask him if he has the feels for me, but I am in no way prepared for the answer. He could very well say no. In that case, I don’t want to know.
He lifts his gaze to mine. “And if you’re wondering… yes, I have the feels for a girl right now. And I kind of wish I didn’t sometimes because she drives me up the wall. I keep telling her I like her, but she keeps pushing me away, keeps telling me I’m a just a player.”
I smile. “Damn, you’re good. Next, you’re going to tell me this girl is me, right?”
His grin is impish. “Of course.”
I bite my lip. My heart feels like it’s too big for my ribcage as I utter my next words. “Well, I kinda… have the feels for you too.”
His whole face lights up, and it’s a beautiful sight to see. It’s the perfect reaction.
He smiles shyly. “So…” he says.
“So…” I repeat.
I never thought I’d see it, but here it is… Colton Rossi is ill-at-ease.
“Let’s watch the movie,” I suggest. “You’ve seen it too, I assume.”
“No, actually,” he tells me. “Never seen it.”
I shake my head. “Where have you been all your life? It won an Academy Award for best film.”
He shrugs.
“You’ll love it,” I tell him. “It’s kind of dark, but really good.”
He wraps his arm around me, and we cuddle as the movie starts. He gets invested right from the start, laughing at all the right places. It’s a long movie, but it goes by fast because the dialogue is top notch. Although the action is fairly slow, it works. I think about Judy and Everett, watching Lolitaat the drive-in, around sixty years ago.American Beautyis likeLolitais many ways. It’s dark, and about sexual discovery. The young temptress and the older man. I wonder if Judy was as happy that night as I am tonight.
The movie takes a very dark turn, and Colton is completely engrossed. He’s utterly forgotten about me. Even Athos seems to be into it.I’m a tramp, but I have good taste in movies, I almost want to tell him, but Colton would probably find it a little odd if I started talking to his cat.
Aramis has found me and is currently cuddled on my lap. Porthos is nowhere in sight. He’s probably sulking in some corner like he often does.
