Page 47 of Ice Cold Chemistry
I spend the rest of meal in a daze.
She remembered the protein bars. She turned a random act of basic decency into a love story. And somehow, sitting here with her hand on my arm and her thigh pressed against mine, it doesn’t feel entirely fake.
That’s dangerous. Very, very dangerous.
When the check comes, I throw down enough cash to cover both our meals before anyone can argue. Winnie opens her mouth to protest, but I shake my head slightly. Boyfriends pay. That’s what boyfriends do, right? That’s one thing I can do right.
We stand up from the table, and I realize my leg has fallen asleep from being pressed against hers for two hours. I discreetly shake it out while everyone says their goodbyes.
“I’ll walk you to your car,” I tell Winnie.
“Such a gentleman,” Logan calls out, grinning.
I ignore him.
The night air is cold after the warmth of the restaurant. Winnie shivers, and before I can think about it, I shrug off my jacket and drape it over her shoulders like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
She looks up at me, surprised. “Thanks.”
“You’re cold.”
“I’m always cold.”
“I know.”
We walk in silence toward her car, parked in the far corner of the lot. The sounds of the restaurant fade behind us, replaced by the quiet hum of the city at night.
“Protein bars,” I say finally.
She glances at me. “What?”
“That story. The protein bars. That actually happened.”
“I know.” She smiles, a little sheepish. “I didn’t plan it. It just came out. But it was true, wasn’t it?”
“I didn’t think you’d remember that.” Thewhole encounter lasted under a minute.
“I remember a lot of things.” She pulls my jacket tighter around her shoulders. “You’re more memorable than you think, Banks.”
I don’t know what to say to that, so I remain silent.
We reach her car—a practical sedan, nothing flashy—and she stops, turning to face me. The parking lot lights cast shadows across her face, making her eyes look darker.
“Thanks for tonight,” she says. “You did good.”
“I barely talked.”
“You did fine.” She smiles up at me.
“You saved my ass. With the story.”
She laughs—a bright, warm sound that does something uncomfortable to my chest. “Okay, maybe a little. But you recovered.”
We’re standing close now, closer than we need to be. The parking lot is quiet, her breath fogging in the cold air between us. She’s looking at me like she’s waiting for something. I don’t know what.
Couples kiss goodnight. That’s what couples do. We should probably kiss, for appearances, in case anyone’s watching.
But no one’s watching. The parking lot is empty.
