Page 76 of Forced Into Your Arms
I frowned at him like he’d completely lost his mind. The man had enough going on without worrying about entertaining me all day, but no lie… the thought of spending a few more hours with him didn’t sound nearly as ridiculous as I wanted it to.
Even so, I still said, “Excuse me?”
“You told the leasing lady you were going back to the hotel to finish some paperwork. You can do that tonight.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “Why were you listening to my conversation?”
“We were standing in the same room.” Vice rested an arm against the open door, looking at me like I was the one making this difficult. “You getting in or not?”
I should’ve told him no just because of the way he asked, but my car was still sitting in the parking lot and wherever we were going couldn’t have been that far. Besides, if I drove myself, I had a feeling he would spend the entire ride behind me making sure I didn’t somehow disappear between the apartment building and the restaurant.
“You’re bringing me back to my car.”
“Obviously.”
The way he said it, like I should’ve known better than to even question him, made me look at him harder. “I’m serious, Vice. I’m not trying to end up stranded somewhere because you decided to change the plans without telling me.”
“So am I… I’ll bring you back.”
I walked toward him but stopped before climbing inside, looking up at a man who somehow managed to make everything sound like it should’ve already been understood. “You know asking works too, right? Most people usually start there.”
“I asked if you were hungry.”
“No, you asked if I was hungry and then told me you were taking me to eat. There’s a difference.”
Vice leaned one arm against the open door, completely unbothered by my irritation. “You said yes.”
“I said I was hungry.” I paused, realizing how this whole thing could look before adding, “That still doesn’t make this a date.”
Something changed in his expression. It wasn’t much, just enough amusement in his eyes to make me immediately regret saying it.
“Who said it was?”
I sucked my teeth as I stood here looking at him, trying to figure out how I’d somehow managed to embarrass myself in a conversation he’d barely participated in. “I didn’t.”
“You just did.”
“No, I said itwasn’ta date.”
“Wasn’t thinking about it being one until you brought it up.”
The amusement in his voice irritated me almost as much as the look on his face. I could feel my own face getting warm, which only made it worse because there was no way in hell I was giving him the satisfaction of knowing he’d embarrassed me.
“Good,” I said, climbing into the truck. “Then we agree.”
“A’ight… We agree that this isn’t a date.”
I looked back at him. “Why do I feel like you’re laughing at me?”
“I ain’t laughing.”
“Yes you are...”
That grin finally appeared. I knew his ass was cracking up on the inside.
Vice closed the door before I could say anything else, and I watched him walk around the front of the truck with that same damn grin on his face. I hadn’t thought this was a date when I agreed to go with him. At least, I didn’t think I had.
Now, thanks to him, I was sitting here wondering why I’d felt the need to make sure he knew it wasn’t one.
