Page 72 of Playing to Win
Chapter 24
As a celebration of what Kyle called her astronomically successful senior project, Callie and Kyle called in an order of combo fajitas from Callie’s favorite Mexican restaurant, Ted’s Café Escondido. Because her best friends had blabbed to Kyle about her sweet tooth, they also stopped at La Baguette, her favorite bistro in Norman that made the best chocolate mousse cake she had ever eaten.
“Seriously, we didn’t have to get all this food,” she said, grabbing the bag from La Baguette out of the backseat of his car. “They’ll have to make me a new cheer uniform if you keep making me eat like this.”
“Come on, Curly!” he said, coming around the front of the car and opening her door for her, the Ted’s bag in hand. “You only ace your collegiate senior project once in your life.
“Besides,” he continued, pulling open her blouse and looking down it, “I wouldn’t mind a new uniform, as long as I get to be the one who measures you for the fitting.”
Callie slapped his hand away, grinning even as she felt the blush creeping up her neck. “No new uniform. No fitting. I’ll just work it off later. Which means more running. I hate running,” she groaned.
“I can think of other ways you can work it off, Curly. Ways that involve me continuing to kiss those adorable freckles of yours.” Kyle looked at her, desire in his eyes.
Callie took a deep breath. It was now or never. “First we eat, because I’m starving. Then we talk. Then maybe, if I’m feeling generous, I might let you get to those freckles you missed earlier.” Callie gave Kyle a wink and what she hoped was a sincere, sexy smile and not a Oh-My-Lord-I’m-About-To-Have-The-Matt-Talk-And-Freak-Him-Out grimace.
“Hey, hey, Curly. Stop with the deer in headlights look. We aren’t doing anything you don’t want to do. Got me?”
Well, guess that was an epic fail on the sexy smile, Callie thought.
She took Kyle’s hand in hers. “I know. I just…there’s just something I need to tell you. It explains why I don’t date athletes. After you hear it, you might want to walk away. But I need to tell you anyway.”
Kyle pulled Callie’s chin up so her eyes were locked on his. “Nothing you tell me will make me walk away. But I want to hear what you have to say. Every bit of it. I just want to eat first. This food smells delicious. And I’m starving.”
“I still can’t believe you’ve lived in Oklahoma all this time and never eaten Ted’s!”
“What can I say? I’m a loser.”
“A food loser for sure.” They walked into Kyle’s apartment and set the food down on the island that separated the open kitchen from the living/dining area. It didn’t matter how many times she came over, Callie loved Kyle’s apartment. Every other guy’s apartment she’d been in was a total bachelor pad. Nasty furniture, clothes on the floor, dishes in the sink. Smelly. Kyle’s place was immaculate. Even though concrete floors ran throughout, the warm green-gray tones of the wall, paired with the dark wood beams on the ceiling and beautiful cream and copper veined granite, Kyle’s condo had a rustic, homey feel that Callie loved. When you noticed the pictures of his family and friends spread throughout the space, it heightened that feeling of comfortableness Callie had associated with his home.
“What’s going on in that head of yours, Curly? Your food is getting cold.” Callie noticed Kyle had set out two plates on the island and was divvying up the fajitas and sides.
“I was just thinking how much I love this place.”
“Well, I’m glad you like it. I do, too. I know I’m not here a lot, but when I get to be, I want it to feel like a home.”
“It definitely does.”
“What do you want to do while we’re eating? Have that talk?”
“No! Uh, how about we watch a movie?”
“Sounds good to me. You have one in mind?”
Callie walked over to his tv, turned it on and started browsing his channels. “Oh, my gosh! The Princess Bride is coming on! We have to watch it.”
“Okay. What is it?”
“You can’t tell me you’ve never seen The Princess Bride!”
“Okay. I’ve never not seen The Princess Bride.”
“Are you serious?”
“No. I really haven’t seen it. But you just told me I couldn’t tell you that.”
“Well, you better sit down, Dimples, and prepare yourself for the best. Movie. Ever.”
“I don’t know about that. Mad Max is pretty high up there in my books.”
