Page 34 of Hottie on Her Shelf
White teeth bit into that luscious lower lip. “One dinner?”
“Gotta start somewhere.” Fitz held very still, not wanting to spook her. Not wanting to make her feel pressured or give her any excuse to say no. Or any excuse to think of the reasons it’d be a bad idea to consort with the enemy.
Her sneaker squeaked loudly on the wood as she backed up a few steps. Then Hallie crossed her arms and looked at him with skepticism from beneath half-lowered lids. “So is this a coaching session or a semi-date?”
“Yes?”
“That’s a very politician-y answer.”
“We’ll call that a freebie.” At least that got a laugh out of her. Sort of a gurgle of a laugh, but Fitz’d take it. “Dinner, Hallie, tomorrow night. We’ll see where the conversation takes us. No matter what happens, I’ll coach you.”
A crinkle appeared between her brows. He’d seen it before. Wrote it off as combative. But now…Fitz thought it was adorable. What did that mean?
“I’m compelled to state the obvious. You’re a politician.” If she’d called him a pus-oozing eel, there couldn’t have been more disgust in Hallie’s voice. “Can you be trusted? Are you a man of your word?”
“Not a politician. Mayor’s my job title. It isn’t who I am at my core. And I won’t be acting as mayor when I coach you.” He double thumped his chest. “Me, Fitz—I always keep my word. You can trust me.”
Another wiggle of her teeth on her lip. “I’m not sure this is a smart idea.”
“C’mon,” he coaxed. “We’re both smart people. Ergo, with us being the participants, it becomes a smart idea.”
“You think by saying ergo it turns into a wise-sounding choice?”
Fitz wasn’t sure if she was dithering or drawing the decision out as a way of flirting. He kind of enjoyed not knowing. “I think it’s one dinner in a lifetime of dinners. Average life expectancy for a woman in this country stands at about eighty years. Times three hundred and sixty-five, minus a few for whatever reason, that’s around twenty-nine thousand dinners. I’m asking for one.”
Lightning fast, her dimple winked in and out of existence. “Okay.” With another sneaker squeak, Hallie bolted out the door.
Fitz wondered if it was his charm, his logic, or the ability to do mental multiplication that swayed her. Then he wondered what the hell to do about all the problems that dinner presented…
