Free How It Rolls by Lila Felix Page A

date?” She stuck out her bottom lip.  She really shouldn’t do that.
                  “No.  It’s not a real date unless you are in a dress.” She blushed but this time it was a red that carried its hue all the way to her neck and I’m sure beyond that.  Damned shirt. 
                  “Oh, I didn’t realize those were the parameters.  Good, because you didn’t meet my dress requirements for a first date either.” She stuck her nose in the air in false bravado. 
                  “And what would they be, pray tell?” I’d play if she wanted me to play.
                  “Not a t shirt and jeans.  The outfits you wear to work will suffice.”  She giggled.  I loved bantering with her.
                  “So you’ve been checking me out at work?” She hid her face in her hands and got up to leave. I jumped out of my chair and got to her before she could leave.  I reached out to her, fully intending to grab onto her by the waist but instead got her hips, and I wasn’t complaining.  She stiffened underneath my hands.  I removed my hand from her hip, swept her hair away from her neck and whispered into her ear over her shoulder.  “Come on Reed, answer the question.”
                  She shook her head ‘no’, so the torture continued, for her and for me.  “Reed, you gotta give me something.  You know I’m pining for you over here.  At least give me the satisfaction of knowing you were checking me out.  The fate of my ego depends on it.”
                  She turned around and my first thought was ‘shit, now I’ve gone and pissed her off—back to square one.’  She looked off to the side like she couldn’t stand to look me in the eye and it killed me.  Finally, she looked up and her moss green eyes bore into mine. 
                  “Look at you Falcon.  You’re smart, you’re loyal to a fault, your family talks about you in reverence and worship and that’s just what I know of you.  You think you’re the only one who’s pining?  If you do, you’re wrong.”  That shocked the hell out of me.  I thought I was walking uphill here.  Maybe I was wrong. 
                  “So you were checking me out.”  This time I earned a full blown laugh and a slap to the bicep. 
                  “Oh my God, yes Falcon, I was checking you out.  Did you see the drool running down my chin?  I mean, I literally had to restrain myself from tearing all of my clothes off and taking you right there in the inventory room.”  She doubled over in laughter, now holding onto my arm for balance. 
                  “Ok, I see how it is.  Go on, make fun.” But I couldn’t help but laugh with her, it was contagious. 
                  She finally got ahold of herself and yawned once.  I didn’t know if Mom or Maddox had worked her too hard or if she still wasn’t sleeping well.  Either way, it was time to get her out of here.  I went to tell my mom goodbye and she followed me back into the kitchen where she hugged the life out of Reed and they whispered back and forth into each other’s ears.  I didn’t know why I had been so worried.  My mom loved everyone.  Whatever she was saying to Reed had her nodding back in response.  I folded my arms while resting on the back door, waiting for them to finish their pow-wow.  They hugged once more and then she smiled as she headed my way.  I nodded at my mom and she nodded back, indicative of conversations to come. 
                  We walked back to the truck and I opened the passenger side for her to get in.  I got into the other side and started towards Theo’s where we left her car, but I wasn’t ready to bring her back yet. 
                  “So, your Mom said you live in a rinky dink apartment.”  She laughed at my mom’s use of words.