Free Mutual Hatred - Love Game by Ruth Houston Page B

asked, looking at his speedometer. It read 65.
    "Got a problem with it? I can slow down if you're scared."
    "I don't mind," Shelley rolled down her window, "I kind of like the breeze. But unless you want to get a speeding ticket, slow down."
    He complied, slowing down to 55. They pulled into the Coldstone parking lot and raced each other to the door.
    Brandon gallantly opened the door for her and said, "Ladies first."
    "Why are you in such a good mood today?"
    "We're at Coldstone. Enough said!"
    They bought the ice cream and carefully carried it back to Brandon's car.
    Shelley barely sat down when she sat on something that sounded strangely like a Whoopie Cushion.
    Brandon was cracking up in the seat beside her. She glared at him. "Haha, very funny. You're such a kid."
    Shelley pulled the object from under her. She had been right. She threw the Whoopie Cushion at him, but he dodged it and tossed it to the backseat.
    Shelley licked some ice cream off her cone. "What flavor did you get?" she asked amiably.
    "Founder's Favorite."
    Funny, that was her favorite too, and also the one she had just licked. She looked for another cone with Founder's Favorite ice cream, but the one she was eating was the only one.
    Uh oh.
    "Uh…Brandon?" she began uncertainly, "I don't think you get a Founder's Favorite ice cream cone. But there's a cone that looks like it has Coffee Lover's ice cream, and I know the kids won't want that."
    "You ate my ice cream?"
    Where did that good mood go?
    "Um, yes?" she answered faintly, "I didn't know!"
    "That's okay."
    Hmm, is anyone else seeing something wrong with this scene?
    "Aren't you going to get all huffy on me?" she asked timidly.
    "It's just ice cream."
    Huh. New side of Brandon. Shelley could get used to this.
    "But next time it happens, you are so dead!" he said.
    So much for that.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 8 – Do and Don't

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    On her way home from the Community Center, Shelley realized something. She had spent an afternoon with Brandon, and they hadn't tried to kill each other. He had been civil. She would even go far as to say he had been nice . When did that ever happen? She suspected it wouldn't last to see tomorrow.
    Taryn seemed to think otherwise. When Shelley recounted the afternoon to her over an early dinner, Taryn said,
    "Oh god, you are SO dense!"
    "Huh?" Shelley asked stupidly.
    "Brandon SO has the hots for you!" declared Taryn.
    "Tare bear, I'm afraid you're wrong here. He hates me, I hate him, end of story."
    Taryn was persistent. "He doesn't hate you though! He said he dislikes you. And that means that there is room for like !"
    "You just don't give up, do you?"
    "Well think about it," Taryn reasoned, "Being around you has obviously had an influence on Brandon. And maybe seeing you interact with kids turned him on."
    Shelley burst out laughing. Taryn had definitely gone too far.
    "You don't just go from hate to love in like three weeks, Tare!" Shelley scolded.
    "I didn't say that," defended Taryn, "He's obviously attracted to you, duh! Your maternal instincts or skills or whatever must attract him to you. Why else would he be so nice? He wants you to be the mother of his children!"
    Sound far fetched?
    Ah, well Taryn has a vivid imagination.
    Shelley could only laugh. Leave it to Taryn to jump to conclusions like this. "You're crazy."
    "I'm right and you know it," Taryn retorted haughtily.
    "The only person who can determine if you're right or not is Brandon. Why do we care about him again?"
    " We don't. But you do," Taryn corrected, putting down her fork.
    Shelley snorted. "Not really."
    "Well he definitely likes you!"
    Cue eyes rolling. "What? Just because he didn't get mad that I ate his ice cream?"
    "Exactly! If it were someone else he probably would have had a heart attack!"
    "Please. Brandon acts like a spoiled little kid. He is SO up to something. He always is!"
    "But you like him for that," said Taryn.
    "I don't."
    "Do."
    "Don't!"
    "Do, do, do,