Punctured, Bruised, and Barely Tattooed(10)
He said, “Do you eat here often?”
She shook her head. “Not much.” She flipped the page to look at what they had besides pizza. “My roommates and I eat out once a week, and it’s the same place every week. You’d think I’d get tired of it, but I don’t.”
“Where’s that?”
“The Main Street Café. They make really good burgers.”
He nodded. “I’ve been there a few times.” He looked up from the menu. “So we’re getting pizza, right?”
Kory couldn’t help but smile. This super hot guy—one she’d been crushing on for a long while—was right here with her. Oh, God, this was like a date. No, not like. It was a date. She felt tingly all over, and it didn’t quite feel real, but she didn’t know that she’d ever felt this happy ever. There was something about Stone that made her feel like life could be good. Maybe that wasn’t true—maybe it was all in her head—but she knew she could only find out if she got to know him better. This was how she could do that. She knew, deep down, that there would be no way for them to learn more about each other by her getting a new piercing every month. Yes, she definitely knew that, if nothing else, it would give him the impression that she was damaged.
Well, she was, but that shouldn’t matter.
“Yeah, we can get a pizza. What do you want?”
“Did you know you can tell a lot about a person based on the kind of pizza they order?”
She gulped. Oh, God. She hoped this wasn’t a test. She had no idea what kind of things he’d be looking for. Forcing another smile, she looked up from the menu. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. Some people get weird stuff on their pizzas, like anchovies, jalapeños, and pineapple—all at once. I figure those people are adventurous.”
Inside, Kory breathed a mental sigh of relief. Nothing deep. Just fun. “So…a person who orders a large pizza probably has a big family?”
“Or a big appetite.”
“Or a tiny budget and that fucker needs to last all week long.” Stone looked up at her from the menu, his eyebrows raised. “Oh, sorry. I guess you need to know that now. I have a potty mouth.”
He put on that easy smile he wore so well. “No, it’s not that. I’m just questioning what kind of person would want to eat week-old pizza, on a budget or not.” Kory laughed in spite of herself. “See? You can tell a lot about somebody.”
“Okay. So…what about a person who likes cheese only?”
“They like to play it safe.”
“Pepperoni?”
“They like to play it safe…with a little zest.”
Kory snorted. “You’re just making this shit up.”
“Yep. Yep, I am.”
“All right. So what are we gonna get?”
“Hmm.” As if on cue, the waitress delivered their drinks and asked if they were ready to order. Stone said, “We need just one more minute.” Then he looked at Kory. “What’ll it be?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe a combination?”
Stone’s eyes grew wide, and it took Kory a few seconds to realize he’d done it in mock horror. “You know what that says about you, don’t you?”
She frowned. “Oh, you’re funny. What does it say about me?”
“That you’re hungry. Tell me what you don’t like on pizza.”
“I think you named it earlier—shit like pineapple, anchovies, jalapeños. Most other stuff I’m okay with. Oh, olives are okay as long as there aren’t too many.”
“Then combination it is.” The waitress came by a few moments later, and Stone ordered a small pizza. “You want a salad with it?”
“Nah. Just pizza.”
“Change it to a medium then.”
The waitress told them she’d bring the pizza out when it was ready and then scooted off toward the back of the restaurant. Stone took another long swig on his beer and looked at Kory for several long seconds, long enough that she could feel her forehead getting warm. Finally, he said, “All right. Now that we’re done with all that shit…tell me what secret you’re hiding.”
Chapter Five
KORY FELT HER heart begin to beat harder, thudding against her breastbone. Holy shit. It was like Stone could see straight through her. It didn’t matter, though. The only person who knew anything about her past—aside from her foster parents—was Tina, and Tina was loyal and tight when it came to holding onto secrets. She’d never once betrayed one of Kory’s confidences. Kory trusted her friend more than she did anyone else on the planet.