Shortcake laughed, and I couldn’t stop the smile from forming on my lips. I liked the sound of her laugh, when she really laughed. “I’m sure there are plenty of girls who want to go out on a date with you.”
“There are.”
“Wow. Modest aren’t you?”
“Why should I be? And I want to go out on a date with you. Not them.”
She shook her head slightly. “I don’t understand why.”
And I didn’t understand why she didn’t get it. “I can think of a few reasons. You’re not like most girls.” True. “That interests me.” And it really did. “You’re awkward in this really . . . adorable way. You’re smart. Want me to list more?”
“No. Not at all,” she replied. “I don’t want to go out on a date with you.”
I didn’t believe it. Call it intuition, experience, or plain old cockiness, I didn’t believe her at all. “I figured you’d say that.”
“Then why did you ask?”
I leaned back, grabbing the side of the door. “Because I wanted to.”
“Oh. Well. Okay. Glad you got it out of your system.”
What did she think this was? Hell, I didn’t even know what this was. “I haven’t gotten it out of my system.”
Her shoulders slumped. “You haven’t?”
“Nope.” I smiled. “There’s always tomorrow.”
“What about tomorrow?”
“I’ll ask you again.”
She shook her head. “The answer will be the same.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.” I tapped the tip of her nose, grinning as she narrowed her eyes at me. “And maybe you’ll say yes. I’m a patient guy, and hey, like you said, I don’t give up easily.”
“Great,” she muttered, but there was a glimmer in her eyes, the same sheen that had been there when she was checking me out.
“Knew you’d see it that way.” I tweaked the tip of her nose, and she smacked my hand away. “Don’t worry. I know the truth.”
“The truth about what?”
I moved back in case she swung again. “You want to say yes, but you’re just not ready.”
Shortcake looked like she actually did see a ghost.
“It’s okay. I’m a lot to handle, but I can assure you, you’ll have fun handling me.” Before she could respond, I tapped her nose and then closed the door, grinning to myself as I loped around the front of the truck.
I watched Avery head into her apartment. She stopped halfway in, tucked the glossy copper strands behind her ear as she peeked over her shoulder at me.
A small, shy smile pulled at her lips as she waved good-bye and then slipped inside, quietly closing the door behind her.
Standing there a few more moments, like a creeper, I finally turned toward my door. As I reached for the knob, the door swung open.
Jase appeared, blocking the door. A curious look crossed his expression. “What are you doing standing in the hallway of your apartment building like a loser?”
“What are you doing in my apartment like a freak?”
He shrugged. “I was hanging out with Ollie, but he ran to Sheetz to get some nachos.”