Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 147128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 736(@200wpm)___ 589(@250wpm)___ 490(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147128 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 736(@200wpm)___ 589(@250wpm)___ 490(@300wpm)
‘I’m going to be honest again, are you ready for it? And you can’t make fun,’ I whispered a little loudly.
He pulled his head back and looked into my eyes. I managed to hold his gaze until he gave me a brief nod. Then I leaned forward again, closed my eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling his amazing scent.
‘I haven’t kissed a guy in five or six years,’ I blurted out.
When we pulled back from each other, his brows were drawn together.
‘Here you are.’ And there was Lola again.
I looked at up at her. She had brilliant timing. ‘Thanks.’ As soon as she put the beer down, I grabbed it and took a few swallows.
William was still staring at me.
‘You’re joking,’ he managed to get out, his face completely serious.
I shook my head. ‘I’m afraid not.’
‘How? When did you break up with this Craig?’
‘It’s been a year.’
‘You just said six…’
‘Five and a half, six. Tomato, Tomato.’
I drank some more from my beer as he reached for his, brows still furrowed. It looked like he was trying to do heavy math. The way he was looking at me made me laugh, drawing the attention of the group. I made eye contact with the girl from accounting and we smiled at each other.
Meeting William’s gaze, I moved towards him just a little as I responded in a quiet voice.
‘He didn’t like kissing. We kissed a handful times, but it was mostly little pecks.’
‘He didn’t like kissing,’ he repeated, pulling back to look into my eyes.
‘Would you like to hear his reason for not liking it? Because that’s the cherry on top.’
He shifted in his seat and drank his beer, eyes boring into me.
I cleared my throat, waited for dramatic pause and whispered, ‘He had a short tongue.’
‘He… what?’
I chuckled. ‘He was afraid to kiss because he had a short tongue. You know…’ not knowing how to say it, I randomly waved my hand around my face ‘… how it works. When there was stuff happening, he got scared. I think it’s kinda like a phobia. I’d say he was afraid I was gonna suck down his tongue.’
‘Are you sure you know how to kiss, Charlie?’
My eyes grew big. ‘Of course I do! I did.’
At that his brows rose high. ‘You did?’
‘You would forget how to kiss after six years too.’
‘I don’t think so.’
I didn’t know if it was because I was hungry that the two beers had hit me that strongly or if it was because I felt so tired, but at the end of my second beer I was feeling all kinds of happy and tipsy. Not to the point I wouldn’t remember what I had said or done by the next day, but enough that my tongue had – unfortunately for me – loosened and I would end up very much regretting my newfound honesty is the best policy kick.
‘Anyway,’ I rushed out, not wanting go into detail about kissing. ‘Come on, admit something personal to me, quick. It has to be something good too.’
He took his eyes away from me, his hand tapping on the table. ‘Something personal… I’m still a little shocked, that’s the first time I’ve heard something like that. Give me a second. Okay. I think you’ll like this. I’m not going to date for a while. Because of everything that went on in my marriage, I don’t think I trust women at the moment.’
The chatter and low music filled the quiet around us.
‘Wow,’ I managed to say after a few seconds. That was not what I was expecting to hear.
He finished his beer and looked away from me. ‘You said to make it good.’
‘That was good. True.’
Wow, I repeated to myself in my head. It sounded like Lindsey had really hurt him. And to be honest, I hated her for that.
‘If it makes you feel any better, I don’t think I have a lot of trust in men either at the moment. Which is probably why I haven’t had any interest in dating recently. I know how to make myself happy so why risk that with a guy?’
‘We’re a pair, aren’t we?’
I nodded with a smile. We were still staring at each other when my phone started ringing. I checked the screen. It was my grandma. I let it go to voicemail because I knew she was calling me to complain about the fact that I’d gotten Pepp. I’d made the mistake of taking him to her place so he could meet the family, but it didn’t go so well. She’d called the last few nights. I silenced my phone and put it in my bag.
‘Something important?’ William asked, getting my attention.
I shook my head. ‘Nope. This is random, but if it’s not too much can I see your ex-wife’s photo?’
His brows rose. ‘Why?’
‘I wanted to see what she looks like after everything you told me, but it’s completely okay if you don’t want to share, of course. I’m just very curious by nature. I’m wondering what your type is.’