smiled. “Aren’t we a little old to be playing?”
Leslie shook her head. “Never.”
“This is a side of you that I don’t remember,” Tag said.
“Probably because, with everything that has happened over the past ten years, I’ve forgotten how to play. If we hadn’t come on this date tonight, I wouldn’t have remembered. And if things don’t work out with Otis,” Leslie said, “I still need to thank him.”
“For what?” Tag asked.
“For reminding me how to be young. For reminding me that just because you’re an adult, you don’t have to grow up. You can still be a functioning, contributing member of society and still play.”
“I like that,” Tag said. “I like that a lot. And I like you.”
They stayed until the doors closed. Since they brought their own cars, they ended up leaving at the same time.
Otis shook hands with Twyla and Tag, and then turned to Leslie and held her hands in his, smiling at her. “Thank you, Leslie. I really enjoyed the evening.”
Leslie returned his smile, making Tag’s gut clench. “Thank you, Otis. I enjoyed it, too.”
Tag turned to Twyla. “Twyla, it’s been a pleasure.”
Twyla smiled up at him. “I really appreciate you bringing me here tonight. And thank you for introducing me to your friends.” She shot a smile toward Otis. “I can’t remember a better double date than I had tonight. And I wasn’t looking forward to this date, thinking I would have nothing in common with you.”
Tag tipped his head a bit. “Actually, you didn’t have as much in common with me, as I would have expected.”
“Yeah, but you were nice enough to let me be me. And I appreciate that.” She leaned up on her toes and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you again.”
Otis saw Leslie to her car.
Even though Tag would have liked to see Leslie to her car, he waited until Twyla got in her car and drove away.
Once Leslie drove her car out of the parking lot, Tag waved to Otis, climbed into his truck and drove home. He hadn’t gone very far before he dialed Leslie’s number on his cellphone.
“What? She didn’t insist on sleeping with you tonight?” Leslie asked without preamble.
Tag laughed. “I think she would rather have slept with Otis.”
“You’re right,” Leslie said. “Those two were too cute. Are you disappointed?”
“Not at all,” he said. “I got to spend the evening with you.”
“That wasn’t exactly how it was supposed to end up, but I’m glad too,” Leslie said. “Although I liked Otis, I like being with you better.”
Tag’s chest swelled. “I’m glad to hear it, since the feeling is mutual. Want me to follow you home?”
“That’s not necessary,” she said. “I know you have a long drive to your ranch.”
“I don’t mind at all,” Tag said. “And I’m not going to the ranch tonight. I’m staying in town at my penthouse.”
“It’s not necessary to follow me home,” she said. “But you can talk to me along the drive there.”
“Deal,” he said.
For the rest of the drive, they talked about the people they saw at Comic Con, about the steak and anything else that came up.
She talked to him all the way to her home and into her house until she locked the door. “Goodnight, Tag,” she said. “I hope you sleep well.”
“Sweet dreams, Leslie,” he said and ended the call. “I love you.” He hoped that, someday soon, he’d be able to say that to her out loud.
Chapter 6
Before she’d taken two steps into her house, Leslie’s phone rang again. Thinking it might be Tag, she answered it quickly. “Hey there, miss me already?”
Emma’s voice came through the receiver. “Wow, Leslie, was your date that good?”
Leslie’s face burned. “Oh. Hi, Emma. I thought you were someone else.”
“Obviously,” Emma said. “How was Otis? It was Otis, right?”
“Actually, the date with Otis was kind of different,” Leslie admitted.
“Tell me about it,” Emma urged.
Leslie walked through her house slowly, talking to Emma, telling her about the evening, the double date, Otis and Twyla hitting it off, and then ending up at Comic Con.
“So, you and Otis didn’t hit it off. But it sounds like you and Tag got along great.”
Leslie smiled at the image of him walking with her at Comic Con. “Actually, we did. He’s a really good friend.”
Emma snorted. “Friend? You guys have been as thick as thieves since you got BODS started. Why aren’t you two a thing?”
“To be honest, I’ve been asking myself the same question,” Leslie admitted. “I guess it’s because Tag and Randy