either.”
She kicked off her tennis shoes and socks and pulled her feet up on the sofa. He tried not to notice her cute pink-painted toenails, or how dainty her feet were.
He used to rub her feet in high school. She was a cheerleader, plus she ran track, and used to complain about her feet hurting after a long meet, so while they’d sit in her parents’ living room watching television, he’d rub her sore feet. And then she’d giggle because her feet were ticklish. He’d bet her feet were even more tired now that she spent long days standing on them.
But he kept his hands to himself and focused on the movie instead. Fortunately, it held his attention because it got off to a fast start. It was gripping, and both he and Hannah were silent during the first half.
“Could you pause this while I switch to a glass of water?” she asked.
He did, and they both got up. She washed out her wineglass and refilled her water, and he grabbed another beer.
After he came out of the bathroom, she was leaning against the kitchen island.
“I needed a breather,” she said. “That movie is intense.”
“If you’re scared, you can lean against me.”
She pushed off the island, and they made their way back toward the living room. “Oh, I can, huh? What makes you think I’m scared?”
“You were curling your toes. You always do that when you’re tense.”
She frowned. “I do?”
“Yeah.”
“Maybe I was just cold.”
They settled back in, and he reached for the blanket resting on top of the sofa. “You know this was sitting right here.”
“I didn’t notice it.”
“Uh-huh. You’re scared.”
“Am not.” She wrapped the blanket around her legs.
When he restarted the movie, Kal noticed she also scooted a little closer to him, which he didn’t mind at all.
By the time the movie approached the climax, Hannah had moved next to him. Her body pressed against his, and her head lay against his shoulder. He put his arm around her and pulled her closer as the main characters fought off the killer and survived.
Hannah exhaled and lifted her head as the credits rolled. “My heart’s beating so fast. I didn’t think they were going to make it.”
“I knew they were gonna be fine.”
She gave him a look. “Please. You gripped my fingers so tight I thought you’d break my hand.”
“What?”
She lifted her hand, and he realized they were holding hands. And he had a tight hold on hers.
“Oh. Well, I was just keeping you from getting scared.”
“Uh-huh. Sure.”
“Well, you oozed over here and were practically on my lap.”
She lifted her chin. “I was keeping you warm.”
“Uh-huh. Sure,” he mimicked.
She laughed. “Okay, fine. The movie was tense. I was tense. And so were you. I dare you to deny it.”
He started to object, but her stern look made him think twice. “Is that your mom look?”
She burst out laughing. “It might be. Why? Is it effective?”
“Very. Does it work on Oliver?”
“Of course it does. Moms are magical, you know.”
“Don’t I know it. My mom has a very similar look. Makes me run for the hills every time she levels it on me. Do they teach it to you in Mom School or something?”
“No, I think it’s passed down genetically.”
“Just so you know, it’s extremely effective.”
“Good.” She glanced down at her phone. “It’s getting late. I should go. Oliver gets up early.”
“Okay. I’m on shift tomorrow, which means I have to get up early, too.”
“You should have said something. We didn’t have to watch the movie.”
He smiled at her as they walked into the kitchen to put their glasses in the sink. “It’s not that late, Hannah.”
She leaned against the counter. “Still, I don’t want you to miss out on sleep.”
“Trust me. I’d rather spend time with you than sleep.”
“Well, I had a nice time. Thanks for cooking for me.”
“Thanks for coming over. We’ll have to do it again.”
“Yeah, about that . . .”
Uh-oh.
“Okay, you’re gonna tell me I’m not your type.”
She let out a short laugh. “I think you know that’s not true. But I have a very full, very busy life, and I’m not looking to get into anything serious right now.”
“I don’t recall asking you to marry me over bites of pasta. So neither am I. How about we just play this loose and easy and maybe have a little fun?”
She paused like she was going to object, then nodded. “I could maybe do that.”
“Sounds super enthusiastic.”
“I am. I’m just a little leery after, you know.”
“I understand. But I