My belly got squishy.
“Are you asking me out on a date?” I asked just to confirm.
“Sweet Pea, I’ve been f**kin’ you for a year and a half.”
My belly stopped being squishy.
“I know.”
“So no, I’m not askin’. I’m tellin’ you, dress, heels, I’ll be there at seven thirty.”
Uh… what?
“So, you’re not asking me out on a date, you’re telling me we’re going out on a date,” I guessed though I knew it was accurately.
“That’s about it,” he replied.
“You can’t tell me we’re going on a date!” I snapped.
“Just did, babe.”
“Con,” I muttered because that was a serious con.
He chuckled his deep, manly, amused chuckle, then he ordered, “Get work done, I want your focus on me, not work.”
“I don’t think I’ll have time for a date. I’m buried.” This was a lie. With the work I got done last night and today, I was catching up. I totally had time for a date and I had a life creed that stated that any opportunity to wear a little black dress was to be taken up, no ifs, ands, or buts. However, I was making an exception.
“Was made pretty clear last night even before I fought a fire side-by-side with your old man that I had their blessing, Gwen, don’t think they’d step in if I dressed you myself and carried you kicking and screaming to my car.”
This was, unfortunately, true.
I shifted focus to something else annoying.
“Did you program yourself into my phone?” I demanded to know.
“Yeah,” he answered.
“When?”
“Before I handed it off to Fang.”
“Fang?”
“My boy who brought you your shit.”
Jeez. That guy’s name was Fang? I could see it, I’d noticed his eyeteeth were somewhat prominent but I couldn’t imagine he’d be okay with that nickname considering it seemed to be making fun of this unfortunate dental anomaly and he looked like he could hammer a human body through cement with his fist if he thought someone was making fun of him.
“Why?” I continued.
“Why what?” Hawk asked.
“Why did you program yourself into my phone?”
Silence then, “Babe.”
As usual, there was no more.
“Babe what? We’ve had a non-relationship for months, now we’ve shifted and I’ve explained I’m uncertain about this shift and our future.”