Holding Her Hand (Reed Brothers Book 15)(22)
Me: You’re there.
Lark McCapSnatcher: Got to go. The girls are looking at me like I’m messing up their whole day.
Me: TTYL
On Thursday, I really want to see her. There’s a famous book about how to tell if a guy is into you. I’m definitely into her. I can’t stop thinking about her. I want to talk to her. I want to hear about her day. I want to know how she’s feeling. I particularly want to know how she’s feeling about me.
Lark McCapSnatcher: What’s the dress code for your mom’s party?
Me: Dress code?
Lark McCapSnatcher: What will everyone be wearing?
Me: If I tell you nothing, will you show up wearing nothing?
Lark McCapSnatcher: I’ll show up and kick you in the balls. How’s that?
Me (instinctively putting out a hand to protect my nuts): It’s casual. A cookout. So you can wear something cookout-ery.
Lark McCapSnatcher: Cookout-ery. Okay. Will your brother be there?
Me: Why do you ask?
Lark McCapSnatcher: Because there’s safety in numbers. And I already met him.
Me: No need to be afraid. They’re harmless.
Lark McCapSnatcher: Said the spider to the fly. I have to go. Studio time.
Me: TTYL
On Friday, I text her to find out what she’s doing.
Lark McCapSnatcher: Girls’ night. My sisters and the Reed wives.
Me: Where?
Lark McCapSnatcher: I’m not allowed to say, or the Reed boys will show up to claim their women like cavemen on steroids. They’re all together at Paul’s. You should go join them.
Me: Who is watching the kids?
The Reeds have a million and one children now.
Lark McCapSnatcher: The kids are with the men.
Me: Then hell no. I’ll pass.
Lark McCapSnatcher: The kids are adorable.
Me: Maybe when there’s only one. But they have fifty or a thousand of them.
Lark McCapSnatcher: Do you want kids?
Me: Never thought about it.
Silence.
Me: Until I met you.
Lark McCapSnatcher: I want kids. Someday. A little girl so I can coach her softball team. Or a boy who will love books the way I do. Or they could switch up those gender roles. I wouldn’t care.
Me: Are we going to get to have another date anytime soon?
Lark McCapSnatcher: I think we’re past that. Got to go.
Me: TTYL.
Three hours later, I get a text from her.
Lark McCapSnatcher: Are you aware that I’ve never actually had sex?
Me: What?
Lark McCapSnatcher: I’m like totally a virgin.
Me: Okay…
Lark McCapSnatcher: But now that I took off my gloves, all I can think about is taking off the rest of my clothes. With you.
Me (My dick goes hard.): Are you drunk?
Lark McCapSnatcher: Very.
Lark McCapSnatcher: And horny.
Lark McCapSnatcher: My sister is taking my phone away. TTYL!
Wow. That’s all I can say. Wow.
Friday morning, she texts me again.
Lark McCapSnatcher: I’m so sorry.
Me: For what?
Lark McCapSnatcher: For subjecting you to my drunken ramblings.
Me: I liked your drunken ramblings.
Lark McCapSnatcher: You did?
Me: Yep. Lots.
Lark McCapSnatcher: Even the part about me being a…virgin?
Me: Hey, you can talk to me about the state of your vagina any time you want.
Lark McCapSnatcher: I thought maybe it would scare you off.
Me: Nothing you could do would scare me off. I do wish you’d go out with me sometime soon, though. I miss you.
Lark McCapSnatcher: You just miss your cap.
Me: Nope. It’s you. All you.
Me: I got to go. Client’s waiting. TTYL?
Lark McCapSnatcher: I’ll see you tomorrow.
Friday Reed marches up to me with her hands on her hips. “What are your intentions with Lark?”
I grin at her. “None of your business.”
“Fuck that,” she says. She picks up a pair of scissors and advances toward me. I immediately cover my package and step back.
“All right, all right,” I say, like I’m surrendering to the cops. Trust me, you’d surrender too if you had a pixie with fangs coming at you with a pair of scissors, looking like she’s going to shear your balls off and fry them with eggs for breakfast. “I really like her.”
“Like her like her?” she asks.
“How many ways are there to like her?”
“Like, could love her like her?” She stares me down.
“Like, want to get to know her more like her. Like, can’t stop thinking about her like her. Like, I’m irritated that she’s been busy all week like her.”
“But she’s hearing.”
“I know.”
“You don’t date hearing girls.”
“I didn’t date hearing girls. Then I met Lark.” I shrug.
She grins and shoves my shoulder. “Can I give you some advice?”
“Like I could stop you.”
She looks supremely satisfied. “Keep doing exactly what you’re doing.” She shrugs. “That’s all.”
“I was going to do that anyway.”
“But now you have my permission to keep doing it.”
“Thank you?” I say with a question mark at the end. What do you say to that? Really?