06

I wasn’t really sure why I got a kick out of discomposing Tessa but I couldn’t help it. She was always so serious.

« I’m already downstairs. I’m not going to leave until you get down here. »

« Well, I hope your car is comfortable because you’re going to spend all night in it, » she retorted with a huff.

« You’re not seriously going to make me wait down here, are you ? »

« Someone needs to occasionally refuse you, Jake. I’ll try not to enjoy being that person too much. »

Whoever said that Tessa was timid just didn’t know her well enough.

« Come down so I can give you puppy dog eyes and we can see how long you last, » I teased, having too much fun.

« I don’t like puppies. »

I laughed. « Oh, now, you’re just lying. I remember you bawling when your Dad had to give away that little terrier because Mattie’s allergic. What was its name again ? Skipper ? »

« It was Stealer because he was always stealing our shoes, » Tessa grumbled in response. « You just don’t play fair, do you ? »

« I’m a ruthless businessman. Of course, I don’t play fair. »

She scoffed. « You’re a pain in the ass, that’s what you are. Give me five minutes. »

I spent the next five minutes imagining the kind of lecture she would heap over my head and grinning about it. She didn’t disappoint when she showed up with thirty seconds to spare, wrapped in a fluttery, silky-looking robe with large colorful flowers printed on it. It reminded me of a kimono but the sexy kind. And it looked sexy, as much as I tried not to notice that fact. It was a bit sheer and clung to her slender frame which was clad in a simple black tank top and matching leggings. Even with her face scrubbed clean of makeup and her hair loosely braided on the side, she still looked rosy-cheeked and pulled together.

« You might think that I’m down here because you’re just so damn good at getting what you want but that’s not it, » she said as a matter-of-factly. « I want ice cream and I’m wiling to be inconvenienced by the convenience of your appearance to go get some for myself. You can save your puppy dog eyes for someone who might actually fall for them. »

« Is that why you’re avoiding making eye contact with me ? » I teased. « Because you can totally resist them ? »

She still didn’t look at me. She flipped down the visor and pretended to fix her hair on the mirror oh so casually. « I won’t dignify that statement with an attempt to prove you wrong when I already know I’m right. »

I didn’t even bother to hide my smirk. « Coward. »

« Conceited, » she said breezily before finally flipping the visor back. She glanced around the car, still avoiding my gaze.

« So, after all that fast food, you still want ice cream, huh ? » she said, raising her brow at the rumpled bag of take-out sitting between our seats.

I’d driven Charlotte home from the party after she got pissed off at the sight of Brandon dancing with Simone, and at her request, we stopped by to get some fast food. She’d been in the car, biting through a cheeseburger, when she’d burst into tears. She ripped Brandon when he called demanding her whereabouts but told me to leave her to deal with him when we found him waiting outside her house.

« When I sin, I go all the way, » I told her with a suggestive wiggle of my brows.

I expected a sniping comeback so I was surprised when her serene expression softened into a smile, those dark eyes shimmering in the poor lighting inside the car. « If your version of hell has ice cream, count me in. »

« That’s what I’m talking about, Tess ! » I cheered as I raised a hand to her for a high five. She slapped it back with vigor just before she cranked up the music in my car as we pulled back out on the road. Augustana’s old album came to life and I sang along out loud, causing Tessa to laugh.

Yes, I was a fully-formed adult and occasionally, I could be serious, but on nights like this, with a girl like Tessa, I wanted to have fun.

We found our way to a small convenience store at the corner of Charles Street. We made for a strange-looking pair with me in my dress pants, silk shirt and loosened tie (the jacket tossed to the backseat) and Tessa in her floaty boho-chic ensemble. There was a pair of younger guys in there checking her out while she was selecting flavors so I hovered close to her and sent them a sharp look. No one was making a move on her on my watch.

« Cookie dough for me and plain chocolate for you, » she said as she handed me a pint. « We’re going to need some spoons. »

We left the store with a pint of ice cream each, a small box of disposable plastic spoons and a pack of Sour Patch Kids because why not ?

« Wanna go for a drive ? » I asked her as we got into the car. « We can sit somewhere with a nice view and eat our ice cream. »

She raised a brow at me in suspicion. « We’re just going to sit there and eat ice cream ? »

I allowed a little of my exasperation to show through. « Star-gazing and a little small talk might be involved but yeah, that’s about it. Why ? What kind of atrocities do you think me capable of inflicting on young women ? »

She narrowed her eyes at me. « Was that a hypothetical question or would you actually like a list ? »

Her cool stare shut me up. I really should watch the things that come out of my mouth because Tessa never had qualms about shoving them right back.

« Just tell me if you want me to drop you back home because I will, » I grumbled. « You don’t have to keep an old man like me company if you don’t want to. »

Tessa rolled her eyes and sat back in her seat. « No need to guilt-trip me, Jake, or add a decade to your already advanced years. Just drive and get there before my ice cream melts. »

The little smile hovering on her lips was the only indication that she wasn’t really ticked off so I drove us up along Longfellow Bridge and down Cambridge Parkway.

Tessa didn’t say anything as she peered out the window, taking the sights in.

The road across a row of residential buildings ran alongside Charles River and looked out to the Boston skyline.

« It’s one of my favorite places around here, » I told her as I pulled up to a quieter end of the street and turned off the engine. « Home looks beautiful from here, don’t you think ? »