Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 129110 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 646(@200wpm)___ 516(@250wpm)___ 430(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129110 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 646(@200wpm)___ 516(@250wpm)___ 430(@300wpm)
"God no?" I repeat, narrowing my stare. "You're that repulsed with the idea of having sex with me?"
"I dunno," he shrugs, but as he says it there's an unmistakeable heat. "You argue a lot. Kind of don't shut up actually."
"Oh my god," I cross my arms and shake my head. He laughs, and we both settle back. "Well for the record I don't want to have sex with you either." I sit up and return to my food.
"I highly double that."
I roll my eyes and as the minutes pass neither of us says anything. It's not awkward, it's just... quiet.
"So you’re just not gonna talk to me now?" I finally look up.
"Not sure what I'm gonna do now," he glances up. "My entire team is gonna have a heart attack if they find out I was with a strange girl and didn't have her sign anything."
"I didn't blab what you said before, did I?"
"Technically verdict is still out on that," he shrugs. "You could still tell people, and also disclose that we had lunch."
"Because this has been so pleasant?" I raise an eyebrow.
"Are you saying you're not having a good time?" he grins.
"I thought you said I seem different?"
"You do."
"Yet in order to hang out with you I have to sign a whole freakin' document?" Our eyes meet and he flinches. "Don't you see how weird that is? No wonder you picked some random person to come spend time with you. If people have to sign shit like that then of course it's not real," I stop myself. "Sorry that was kind of mean."
"But accurate."
I shrug.
"Normal people don’t go around asking this, I get it," he sighs.
"No, but I guess normal people aren't you."
"Is that good or bad?"
"Verdict is still out on that," I repeat his words and he sadly chuckles.
God this is so bizarre.
Even as we return to our food that strange air is still hanging around us, but not even in a terrible way. At least not like I initially thought.
As the minutes continue to pass something about this newfound quietness and company has turned almost, and dare I say it... comfortable. The way we just eat, our eyes occassionally meeting, unsure. I mean of course hearing he doesn't want to have sex with me both crushes me and makes me only want to have sex with him more, but whatever. At some point over these past few minutes I’ve started basking in my teenage fairytale that has once again come to life, and as we both finish our last bite at the exact same time I wonder what's going to happen next.
Do I leave? Do I thank him for lunch and be on my way? That would be a little silly, since I paid for my own lunch and who thanks someone for their company?
Asher starts tapping his foot against the chair... to the point where it's becoming annoying.
“You okay over there?”
“Yeah, sorry,” he shakes his head, deep in thought.
More tapping.
Then our eyes meet and I raise an eyebrow. His foot settles and I smile, just as he clears his throat. "Okay, so really, am I going to see Asher Montgomery hung out with mystery girl come Monday?” his eyebrows furrow, and I realize this isn't a joke, but something he's actually nervous about. "There was a lot of money poured into my relationship with Sabrina. Contracts, movie deals... I can't risk that."
I give him a look because how sad.
"I think you already know the answer to that."
“So you didn’t tell anyone I invited you up here?” he gives me a look. He’s feeling me out, and for a second I think it actually may suck to be Asher Montgomery. To have no privacy - to have every little thing you do become breaking news... it sucks, but then I realize he has zero money worries and pretty much gets whatever he wants. His life can't be that bad.
“I didn't tell anyone.”
“And again, exactly how long have you been a fan of mine?”
I challenge his expression.
That's not anything I'm ready to admit to, not yet anyway. Not when we're walking on such thin ice. I’ve been completely obsessed with you for over a decade doesn't seem like it would go over well, and damn it, but I am intrigued about his life. Not that I would ever tell anyone, or leak anything, but it's only natural after you've been into someone for so long to be curious.
“You know, you sound creepy asking if anyone knows I'm here. Like murderer-status weird."
“You really make the oddest comments at the most inopportune moments,” he shakes his head.
“It’s how I deal with… odd situations,” I shrug.
“We are an odd situation, aren't we?”
I melt. Complete butter in my chair right now. The fact that he used the word we, while referring to both him and me, makes teenage Elle's life, and maybe mine too.