Forgetting Popper (Los Rancheros #3) (13 page)

“What details did you give?” he asks
quietly.

“Just that we walked home and you kissed me
goodnight. She’s thirteen.”

“Was it a good kiss?” I look over
suddenly.

“Of course it was. I’m not a bad kisser!” He
can’t stay broody at that and starts laughing. My chest unclenches
at the site of his teeth being lit up by oncoming traffic. Holy
shit, I thought he was mad.

When we get to the house, I walk up the porch
steps, but turn when I don’t hear him stomping behind me. It takes
a minute for me to find him in the dark. He’s at his trunk, with
his shirt off.

“What the hell are you doing, Finnigan
Brennick?” I yell too loudly. He closes the trunk softly and covers
his magnificent body with a grey Henley. Now he stomps up the
stairs.

“Obviously, I changed shirts. Go change.”

“Why?” Batty rolls his eyes.

“Because I said so.” I eye him warily before
moving up the stairs and grabbing a random t-shirt from my closet.
When I get back downstairs, Batty leads me back out of the house
and starts walking down the driveway. When he passes his car, I jog
to catch up with him.

“Where are we going?” Batty looks at me and
licks his lips before swallowing. Then he does something really
weird. He grabs my hand. “What the hell is going on?” I ask,
alarmed.

Batty looks at my panicked expression and
starts laughing. “When I leave your place, most nights I stop at
the wrap place down the street. We’re having dinner.”

I glance around like I’m being punked. “And
this?” I gesture to our hands.

“I’m not going to have you be a liar, Sadie.
Popper was a liar.”

“So . . . this is like, a date?” I ask
hesitantly.

“Yeah, stop freaking out.”

“I’m not freaking out. I’m fine.” He glances
at my face before laughing again.

“You look like you’re about to shit your
pants. Chill out.”

“Chill out,” I repeat slowly, fairly certain
he’s never said that before in his life.

“Yeah, is that what all the kids are saying
these days?” he asks lightly.

“Are you for real right now? The kids? Your
guess is as good as mine. I don’t hang out with kids all the time.”
I tell him, completely freaked out. He decides I don’t need an
answer and we walk down the hill to a little strip mall I’ve never
paid much attention to. I try not to move my hand too much in his.
I don’t think I’ve ever held hands before. It’s awkward at first. I
feel like my hand is sweating in the cool air. I want to pull it
from his and wipe it on my jeans, but I don’t. When I feel his
thumb move over mine in a gentle stroke, my arm breaks out in goose
bumps. I look over at him and he gives me a little grin that makes
me scowl. What the hell is happening?

I study the small restaurant through the
window and see the little booths and hand written menu. “You eat
here?” I ask him.

“Yeah.” He opens the door for me. I walk in
slowly, not able to imagine the man in a suit, or batman cape,
choosing this little hole in the wall.

A little round woman behind the counter looks
up as the bell jingles on the door and smiles at us with raised
hands. “Finn! You are early. I never expect you until late. And who
is this beauty?” she says loudly in the empty room. I look back at
him and do a double take. His smile is wide, warm, and genuine.

“I couldn’t wait another second to see you,
Corin. How are you, beautiful?” I watch in fascination as he leans
over the counter to kiss her cheek. I feel like I’m in the twilight
zone.

“Oh stop, your girl will get jealous. This is
your girl, right?” Corin holds a hand out for me and I shake it
with a slight smile.

“Corin, this is Sadie.”

“It’s our first date,” I share, cutting my
eyes to Batty with a more genuine smile as he shifts
uncomfortably.

“And you brought her here, Finn?” she asks in
exasperation.

“Only the best for her. I want to start off
with a good first impression.” He winks and the little old lady
practically melts into a puddle.

“Well, we’ll have to make sure she’s treated
right. What can I get you, honey?”

My eyes move to the board and read my
choices. Everything is done in burrito wraps.

“I usually get the Turkish special. It’s
amazing,” Batty offers. I shrug and nod, so he orders and actually
pays. For some reason, that surprises me. I don’t think my brain
has moved that far ahead. We take seats at a corner booth away from
the front of the store to wait for our food. I fidget with my
straw, and see Batty studying me. It’s so weird. This whole thing
is weird and I don’t know what to do.

Batty takes a deep breath and stretches his
arms out on the back of his side of the booth. The action makes him
slouch farther in his seat, and I feel his knees trap mine under
the little table. The knee that I didn’t realize was bouncing stops
abruptly with the contact.

“What’s your middle name?”

“Huh?”

“What’s your middle name? You never answered
when I asked before.” Batty asks again.

I open my mouth and close it several times
before asking, “What are you doing?”

Batty tilts his head and I get a glimpse of
one dimple when he grins. “Have you ever been on a date before,
Sadie?” he asks softly. My foot tries to bounce again, but Batty
squeezes my legs between his so it can’t.

“I . . . I . . . I didn’t think that’s what
we did,” I finally get out.

“We didn’t, tonight we are. Is this your
first date, Sadie?” he asks again. I roll my eyes and decide to
admit it.

“Yes, you’re popping my date cherry.” Batty
rests his head on the back of the booth and laughs quietly as he
looks at the ceiling.

“Well, we’ll have to make it especially good
for you then, since it’s your first time. And since you don’t know
how these things work, I’ll help you out. We’re going to ask
questions, and the other answers. That’s what you do on a date,” he
tells me with that little smirk still on his face. It’s not a
patronizing smirk, more amused.

I take a deep breath and convince myself that
it won’t be that bad.

“Black.”

“What?”

I shrug. “Black is my favorite color, I
guess.” Batty frowns.

“Why?” My mind reels.

“Why?”

“That’s what I asked.”

“Because . . . that’s what I wear.” It almost
comes out as a question. Batty studies me seriously until I break.
“What’s yours?”

“It’s not one color in particular. More of a
hazel, really. Greens and golds mixed together,” he answers
immediately, like he was waiting for the question. I’m thrown off
guard after I gave such a fight.

“What’s your middle name? You never answered
that one either?” I ask, stealing his question again.

“I don’t have one.”

“Me neither,” I answer before he can ask
again. I know he is going to ask again.

“Huh. Something we have in common,” he
murmurs. I shrug.

“We have a lot in common,” I say without
thinking.

“Like what?”

“We both go to the hospital to volunteer,
we’re both involved with the music industry sexually we seem to
think on the same level.” Batty squeezes my knees with the last
remark.

“Indeed.” Corin slides our plates onto the
table with a bright smile and leaves us again. Batty unwraps the
foil on his wrap and then asks, “So how are your parents?” before
taking a bite.

I stall, taking a huge bite then get
distracted. I moan. The flavors explode in my mouth, feta cheese,
lamb and a dill sauce that comes together to equal an orgasm in my
mouth. When my eyes flutter open after I swallow, Batty is watching
me with hungry eyes. My smile is slow to form, all knowing at what
that look meant.

“They’re still in Oregon. I’ve narrowed the
search for a place to move them. How are your parents?” I volley
back to him. He shifts in his seat and clears his throat.

“My mom died a long time ago. My dad is still
going strong. I see him all the time.” He doesn’t look as
uncomfortable to tell me as I thought he would divulging personal
information.

“I’m sorry about your mom,” I say, not
knowing what else to say. He shrugs self-consciously and moves his
eyes around the room before coming back to me.

“I’m glad your parents are getting moved. How
was it seeing them?”

“It was fucking weird.” I shake my head. “I
haven’t seen them in forever, you know? So they were hostile. I
don’t blame them for that. My dad isn’t doing so good. He’s got
dementia and early signs of Alzheimer’s. He didn’t remember me,” I
admit quietly.

“I’m sorry, babe.” I ignore the little hitch
in my stomach as he calls me that. It’s always been in the heat of
the moment, but never without sexual context.

“It’s whatever. I’m dealing with it.”

“With Jack.” It’s a statement.

“Yeah. With Jacque. Is it just jealousy that
has you mispronouncing his name?” I wonder.

“Or something.”

“Right.”

“So what do you do if you aren’t at the
hospital? Do you sit in that house all day long?” I see by his
expression that he really wants to know.

“I stay in the house a lot. It’s peaceful,
quiet.”

“But it’s not really quiet. The waves are
constant.” I nod.

“That’s true. It’s soothing, though. My own
form of therapy, I guess.”

“It calms you.” I nod again, more slowly as I
eat a french fry from my plate.

“Yeah. It calms me.” I change the subject.
“So I know you have a brother that used to run the record label. Is
that your only sibling?”

“Aiden. He’s my older brother by six years.”
That’s all he says.

“So what happened to him? One day he was CEO,
the next he vanished.” Batty’s eyes shift and flicker with emotions
I can’t keep up with.

“He had some personal stuff he had to take
care of. He’s . . . fragile.” I lean back in my chair.

“How so?” I’m thinking someone who started
one of the biggest record labels from the ground up can’t be that
unstable. Batty shrugs.

“Aiden has always felt deeply. Eventually he
burnt himself out.”

“And little brother saved the company,” I
finish. Batty shrugs uncomfortably.

“I did what had to be done. Are you
finished?” I nod and push my plate away. Batty leaves a hefty tip
on the table for Corin before putting his hand on my lower back to
usher me out of the restaurant.

This time when his fingers intertwine with
mine it feels erotic, almost sexual in the glide of skin on skin,
and I’m forced to think ahead. Batty and I have always ended
Sundays with sex, aside from the one and only time I wasn’t up for
it. But this is a new Sunday. Nothing followed our routine, so is
it time to change it? This is a first date.

When we climb the steps of my porch, I’m
actually nervous. Batty turns to me and waits for me to unlock the
door, but I stop with my key in the lock, not turning it as I face
him again.

“I had a good time tonight. Thanks for making
an honest woman out of me,” I say with a shaky smile. My body is
trying to revolt against my brain and do what it knows we do best
and throw myself into his arms. Why am I purposefully giving up
what I want right now?

Batty’s eyebrows rise in surprise before he
pulls me closer with arms around my waist. “You didn’t have fun.
You were awkward and overthinking things, but I think that’s the
classic first date of all first dates stigma, so you passed with
flying colors. Congratulations.” He shifts me with his hands, kind
of swaying me from side to side. I think it’s his slight attempt at
comforting me or something.

“So you’re saying it gets better?” I ask,
putting my hands on his biceps and stepping closer. Batty grins,
giving me dimples that make him look boyish and sexy at the same
time.

“You can invite me in and find out. I can
make it a lot better for you if you want.” I sigh mournfully and
shake my head.

“I may not know a lot about first dates, but
I do know you’re not supposed to put out.” I bat my eyelashes.
“Whatever will you think of me?” Batty throws his head back and
groans while he laughs. He brings my hips into contact with his
hardness, and it’s my turn to groan.

“I completely fucked myself with that one. As
for what I think of you, I think you’re dynamite in the sack,
babe.” He sighs. “Alright, how many dates are we talking?” I
shrug.

“I have no idea. How many dates does it
usually take?” I smile. “I’m deferring to your sage wisdom.”

“You’re asking the guy that wants to rip your
pants off how long it takes to have sex with other women? This is a
trap, right?” I laugh.

“No. I want to know how long it takes when
you date women. There has to be a standard. I just don’t know what
it is.” I look down and lick my lips, uncomfortable with my
inexperience.

“Sadie,” Batty says quietly to bring my eyes
back to his. He’s gone suddenly serious and my heart starts to
pound.

“I don’t date, Sadie. Not in a long time.” I
watch his Adam’s apple bob as he swallows thickly.

“How long?” I ask, my voice almost whisper
soft.

“Over six years.” I blink slowly, absorbing
how huge tonight was for him.

“Wow. You’re like a born again first date
virgin. We should definitely do this by the book, then.” Batty
smirks and lets out a chuckle. I’m so relieved I push my face into
his chest and attempt to join in. I love his laugh and don’t want
him freaking out the way I am. I feel his hands move to the ends of
my hair and pick my head up when he tugs.

“Thanks for tonight, Sadie.” Batty says with
his breath hitting my face. I nod and watch his lips as they
descend to mine. At first contact, instead of closing my eyes, I
keep them open and see that he did the same thing. This kiss is
soft, sweet and intimate in a way that reminds me of the night we
kissed for hours.