Kate didn’t say anything but when I peeked over I saw her small smile of thanks aimed at Maddie.
The need to be the recipient of one of those smiles was nearly overwhelming. It didn’t make sense, but it was a challenge. She was a challenge. And I never had been able to walk away from a challenge.
I would see this girl’s smile. I would make her smile.
But for now, I’d settle for a look in my direction. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Her smile faded fast. When I glanced over at her profile she was oddly grim, her jaw set and her lips pressed together.
“She is good.” The blonde flipped her hair like Maddie had done, but I didn’t think the blonde was doing it as a joke. “I mean, I don’t know much about soccer, but everyone says she’s great.”
I made a noncommittal noise as I shoved another fry into my mouth. “No offense, but ‘good’ and ‘great’ are all relative. I mean, I was considered great in my high school and there were hundreds of other kids in my class alone.” I shot Kate a look out of the side of my eye. She’d stopped eating but was still staring at her sandwich. I knew she was listening to every word.
“So, what are you saying?” the redhead said, ignoring Maddie who muttered, “Don’t encourage him.”
“I’m just saying that while Kate might be good, it’s hard to judge based solely on the fact that she’s the best that Fairfield has to offer. For all I know she’s mediocre but her competition sucks.”
Now, I didn’t actually believe this. I’d never seen Kate play soccer but I had watched her on the softball field and the girl could move. She was thin but strong, her limbs all long, lean, and beautiful. She had stamina when we ran laps, and she had speed when we did sprints. The girl was an athlete, but her skills on the soccer field were still tbd.
At the moment, though, none of that mattered. All that mattered was getting a response out of her. I figured attacking her soccer skills was the best bet.
The blonde looked outraged on Kate’s behalf, or maybe just on behalf of her school. Something told me she had school spirit, even if she didn’t play sports, and the thought that I might be badmouthing her perfect little high school in her idyllic little town drove her nuts. The redhead didn’t look all too pleased, either.
Maddie knew me well enough to settle for rolling her eyes as she sipped her club soda.
I gave the other two an exaggerated shrug. “I’m not trying to diss your friend here, I’m just saying…” I shot Kate a look. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
“Anytime.”
Her voice was so soft I almost missed it. And even though I heard it I thought maybe I’d imagined it.
The others, even Maddie, were staring at Kate with open mouths until Maddie broke the silence with a loud laugh. “Yes! You show him, girl.”
“What did you say?” I asked. Not to be a prick but because I honestly doubted what I’d heard. I’d teased Kate for weeks about her soccer skills, or lack thereof, and she’d never risen to the challenge. Never.
Kate turned to me, her cheeks pink but her bright green eyes lit up with something fierce and vivid that turned my chest cavity into vacuum-sealed shrink wrap. “I said anytime.” She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. “Anytime, any place.”
After a heartbeat of shocked silence on my part, I grinned, my smile spreading so wide it hurt my cheek muscles. “You’re on, hotshot.”
I nudged her elbow with mine and saw an answering smile that was there and gone so fast I wasn’t sure if I’d hallucinated.
“Soccer starts up next week, right?” Maddie said. Kate and I both nodded. The guys and girls teams both started at the same time. Maddie turned to me with a triumphant grin. “Then I guess you’d better prepare to have your socks blown off, Levi.”
Out of sheer habit I muttered something about how it wasn’t my socks I wanted blown. While that made Maddie’s sidekicks burst out in high-pitched laughter, it had Kate staring down at the table, her face once more a scarlet red as she wadded up her napkin and other garbage and scrambled out of her seat. “I’d better get to class.”
At least that’s what I thought Kate said, her voice was so quiet and she’d turned her face away from me again.
I watched her walk away, all inconspicuous hotness shrouded in shyness and baggy jeans.
When I turned back to the others, the blonde and the redhead were talking to one another, but Maddie was giving me a judgy look. “Way to go, Romeo.”
I gave her a smirk I knew would make her roll her eyes and went back to eating my soggy, lukewarm fries.
So maybe that hadn’t ended well. At least I’d gotten a response out of her, right?
That was a start.
To continue reading, check out The Perfect Match
About the Author
MAGGIE DALLEN IS a big city girl living in Montana. She writes romantic comedies in a range of genres including young adult, historical, contemporary, and fantasy. An unapologetic addict of all things romance, she loves to connect with fellow avid readers. Subscribe to her newsletter at http://eepurl.com/bFEVsL
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The Perfect Catch (Kissing the Enemy Book 1) Page 17