Learning to Flirt by Kallie Mont

Author:Kallie Mont [Mont, Kallie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2022-02-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter sixteen

Nerves and Waffles and Chipmunk Cheeks

Thursday, 11:50am

The weather cooperated with Parker on Thursday, providing the perfect crisp, clear morning for a lunch outside. She sat on a bench by her building, just a few feet from the Waffle Truck, as everyone now called it. She nervously held the ticket in her hand and kept looking down at the order number, like she was going to forget or miss when her number got called.

Jane’s comments the night before kept playing through Parker’s head. All morning she’d bounced between hoping Jane was right, and then worrying that she’d overstepped by inviting Maggie to lunch in the first place. Overall, the day already felt exhausting.

After reading her order number for the hundredth time, Parker looked up to see Maggie turning the corner and walking her way. This time she came in black leggings and a thin crimson sweater, its boat neck resting just below her collarbone. Parker’s breath caught, then she stood up and waved wildly.

Fucking hell, way to play it cool.

Maggie smiled at her so brightly, Parker couldn’t bring herself to care that she likely just looked like a buffoon.

“Hi,” Maggie said as she sat next to Parker.

“Hey.” Parker’s voice sounded deeper than normal and she watched Maggie’s eyes flare a little in response. Well, that felt good.

“I hope you don’t mind. I went ahead and ordered. They only make two things, so I just got us both.”

“Fifty-seven!” a voice called from a few feet away and Parker shot up from the bench, a response way too intense for the given moment.

“That’s us,” she said, trying desperately to keep her cool. “Be right back.”

She claimed their food from the window where an old, wrinkled man smirked at her, cutting his eyes over to Maggie for a second before setting an extra syrup cup on Parker’s tray and shooing her away.

I know the feeling, old man.

“So,” Parker said as she sat down, setting the tray of piping hot fried food between them. “I’ve had chicken and waffles maybe, what, once in my life? And I can already tell this is going to blow that shit right out of the water.”

Maggie took in the two white foam plates stacked high with giant waffles and two full drumsticks each, then the basket overflowing with waffle fries. “This is insane.”

Parker liked that look on her face. She’d seen Maggie nervous and happy and anxious and a few other things, but seeing her excited was something new and really hot.

They started eating and a breeze that felt almost salty encircled them. Parker realized, in a flash of clarity, that she couldn’t imagine herself anywhere else. Time near Maggie excited her body, but it also settled her. It felt easy, peaceful. When was the last time she’d felt that? Years?

Baggage to unpack another day.

“How’s my favorite cat?” she asked between giant bites of maybe the best waffle in the world.

“An asshole,” Maggie replied without a moment’s hesitation. “And perfect. All at once.”

“Professor?”

They both looked up to see June, one of the top students in Parker’s Intro to Lit class, standing in front of them.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.