piece off the corner of his napkin and rolled it between his thumb and forefinger until it was a perfect little ball. Then he reached over to the side of the table and grabbed one of the empty coffee creamers, placing it in the center of the table. He glanced up at Andie before he took aim, tossing the paper ball toward the cup.
It landed perfectly inside the empty creamer.
“Ha!” Chase said. “Now you have to tell me a favorite.”
“Huh?”
“When I was little, my mom used to play this game with me all the time while we were waiting for our food. You make the shot, you get to ask the other person one of their favorites.”
Andie looked at him, a hint of confusion behind her eyes. “Okay?”
Chase smiled. “So, what’s your favorite…movie?”
She took a breath, glancing toward the kitchen before she looked back to Chase. “Favorite movie?” she said distractedly. “I guess Gone With the Wind .”
“Cliché,” he sighed, and Andie huffed heavily.
“Do you always have to make a comment?” she said. “You do understand the concept behind playing a game, right? It’s supposed to be fun.”
“I know. I’m having a great time.”
Andie rolled her eyes as he laughed to himself, centering the creamer once again.
“Your turn,” he said.
She stared at him, unmoving, and he smiled. “Come on. You can make fun of my answer if it will make you feel better.”
“I don’t get my kicks out of making other people feel stupid,” she said, but she reached over and pulled a tiny piece off her napkin before balling it up.
Chase watched her line up the shot, squinting one eye as she took aim, and he bit the corner of his lip to stop himself from laughing.
Andie sighed heavily, dropping her hand to the table. “This is an impossible shot.”
“No it’s not. I just made it.”
“Yeah, but you’ve been playing this game your whole life.”
Chase laughed out loud. “I played it a handful of times when I was a kid! You’re making it sound like I was a contender in the Napkin Ball Olympics.”
Andie stared at him before she said, “The Napkin Ball Olympics?”
He laughed again as he pushed the tiny plastic cup off to the side of the table, and then he picked up his mug and quickly drained the rest of it before placing it down in the center of the table.
“There. Try it now. This is how I trained my rookie year.”
She laughed softly before she lined up her shot, tossing the paper ball easily into the mug. Her eyes flashed with triumph before she quickly reined it in and cleared her throat. “Okay, um…favorite song?”
“Wind Beneath My Wings.”
Andie laughed loudly, immediately cupping her hand over her mouth, and Chase did his best to look offended.
“I thought you weren’t going to make fun of my answer.”
“You set me up!”
“No, I didn’t. It’s an amazing song.”
She shook her head. “You are such a liar.”
Chase’s cheeks hurt with the effort to remain expressionless, and he finally broke, his grin followed by a throaty chuckle. As soon as she heard his laughter, Andie rolled her eyes. “I knew it.”
“Too many favorites to name,” he said, tearing another corner off his napkin. “Plus, it depends on my mood.”
Before she could press him further, Chase dropped his gaze to the mug and lined up his shot. It should have been a harmless question, but music was a personal thing for him; sharing his favorites always felt so intimate, like pulling out little pieces of his soul and laying them bare.
And the fact that he found himself wanting to have that conversation with her was enough of a red flag that he shouldn’t do it.
Chase tossed the little napkin ball into the mug easily. He glanced up at her, and she lifted her brow in challenge. She was back in one of her open moods, it seemed, and he figured he’d take advantage of the opportunity.
“Favorite thing about Colin?”
Her eyes dropped as her cheeks flushed. “I’m not gonna tell you that.”
He
It landed perfectly inside the empty creamer.
“Ha!” Chase said. “Now you have to tell me a favorite.”
“Huh?”
“When I was little, my mom used to play this game with me all the time while we were waiting for our food. You make the shot, you get to ask the other person one of their favorites.”
Andie looked at him, a hint of confusion behind her eyes. “Okay?”
Chase smiled. “So, what’s your favorite…movie?”
She took a breath, glancing toward the kitchen before she looked back to Chase. “Favorite movie?” she said distractedly. “I guess Gone With the Wind .”
“Cliché,” he sighed, and Andie huffed heavily.
“Do you always have to make a comment?” she said. “You do understand the concept behind playing a game, right? It’s supposed to be fun.”
“I know. I’m having a great time.”
Andie rolled her eyes as he laughed to himself, centering the creamer once again.
“Your turn,” he said.
She stared at him, unmoving, and he smiled. “Come on. You can make fun of my answer if it will make you feel better.”
“I don’t get my kicks out of making other people feel stupid,” she said, but she reached over and pulled a tiny piece off her napkin before balling it up.
Chase watched her line up the shot, squinting one eye as she took aim, and he bit the corner of his lip to stop himself from laughing.
Andie sighed heavily, dropping her hand to the table. “This is an impossible shot.”
“No it’s not. I just made it.”
“Yeah, but you’ve been playing this game your whole life.”
Chase laughed out loud. “I played it a handful of times when I was a kid! You’re making it sound like I was a contender in the Napkin Ball Olympics.”
Andie stared at him before she said, “The Napkin Ball Olympics?”
He laughed again as he pushed the tiny plastic cup off to the side of the table, and then he picked up his mug and quickly drained the rest of it before placing it down in the center of the table.
“There. Try it now. This is how I trained my rookie year.”
She laughed softly before she lined up her shot, tossing the paper ball easily into the mug. Her eyes flashed with triumph before she quickly reined it in and cleared her throat. “Okay, um…favorite song?”
“Wind Beneath My Wings.”
Andie laughed loudly, immediately cupping her hand over her mouth, and Chase did his best to look offended.
“I thought you weren’t going to make fun of my answer.”
“You set me up!”
“No, I didn’t. It’s an amazing song.”
She shook her head. “You are such a liar.”
Chase’s cheeks hurt with the effort to remain expressionless, and he finally broke, his grin followed by a throaty chuckle. As soon as she heard his laughter, Andie rolled her eyes. “I knew it.”
“Too many favorites to name,” he said, tearing another corner off his napkin. “Plus, it depends on my mood.”
Before she could press him further, Chase dropped his gaze to the mug and lined up his shot. It should have been a harmless question, but music was a personal thing for him; sharing his favorites always felt so intimate, like pulling out little pieces of his soul and laying them bare.
And the fact that he found himself wanting to have that conversation with her was enough of a red flag that he shouldn’t do it.
Chase tossed the little napkin ball into the mug easily. He glanced up at her, and she lifted her brow in challenge. She was back in one of her open moods, it seemed, and he figured he’d take advantage of the opportunity.
“Favorite thing about Colin?”
Her eyes dropped as her cheeks flushed. “I’m not gonna tell you that.”
He
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