Second Chance by Angela Verdenius Page B

across the
table to find Grant regarding her with amusement sparkling in his eyes.
    “Like I said,” he stated, “small
doses first builds up the immunity.”
    “I can take it.”  She grinned.
    “Good to hear.  I’m kind of close
to them.”
    Kirk reached for his glass of
drink, catching Grant’s attention.
    “By the way,” Grant said to him,
“I think the Stealth Thief has struck again.”
    “Really?”
    “A pair of my black socks are missing.”
    Kirk paused, levelled a look at
him.  “A pair of your black socks are missing.”
    “Yeah.  I think they may have been
pinched off the line.”
    “Holy shit,” Ryder said.  “You
better call out the FBI.  Your socks call for intense investigation.  That’s
top priority.”
    “I don’t know how Dee puts up with you.”
    “Don’t worry,” said Dee.  “Neither do I.”
    “It’s because I’m an expert
lover,” Ryder announced.
    Everyone groaned.
    “Hey,” said Ryder. “I understand. 
The men are envious, the women are jealous.”  Leaning back, he airily waved one
hand in the air.  “That’s just the way I am.  I can’t help it.”
    “He’s right,” Dee said dryly.  “He
can’t help it.”
    This time everyone sniggered.
    Plucking a chip from one of two
bowls that someone from the group had brought to the table, Ash regarded Tam. 
“So you and Grant went to school together?”
    “Only up to grade four,” Tam
replied.
    “You changed schools?”
    “No, Grant left.”  Tam sighed. 
“Saddest day of my life.”
    Grant’s eyebrows shot up.  “Really?”
    Oops .
    “Because you were good friends?”
Ash queried.
    “Um…”
    Nibbling on a chip, Grant watched
her closely.  Was he wondering if she’d blurt out the shorts-yanking episode?
    “Okay.”  Molly leaned forward. 
“There’s something going on here.  It was your saddest day and he has not a
clue.”
    Ah geez .
    “So that means…” Molly’s face
brightened.  “You had a crush on him!”
    “You did?” Grant paused in
reaching for another chip.  “On me?”
    Resigned, Tam nodded.  “I did.”
    “Really?”
    “You never noticed.”
    “You never said.”
    “Why would I?  You had more of a
passion for your books than girls.”
    Ryder snorted a laugh.  “Not much
different now.”
    This produced a round of laughter,
but Tam didn’t miss the way Simon and Kirk were watching Grant thoughtfully. 
Simon was doing it lazily from beneath half-closed eyes - was the man tired or
something? - while Kirk just, well, looked.
    It wasn’t like Grant was trying to
be subtle, he just continued to sit there watching her like she was something
new and strange.
    “Most little boys will pull a
little girl’s hair or annoy her somehow when they fancy her,” Del mused.  “What
do little girls do when they fancy a little boy?”
    Pull his shorts down in front
of the school.   “Mostly just watch and pine.”
    “You pined when I left?” Grant
asked.
    “You’re not going to get bigheaded
about this, are you?”
    Moz grinned.  “Aw, little Grant
had an admirer.”
    Grant didn’t shift his attention
from Tam.  “Really, I never knew.”
    “Surprise.”  She smiled brightly. 
“Luckily you moved away and I got over you.”
    “Ouch.”  Scott winced in fake
sympathy.  “Mate, your ego just got blown up.”
    “He’s a big boy.”  Picking up her
glass, Tam looked Grant right in the eyes.  “We all grow up.”
    Grant scrutinised her face slowly,
thoroughly, lingering on her lips before finally meeting her eyes.  She could
swear she felt every lick of that suddenly warm gaze.  Then her mouth went dry
because geez, was that a little glimmer of heat in the pale grey depths
regarding her so steadily?  No, just had to be her imagination.
    “Oh yeah, you’re all grown up,” he
murmured.
    Oh boy.  Not sure how to read his
expression or the tone of his voice, Tam cleared her throat and glanced away.
    “So, any boyfriends on the scene?”
Elissa