“You’re not wrong because they are potheads,” Raiden responded.
They were.
Still.
“That’s kind of, uh…” I cast my mind for a word, couldn’t find one so I went for it, “mean.”
He leaned into me and wrapped his hand around mine that was sitting on the table.
“Pot is legal in Colorado,” he stated and I tilted my head.
“It is?”
He stared at me a second then grinned. “Yeah, baby, it is.”
God, I liked it when he called me baby.
“Don’t you vote?” he asked.
“Well, yeah,” I answered.
“Straight ticket?” he guessed.
“Well, no,” I told him. “But all the referendums freak me out. I used to try to understand them, then one year I voted for one and found out after that I voted the wrong way because they made the language purposefully confusing so you thought you were voting for one thing and you weren’t. I went back and read and reread it and there was no way I knew what I was voting for. That’s dirty business, so I decided that I should vote only on things I totally understood instead of making another mistake like that because, well, you know, these things affect people’s lives and you shouldn’t screw up something that important. As none of the referendums make a lick of sense to me, I concentrate on the candidates and hope they’ll take care of the referendums.”
“Makes sense. Whacked sense but it makes it,” he murmured.
“What does pot being legal have to do with Bodhi and Heather?” I asked, though I had to admit, this was good news and nice to know why the Sherriff didn’t get into Bodhi’s business.
“I voted against legalizing pot,” Raiden declared, and I got it.
“Oh,” I replied.
“I’m good with live and let live, but shit like that bleeds into bigger shit, and no one needs that.”
“I don’t smoke it, but I know both Bodhi and Heather and they’re really nice people. And I’m not sure something like that bleeds. It’s a personal choice and it isn’t like crystal meth or stuff like that that destroys lives.”
“It is when it bleeds,” he returned.
His eyes were now weirdly sharp, so much so it was uncomfortable, and I squirmed in my chair.
“Okay,” I gave in. “I’m guessing you know more about this than I do.”
“Unfortunately, I do,” Raiden replied.
I bit my lip again, intrigued if a little frightened.
I carefully tugged my hand from his and looked to the corner of the table.
“Hanna,” he called and I turned my gaze to him.
“Bodhi and Heather are my friends,” I told him.
“I know,” he replied.
“Well, I, uh… spend time with them.”
“I know.”
“How do you know?” I asked.
“Saw you with the guy. Wasn’t hard to read you were tight. And, again, small town. A couple of questions, links you to the girl too.”
Links me to the girl?
What a weird way to put it.
I shook that off and pressed on, “Well, this is a, um, date, and if this goes, uh… well, then…”
“This goes further, I will not hang with them,” he declared firmly, and I stared.
“You don’t like people that much who smoke pot?” I asked.
“Not that. Got friends who smoke. Don’t give a shit. Don’t like it, but it doesn’t say anything about them except they’re into something I’m not into. Just don’t got a good feeling about those two.”
“They’re kind and funny.”
He leaned toward me. “They give me a bad feeling, Hanna. They don’t give you that same feeling, cool. But this date goes well, we go further, I will not hang with them. Straight up. No bullshit. You’re into me, I’m into you, but that does not mean I gotta be into all your friends and the same goes for you.”
I had to admit, that was fair.
“Okay,” I agreed.
“And I’m not sayin’ that shit knowin’ how into me you are, layin’ down the law. I mean it. You connect with my people, you aren’t into them, same goes for you.”
That was nice.
“Okay,” I stated more resolutely, then asked (yes, stupidly), “How into you do you think I am?”
“Honey, you crawled around on all fours in a pet store, totally unable to cope with bein’ in my space. You’re seriously into me.”
This was true and this should have mortified me.
It didn’t.
For some reason, it annoyed me.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “It’s kind of annoying you figured that out, and more annoying you keep bringing it up.”
To this he threw his handsome head back, burst out laughing and held my hand tight for a second.
Then his hold loosened and he lifted our hands so our elbows were on the table, our hands up between us, but he again leaned into me.
This time super-close.
Which meant he was pressing my hand into his hard chest.
I held my breath.
“Open book,” he said quietly. “Like I said, it’s cute. It’s also refreshing, baby.”
“I’m glad you think so,” I whispered, no longer annoyed. With him that close and my hand pressed to his chest I was back to nervous.
“I do,” he confirmed.
Okay then, he thought it was cute and refreshing, so I felt it safe to give him more.
Therefore I did.
“Just so you know, I find you extremely attractive and I’d really like this date to go well because I’d like another one, and not as an excuse to buy another dress and killer pair of shoes.”
I did it, but felt no relief when something weird and a little alarming flashed in his eyes. His fingers squeezed mine before he hid that look, let my hand go and sat back.
“For a guy, that question is answered at the end of the date.”
Fabulous.
Something to be more nervous about.
He grinned at me.
I licked my lips.
His grin faded and his eyes dropped to my mouth.
I stopped breathing.
The waiter showed with our appetizers.
Thank God.
* * * * *
“Be back, yeah?” Raiden asked as the waiter swept away our dessert plates.
I nodded to him while he stood