Page 2 of Hooked on You
So do I.
There is an impressive amount of pizza on me.
“I’m fine,” I say.
“You are not fine. You are covered in cheese.”
I pick a pepperoni off my arm. “No anchovies, so it’s all good.”
Her mouth opens, then closes again. She’s obviously at a loss for words. The corners of my mouth twitch. “I know, right? A fisherman who doesn’t likefishon his pizza? Shocking.”
She gives the tiniest of smiles as she opens her mouth to say something. Unfortunately, my buddy Trent interrupts her.
“Looks like lunch is on Joel today,” he yells, cackling at his own joke. The rest of my friends laugh with him.
I roll my eyes. “Ignore them,” I tell Rayna.
“I’ll try,” she says, a little breathless. “I really am so sorry. I swear I’m not usually this much of a disaster.”
“First week?” I ask.
Her eyes narrow slightly. “Is it that obvious?”
“No,” I say, glancing at the slick boards. “But nobody who’s been here long carries three pizzas and drinks across wet docks during the Saturday lunch rush.”
“That would have been helpful information about thirty seconds ago,” she mutters.
A smile pulls at my mouth before I can stop it. “Live and learn.”
Her lovely eyes meet mine. “At least you were here to catch me.”
I realize I’m still holding her. I reluctantly let go of her arms and step away.
She drops into a crouch immediately, trying to gather the ruins of what was supposed to be somebody’s lunch. I crouch with her, picking up what I can.
“No, no,” she says quickly. “Please don’t. You’ve already done enough.”
“It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine. You’re literally wearing a pizza.”
“I’ve got another shirt on my boat.”
“Not the point.” She shakes her head. “I really hope I don’t get fired for this.”
A laugh slips out of me before I can catch it. It’s quiet, but it surprises us both.
She looks up at me. “I really need this job right now,” she says defensively.
I wipe the grin from my face. “I’m not laughing at you. It’s just that if Mikki fired everyone who drops a pizza, she’d have no staff at all… including her husband. Jared once wiped out so hard he fell into the lake.”
She frowns uncertainly. “That’s a relief, I guess. But I’m sure this hungry family won’t be happy to wait for their meal to be remade.”
“They’ll be fine,” I assure her. “No one’s ever in a bad mood on the lake. Just throw in some of Mikki’s famous Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Roll Sticks for free, and I guarantee you’ll get an awesome tip.”
“Rayna!” someone calls from inside again. “You okay?”
“I’m fine! But we’ll need to remake that last order.” She glances at me out of the corner of her eye. “And can we throw in complimentary Ooey Gooey Sticks as an apology for the wait?”
