"What did he say?" Noelle asked from across the table.
"I think he said what are three things you can't do to something. Mogwais? Are those gremlins?" I asked.
It was Wednesday night and we were at trivia night at Pluckers in Grapevine. Nothing like family, beer, wings, and trivia.
"You can't feed them after midnight," Meg said.
"You can't put them in sunlight," Noelle added.
"And you can't let them near water," I ticked off the last of the three rules.
Cayden stared at us like we were speaking another language. My mom looked impressed.
"I don't know how you guys remember movies the way you do," she said.
Meg and I had a penchant for using movie lines in everyday conversations. Noelle often asked us if we'd know how to have regular conversations without quoting a movie or a comedian. I'm still not quite sure I could.
"OK, you weren't kidding. That sauce is hot," Cayden said, reaching for his beer. "I mean, my lips are on fire!"
Meg's boyfriend, Jimmy, and Cayden had both ordered the Fire in the Hole sauce on their wings. Jimmy nodded and reached for his beer as well. A line of sweat formed above his eyebrows.
"Yall are babies," Noelle said. "I ate 25 of those once and made it on the Wall of Flame. Beat that."
I much preferred to keep my tastebuds intact, so I stuck to Honey BBQ.
Mom ordered another round of beers and the trivia quizmaster's voice came crackling over the speakers again.
"Aside from The Price is Right, what other game show did Bob Barker host?"
I looked around the table and saw nothing but blank stares. I didn't even have a guess.
"I'm at a disadvantage here," Cayden complained. "I don't know American trivia!"
He had a point. But then what was my excuse? Cayden squeezed my knee under the table and smiled. I half wondered if he was wiping hot sauce on my jeans.
"Well, if you want to move here, you better brush up on your Bob Barker knowledge," I said, squeezing his hand on my knee.
My mind started wandering off, daydreaming about the day trivia night with the family would be a regular occurrence with Cayden. It was a bad habit, and I had to kick it. The more I daydreamed about our future, the more I wanted it now, and the more frustrated I'd get knowing I have to wait.
"You OK?" Cayden asked, noticing my dazed look.
I forced myself to snap out of it and meet his eyes. But if I looked him in the eye, I'd fall into them and get lost forever. I shot him a thumbs up and then cranked my neck around, looking for the trivia man.
Cayden leaned in close and I braced myself for his whisper.
"What do you say I cook you dinner tomorrow night? We'll have the night to ourselves. Just the two of us."
His whisper tickled my ear. Goosebumps spread across my neck and a chill crept down my shoulder blades.
"How about we start with some alone time later tonight, if you know what I mean," I whispered back, quietly, hoping no one in my family would hear.
His eyes lit up an he pushed his plate of hot wings away. Apparently he wanted his tastebuds intact as well.
*
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