seen TV shows like this. I’m about to try for a graceful exit and trip over my own two feet.” But the idea of him catching her, maybe the two of them falling to the floor... Oy. She’d been watching too many dramas in the kitchen over food prep.
His chuckle was low, sending shivers down her spine. “One of those moments where your skirt flips up and we find out you’re wearing panties with cute bunnies printed across your bum?”
“M-maybe.” Spluttering only made him laugh harder. She pressed on. “You’ve watched anime, haven’t you?”
He dragged his fingers through his short-cropped hair. “Caught. Your scenario would’ve been a classic fan service moment.”
A pause, then he continued, “When you’re overseas you watch anything in your downtime to burn up the hurry up and wait. One of my squadron mates had a hard drive full of those cartoons.”
“Most of those are not kid’s cartoons.” She’d watched quite a bit through school. Still had a few favorites tucked away on her computer.
“Which is why I opted for watching them over a bunch of ponies running around learning about lessons on friendship.”
“Ah.” She nodded. “Well, if we find ourselves in a wait situation, I have other guilty pleasures for us to check out.”
His entire body stilled at her side.
Tā mā de . “I... I meant stuff to watch.”
Oh, and that sounded so much better.
“Dramas. Chinese dramas.” She chucked it out there before he had to go for the awkward professionalism discussion. “Consider anime a gateway drug to all the great Asian dramas out there. One of my favorites has been made into a live action drama in Taiwan, Korea and Japan.”
He relaxed against her. “Which is your favorite version?”
“The one from Taiwan.” No doubts about it.
“Because of the language?” The elevator dinged and he stretched a hand across the threshold to hold the elevator for her.
“No.” She chewed on her lower lip, thinking on it as she stepped out. “I don’t mind reading subtitles, so those wouldn’t be a factor. The story line is closer to the original manga they were all based on and I just like the actors better. Plus, the soundtrack is cute.”
He huffed. “Soundtrack?”
“Yeah. The actors who play the main hero and heroine are both in music groups.” Smiling, she rose up on her toes and pressed a light kiss on his jaw, for the benefit of the security camera, of course. “Thank you.”
Then she scampered out of the elevator as fast as she could.
He’d had no trouble catching up with her. None at all. As he fell in behind her, he settled his hand on the small of her back and gently herded her down one hallway. Changing gears, she wondered whether he danced. A strong lead could guide his partner with minute pressure in the small of his partner’s back. It was similar to what Gabe was already doing.
But he was still on their earlier topic. “Hmm. Smart marketing.”
It was a miracle he’d been able to track her thought-hopping for as long as he had.
“Guess so.” Maybe it was because he didn’t seem to mind. An-mei hadn’t either, but she switched topics even more often. And she was the better dancer despite the both of them having been sent to dance classes. An-mei hadn’t enjoyed dance as much as studies on the piano, though. It’d been Maylin who couldn’t get enough of the dance lessons.
“Hey.”
Maylin stopped short, the space on her back where his hand had been gone cold in its absence. Heat filled her cheeks as she turned to see him waiting by a door. He must’ve stopped and she’d kept right on walking.
He raised a single eyebrow, slid the card key into the reader and opened the door, then held it for her to enter.
“Why don’t you settle your things in the bedroom and take a look at the room service menu.” Gabe proceeded ahead of her, his gaze sweeping the room as he opened the closet and flipped the curtains. The realization hit her a moment later. He was
His chuckle was low, sending shivers down her spine. “One of those moments where your skirt flips up and we find out you’re wearing panties with cute bunnies printed across your bum?”
“M-maybe.” Spluttering only made him laugh harder. She pressed on. “You’ve watched anime, haven’t you?”
He dragged his fingers through his short-cropped hair. “Caught. Your scenario would’ve been a classic fan service moment.”
A pause, then he continued, “When you’re overseas you watch anything in your downtime to burn up the hurry up and wait. One of my squadron mates had a hard drive full of those cartoons.”
“Most of those are not kid’s cartoons.” She’d watched quite a bit through school. Still had a few favorites tucked away on her computer.
“Which is why I opted for watching them over a bunch of ponies running around learning about lessons on friendship.”
“Ah.” She nodded. “Well, if we find ourselves in a wait situation, I have other guilty pleasures for us to check out.”
His entire body stilled at her side.
Tā mā de . “I... I meant stuff to watch.”
Oh, and that sounded so much better.
“Dramas. Chinese dramas.” She chucked it out there before he had to go for the awkward professionalism discussion. “Consider anime a gateway drug to all the great Asian dramas out there. One of my favorites has been made into a live action drama in Taiwan, Korea and Japan.”
He relaxed against her. “Which is your favorite version?”
“The one from Taiwan.” No doubts about it.
“Because of the language?” The elevator dinged and he stretched a hand across the threshold to hold the elevator for her.
“No.” She chewed on her lower lip, thinking on it as she stepped out. “I don’t mind reading subtitles, so those wouldn’t be a factor. The story line is closer to the original manga they were all based on and I just like the actors better. Plus, the soundtrack is cute.”
He huffed. “Soundtrack?”
“Yeah. The actors who play the main hero and heroine are both in music groups.” Smiling, she rose up on her toes and pressed a light kiss on his jaw, for the benefit of the security camera, of course. “Thank you.”
Then she scampered out of the elevator as fast as she could.
He’d had no trouble catching up with her. None at all. As he fell in behind her, he settled his hand on the small of her back and gently herded her down one hallway. Changing gears, she wondered whether he danced. A strong lead could guide his partner with minute pressure in the small of his partner’s back. It was similar to what Gabe was already doing.
But he was still on their earlier topic. “Hmm. Smart marketing.”
It was a miracle he’d been able to track her thought-hopping for as long as he had.
“Guess so.” Maybe it was because he didn’t seem to mind. An-mei hadn’t either, but she switched topics even more often. And she was the better dancer despite the both of them having been sent to dance classes. An-mei hadn’t enjoyed dance as much as studies on the piano, though. It’d been Maylin who couldn’t get enough of the dance lessons.
“Hey.”
Maylin stopped short, the space on her back where his hand had been gone cold in its absence. Heat filled her cheeks as she turned to see him waiting by a door. He must’ve stopped and she’d kept right on walking.
He raised a single eyebrow, slid the card key into the reader and opened the door, then held it for her to enter.
“Why don’t you settle your things in the bedroom and take a look at the room service menu.” Gabe proceeded ahead of her, his gaze sweeping the room as he opened the closet and flipped the curtains. The realization hit her a moment later. He was
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