The Love Hack

Chapter 8

Space shuttle is an understatement. Lexi slipped into the passenger seat and set her purse down in front of her. "Okay but seriously, there is so much leg room. Was this car built for Hagrid?"

Tom chuckled as he pulled out of the driveway and on to the street. By now the sun had fully set. Streetlamps and car lights illuminated their surroundings. "I wouldn't have taken you for a Harry Potter fan."

"Are you kidding? I'm obsessed with Harry Potter!"

"Interesting. Which one's your favorite?"

"Favorite book is The Order of The Phoenix, but my favorite movie is the first one, The Sorcerer's Stone."

Tom cleared his throat and spoke in a British accent, "Harry, it's you that has to go on. I know it. Not me! Not Hermione! You!" His impression of Ron Weasley was near perfection and Lexi burst into a fit of laughter.

"Wait, that was actually amazing. You either have a gift or you spent a whole week practicing that in the mirror."

"I'd say after watching the series over thirty times I've picked up a thing or two."

"Ahh so I see it's the practice route and you like to do your homework." Lexi turned to face him, and their smiles seemed to mimic each other.

"Oh, come on, don't tell me you haven't watched it like a thousand times."

Lexi cleared her throat, prepping for her Hermione impression. "Stop. Stop. Stop. You're going to take someone's eye out. Besides, you're saying it wrong! It's Levi-ohh-sa, not Levio-sahh!"

Tom's deep laugh reverberated through the space. "Well, looks like someone's been doing their homework too."

The pair continued to chat about movies and shows, particularly focusing on their favorites, which turned out to be quite similar. Lexi animatedly gave her review on the latest content within the Star Wars universe. "I just don't like how they've been weaving the worlds together. Like it's way too much to keep up with sometimes. Like, how was I supposed to keep watching The Mandalorian without watching Boba Fett! It's too much," she said as they sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

"I completely agree, but it's still so good! And I still keep watching. And Marvel does the same exact thing, which I also keep getting sucked into. I can't not," Tom said, glancing over at her.

Lexi giggled. "Honestly, same here! As much as I complain about it, I'm still the first to queue it up."

A short silence fell over the space, and Lexi sensed a curiosity in Tom's gaze when he briefly turned to her. "So, I have to ask. Did you ever get your ice cream you were looking for last week?"

She covered her face with her hands. "You saw me throw it back in the freezer, huh?"

"I think you'd give MLB pitchers a run for their money with a throw like that. I was surprised the ice cream case didn't crack and spill everything on impact." Tom smirked as heat continued to invade Lexi's cheeks.

"I was just-um- I had an emergency to get to at home!" She knew he wouldn't believe a word she said and laughed at her own expense. "Okay, okay. I was just surprised. Also, how would it have looked to your girlfriend if you started talking to me? It was just awkward."

"My girlfriend?" Tom raised a brow.

"Oh, um, yeah that girl you were with. You guys looked pretty cozy together, I just assumed." Lexi hoped the edge in her voice wasn't evident.

"No, she's not my girlfriend." Tom shook his head. "We were technically on a date. Well, our second date, but I called it quits after that."

Lexi tried her best not to smile. Hearing that Tom was indeed single shouldn't have given her as much satisfaction as it did. "Who goes on a date to the grocery store?" she asked after a soundless moment.