original_lavi

She looked at the magazine and thought she would rather have another beer. Withdrawing a couple more dollars from her wad of change, she held then up to T.J. with an inquiring look, and he pulled a wry face as he got up.

He returned with two more bottles and pulled his chair around to sit facing the back. “Look, I’ll show you how to do this.” Bracing the bottle on his knee, he gripped the neck in one hand with his thumb on top, set the bottom of the lighter against the cap and above his top knuckle, and flicked it off. “You try.”

She took the second, fumbling to replicate his grip. He reached to show her how to brace the lighter, repositioning her fingers with a light touch. Her first try only resulted in scraped knuckles, and Shannon restrained a whimper as she stuck them in her mouth.

T.J. did not laugh at her, though she thought she caught the hint of a smile. “Try again.”

Determined now, she wiped her hand on her dress and tightened her grip again on the bottle, pausing for T.J. to appraise her hold of the lighter and to mime the movement again before her. She twisted her wrist hard, and was pleased this time to hear the pop and fizz of carbonation.

T.J. leaned back, smiling. “There you go.”