What had this woman done to my brain? I never stammered around beautiful women. I was confident that most women would find me attractive, even if I hadn't had a lot of time in my old life for dating. I could easily find the words needed to speak to a pretty girl, make her laugh and have a good time. But Erica had scrambled my brain, making me think and act like a pimply teenager in high school trying to ask out his crush. That wasn't me at all.

If she wanted to play this game, then so was I.

I let my hands drop away from my crotch, and...