He winces. “You test my patience, wife, with that name.”
“Yeah, yeah, punish me later,” Nina says, not at all intimidated. “You in?”
“Of course, I’m in,” Lucas says on a long-suffering sigh. “Aaron?”
“Not a chance. Someone has to be the grown-up here.”
Jeena calls the barista over, a sweet guy named Frankie with an adorable Australian accent, and there ensues some serious consultation involving experimental lattes. Frankie is almost salivating with excitement and I’m becoming increasingly nervous as the conversation progresses. At last, much to my horror, the drink chosen is a mushroom latte, which Frankie will put together.
I swallow. “First time making it?”
“Yeah,” Frankie answers cheerfully. “Should be interesting.”
Aaron pats my hand. “Don’t worry, I’ll hold your hair while you puke.”
“Something Nina and I have experience in,” Lucas says, and they exchange a smile full of shared secrets that, frankly, I don’t want to know about, not if it involves puking.
After they’re gone, Nina turns to Aaron. “What attracted you to Tess?” she asks, not wasting time and not mincing her words.
I find myself leaning forward slightly, wanting to hear his answer as eagerly as Nina does.
Aaron leans back in his chair and folds his arms across his chest. “I knew I wouldn’t escape this interrogation.”
Lucas holds up his hands. “Sorry, man, I can’t stop her.”
“This is one question I don’t mind answering,” Aaron says. His eyes hold mine and he says softly, “Tess reminds me of my favorite animal—dolphins. They’re beautiful creatures, friendly, funny, cheeky, and entirely unpredictable. Everyone loves them. They have their pod, which Tess has with her family and friends, and they’re fiercely loyal.” He pauses. “And you enjoy spending time in their company.”
Tears prick my eyes. At last, I know the meaning behind his dolphin emoji.
“So, it’s not the blubber,” I say on a watery laugh.
“It was never the blubber.”
“You could’ve just told me all that.”
“Dolphins are also curious creatures, and I wanted to have some fun with that.”
“You two have inside jokes already,” Nina says, looking a little tearful herself.
Aaron leans in close. “Look away, children,” he orders Lucas and Nina, and then he captures my mouth with his.
In the tender thrill of the moment, I forget about everything except the warm press of his lips against mine.
Except, when the kiss ends, all I can think is, I’m falling so hard for this man. My desperate hope is for a cushioned landing, but when I remember that Aaron’s leaving in just over a month’s time, a strange pang fills me. He has a life in another town, with parents who need him. We’re both ignoring this reality for the moment, but the date of his departure is looming closer and closer, and I feel a wrenching in my chest at the thought of having to say goodbye to him.
I don’t know, maybe we can work something out. He can move to Brown Oaks. Or I can move (away from my family and friends and work) and relocate to where he is.
That’s when it hits me. While I’m planning our future, Aaron hasn’t even told me he loves me.
Jeena arrives with our mushroom lattes, pulling me from the disturbing direction of my thoughts. I smile my thanks, but then I spot the weird bubbles on top of the latte, and I remember.
“Aaron, look away,” I say urgently.
“What?” But he trusts me enough to quickly avert his head. Both Lucas and Nina, realizing immediately the problem, cover their glasses with their palms.
“You know about Aaron’s trypophobia,” Nina says wonderingly. “He makes it a point not to tell anyone.”
I put a hand on Aaron’s arm. “You okay?”
