Graham’s phone vibrated, and his jaw twitched, as he pulled out his phone and started texting. “Sorry.” He spoke with his eyes glued to his phone. “I know this looks rude, but the babysitter is wondering if Hadley can have an extra dessert.”
“No problem.” My heart swelled with warmth, seeing him dote on Hadley. He was the last guy I’d ever expected to be a single dad, but seeing him care for her made him so much more attractive. And he had clearly been hot before. We slowed our steps as we approached the arena and the line of people curled around the tiny ticket booth, stretching out to the sidewalk. “This must be it, huh?”
The line moved fast, and we shuffled our feet up to the front where we met a lady wearing a huge 1900s-era crimson hat witha giant white feather stuck in the side. Her theatrics instantly made me nostalgic, and ready for the movie. “Two tickets, please.” Graham held up his phone, readying to swipe his Google pay.
When it cleared, the red hat lady pushed two paper bracelets under the window and pointed to the left. “Top row is all that’s left. Take any seats you can find in section D.”
“Thank you.” I took my bracelet, strapping it on as we meandered out of line, finding our way up the stairs.
“I didn’t think it would be busy, but it looks like we are in the nosebleed section.” Graham led the way, weaving through the crowd.
“It’s fine.” I downplayed how excited I was. I would watch the grass grow in the desert if it meant we could hang out. I stayed by his side until we got to the very top row and plopped down on the metal bleacher, sandwiched tightly together between two families.
“I hope you didn’t want snacks,” Graham teased, as we both eyed how far up we were. “I’m not walking down there to get them."
“What?” I playfully elbowed him. “I totally had my heart set on popcorn, Sugar Babies, and a Cherry Coke.”
“Oh.” Graham shot to his feet. “I’m sorry. I’ll run down.”
“No!” I grabbed his hand, holding him back. “I was joking.”
His head tilted a measure toward me while he continued to hold my hand. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, it was a joke.” My smile was wide, and I still couldn’t believe I was looking at my best friend again, the man I’d been pining for half my life. Only this time, he was holding my hand, which he didn’t drop when he sat back down.
“So,” I breathed out right as the breeze picked up, bringing me a whiff of Graham’s scent. A light spicy musk that tickled my nose in the best way. "What do you want to talk about?"
"I actually had a memory earlier, and it made me laugh." He cocked his head to the side. “Do you remember the time I borrowed my grandma’s car to teach you how to drive?” We shared one of our secret smiles, the one that was always emblazoned in my mind because I loved it so much.
“Do I ever.” The question instantly threw me back to that summer. Frankly, my brain never really left that summer. There weren’t many things I could think about that would not transport me. All my younger years had been spent trapped under the strict house rules of my parents, but Graham had been a tease of freedom. “You told me the STOP signs with white borders wereoptional.”
He threw his head back, chuckling from deep in his belly, and we shared a sly glance that sent the butterflies in my stomach into a whirlwind. We shared a magnetism that always threw me off kilter. “I can’t believe you believed me,” he replied without arrogance.
“I didn’t have any reason not to. What did I know about driving?” Shaking my head to no one, as I was clearly disappointed in my own naivete. “You’re lucky nobody died.”
The movie previews flashed on the giant screen in the middle of the arena, and we both hushed. Several scenes into the movie the wind picked up, and I found myself wrapping my arms around my body to stop from shivering. Graham took note of my body language, scooting closer, and wrapped his arm around me. I immediately melted into him. I could have stayed like this all night, but after another few scenes, the wind picked up even more.
Crack!
I startled as lightning split the sky, splicing it open in a freak storm that dumped torrents of rain on us. People jolted to their feet, covering their heads, and ran to the safety of their cars. Another low rumble of thunder echoed so loudly that my bumfelt the vibrations on the bleachers. “We should not be on metal bleachers,” Graham called over the crowd noise as he kept his hand protectively around my lower back, ushering me to my feet. “Hurry, but it’s going to be slippery!”
The movie shut off as I linked my arm into his, and we took off together, feet pounding the pavement the whole way back to the hotel. When we were met with the sliding glass doors of the hotel, we bustled through them at the same time, rain dripping into puddles around us. I’d need a change of clothes, and I eyed the elevator, unsure if this was the end of our date or just a pause.
Lightning crackled behind us, and Graham’s phone vibrated. Before I could ask if he still wanted to salvage our date, he winced at his phone screen. “It’s the babysitter. I’m sure Hadley’s freaking out.” He quickly put the phone to his ear while he paced a few feet away from me. I caught enough to know he was trying to calm down Hadley. After only a moment, he reassured her he’d be right there. When he turned back to me, I was already prepared to say goodnight.
“It’s fine.” I flicked my hand up, ready to wave goodbye. Tears pricked the backs of my eyes. It was so stupid to be emotional about this. It was a stupid date.A stupid date we never even had a chance to enjoy.“She needs her dad.”
He locked his gaze on me. “I’ll make it up to you.”
“Really, it’s fine. Nobody even saw that storm coming. It’s not your fault.” I waved my hand, gesturing out the door. “I’m soaked anyway—and cold. I should get a warm shower.” I took a step back, proving I was already over the date.
“I’ll get ahold of you tomorrow?” His voice ticked up in pitch at the end, ending his statement more like a question. Lightning flashed again, followed by a huge crack of thunder.
“Sure.” I forced anit’s-finesmile. “Go to Hadley.”
“You’re the best.” He spun on his heel and ran out the door. As much as I wanted this date to happen, it seemed like our timetables couldn’t match up. It was exactly what had happened when we were younger. Had we been allowed to spend time together, I didn’t doubt he would have been so much more than a one-summer crush. I was leaving in two days, and we had yet to make any real foundation of anything. History was repeating itself. I sarcastically stuck two thumbs-ups in the air as I dragged my feet to the elevator, mocking myself. “I’m the best.”
nine
