“Sounds romantic,” I say. Does he hear how breathless I sound?
“Right?” Peyton asks. “That’s what I thought.”
The only sounds surrounding us are those of the quiet disturbance of the water as Peyton moves us through it. There are birds in the distance, but otherwise, it’s just nature. I didn’t know the world could be so beautiful.
“I have an idea for what you can do after football,” I say and chance a glance over my shoulder. His eyes meet mine and, yep, my stomach flutters.
“What’s that?”
“Kayaking tours. I can’t express just how breathtaking this entire lake is. Everywhere I look.”
“That’s an idea,” he says, though I don’t think he’s serious. “I do love kayaking. Why not?”
We move along peacefully for a long time without conversation. After a while, I push my sunglasses up, and it feels like I’m in a new world again, rediscovering the lake with a new hue. Everywhere I look, it feels like a picture-perfect moment.
“If you’re feeling comfortable, you can try using your oar,” Peyton says. “The lake is pretty calm, so there isn’t much fight right now.”
The paddle, or oar, I guess, is lying across my lap. I’ve been holding it there with one of my hands. “I’ve never oared,” I say.
He laughs. “It’s pretty intuitive. Give it a try.”
I nod, and I think I’m more of a hindrance to our progress than I am a help to him. I know I splash him several times, which only makes him laugh and me burn with a blush and stammer over continuous apologies.
“I should have been in the back,” I lament.
There’s still laughter in Peyton’s voice when he answers. “You’re doing fine. But I’m more than happy to tour you around, hot stuff.”
I huff. “You’re really good at it,” I point out. “All those muscles. It’s like your arms are made for oaring.”
Once again, he laughs, and I smile in response. I love everything about his laughter.
I can feel it in my chest, making me all warm and happy.
The quiet of the lake settles around us, and I have this overwhelming feeling of I can’t believe I’m here! I’m on a date with Peyton Brady!! It feels unreal. My stomach hasn’t stopped doing acrobatics since he pulled up alongside the café.
I’d planned to be waiting with drinks when he arrived, but, as usual, I felt like I was running late and didn’t want to take a chance that he’d be outside waiting. All kinds of questions had plagued me. What if it took too long, and he didn’t want to wait, so he left? What if he thought I was just offering curbside service? What if he didn’t want a Brat Tamer today?
“Is the place you used to kayak like this?” I ask to take my mind off my rambling thoughts.
“Have you ever been to New York?” he asks.
I shake my head. “No. Never been east of the Rocky Mountains.”
“Oof. Okay, first lesson. Every inch of New York outside of New York City is called Upstate.”
I glance back at him over my shoulder. “Seriously?”
He laughs. “Yep. Stupid, right? More than ninety percent of the state is considered Upstate because it’s outside the city. But anyway, about mid-Upstate, in the fatty belly portion of the west, is a group of lakes that look like fingers from an aerial view. Thus, they’re called the Finger Lakes. When I was super young, my family used to rent a house on Keuka Lake. I have memories of my dad taking me on a kayak when I was really small. I think the first time I paddled on my own was when I was four.”
“That’s adorable.”
He grins. “When I was ten or so, my parents bought a house on Seneca Lake, which is just to the east of Keuka, but much, much bigger. We were there almost all summer, every summer. I’d go to football camp and come back. And I spent every day on the lake. It’s much like this, but with fewer mountains surrounding us. There are still a lot of trees, but there are also a lot of people close by in every direction. It’s well populated in that area. There were always a ton of people on the water. Some days, the lakes felt busier than the streets.”
“Wow. I can’t imagine it that busy.” There’s no one but us here. Not a soul. I try to imagine what it would look like with a hundred other people on kayaks. Would we even see the water? Would we be able to move at all?
“This right here is perfection. The absolute perfect place to be. Stunning nature. A different, more beautiful scene in every direction, and not another human for miles. Uninterrupted views. No noise or air pollution from people talking, cars, or even campfires. This is my ideal spot, hands down.”
“I can’t believe you haven’t been here before.”
