“Anything that will make you happy.”
“Well… I have something, but you need to promise not to laugh.”
“On my honor.”
I pushed myself up and went to stand on the cool grass. “It’s a scene I used to perform for Nanna Ruth. She was into Shakespeare.”
“A fine woman was Nanna Ruth.” He moved to sit with his legs crossed, looking at me intensely.
“It’s fromAll’s Well That Ends Well.”
“Lovely. And what part will you play?”
“Hmm…” Maybe I should’ve picked something else. “Helena.”
He nodded for me to proceed.
I began delivering my lines, not allowing the awkwardness of the situation to get in my way. I finished with a line that felt relevant to my life.“Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.”
Eliot clapped, his blue eyes glimmering. “Thank you, Jonah.”
I shrugged, hoping that my blush wasn’t showing. “No big deal.”
He rose to his feet and came to stand in front of me, taller by almost a head. I swallowed, sure I was about to be kissed beneath the stars.
“Are you ready to go?”
I blinked. “What? Oh, yes. We can also stay here a bit more.”
He shook his head. “I don’t want you to get too tired. The night is still young, and your gift awaits.”
“A gift?” It felt as if he’d given me more than enough.
He made a mouth-zipping gesture.
I helped him pack everything into the trunk before we drove off, leaving behind a memory I wanted to hold on to for as long as possible.
*
We parked in front of a strip club.
“Hmm, is this where we’re going?”
Eliot killed the engine. “It is.”
Oh, God.
“We don’t have to. I mean, it’s sort of late, and—”
He put his hand on my leg, squeezing gently. “You can trust me.”
Could I?
We climbed out of the car. I didn’t feel comfortable walking around South Central LA at night, but Eliot carried himself like nothing could touch him, and I pondered how little I knew him.
He nodded to the bouncer, and we were ushered inside. The flickering red and blue neon lights gave me a headache, and the loud music didn’t help. I ignored the nearby performances as Eliot led me toward the bar. He ordered us gin and tonic without asking.
“How did you know I like gin and tonic?” I asked.
