Me: Absolutely.
Unknown: Text me when you get there, and I’ll meet you.
Me: Great. See you then.
With that, I pocket my phone and feel a surge of excitement. I’m still smiling when a young man comes over and sits beside me. I look over at him.
“Hi,” I say, taking a slurp of my frappe. God, I hope my slurping didn’t sound offensive. His lip quirks up. Yep, he definitely noticed the slurping. He has a cup of ice cream with rainbow sprinkles on top.
“Hey. I’m Parker.” He gives me a little wave, and I chuckle at the cuteness of his gesture.
“I’m Nadia. Nice to meet you.” I tuck a piece of loose hair behind my ear to keep busy.
“Are you from here?” we both say in unison and then laugh.
“You first,” he tells me.
I shrug. “Well, I guess both?” I say it as a question, and he tilts his head waiting for clarification. “I come here every summer. Wehave a lake house that’s been in my mom’s family for years, and the rest of the time I live in Massachusetts."
He nods in understanding. “Ah, that sounds nice.” He takes another spoonful of ice cream. “I’m just here for a couple of weeks. We rented a house on the lake. I’m from upstate New York.”
“Oh, that sounds fun. Are you enjoying your time here?” He finishes his ice cream quicker than I’d like him to. He places the empty cup on the bench.
“Yes. Most definitely. It’s a cute place, and the lake is immaculate. Really clean. I can see the appeal. I’m here with my family, and my brother’s girlfriend came with us. I’ve felt like a third wheel for a couple of days.” His eyes twinkle with amusement.
“That’s a terrible situation to be in.” I also finish off my frappe.
He tilts his chin up and waves at someone. “Speaking of, there he is with his girlfriend now.” I give them a little wave, too, and Parker laughs. “Hey, do you think you’d maybe like to go out sometime this week? I’m only here for a little longer, but hanging out with someone would be nice.” He stands and takes our trash.
“Ah, thanks for throwing that for me. And yes, I’d like that.”
“What’s your number?” he asks, taking his phone out of his pocket. He punches in the number I give him, and a second later, my phone vibrates. “There, now you have my number, Nadia.”
I take out my phone and add the contact. “I’ll make sure to use it, Parker.” He smiles, showing his straight, pearly white teeth, which are only made possible by braces.
“Will do.” He runs off, tosses our trash in a bin, and throws his arm around his brother. The girl with them laughs, and they walk off, disappearing into a car and driving away.
I can’t wait to tell Savannah. Things just might be looking up for me: a new job, a potential nannying job, and a date with a cute guy. I feel like the universe is sending me good karma. Don’t all good things come in threes?
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
After a whole week of shifts at the tavern, I sleep in and finally drag myself out of bed mid-morning for a much-needed shower. I was so tired last night that I fell asleep on top of my blankets in a heap of limbs and pillows. But after that deep, uninterrupted sleep, I’ve got a little pep in my step as I dress with purpose. Parker texted me yesterday to see if I wanted to hang out today, and we said we would confirm the details later. He mentioned going out on the lake near the rental where his family is staying, and there’s a cookout, too. He seems like a nice guy, and honestly, I could use the company.
I pour myself a coffee and take it onto the patio. I sit in an oversized Adirondack chair that overlooks the tiny lawn, abutting a sandy patch spreading toward the crystalclear lake. The sky is blue, not a cloud in sight. I hear laughter somewhere coming from the lake, but the view is covered by large maple and oak trees surrounding my property. Little waves ripple from motor boats sounding about, and spacious pontoon boats house families in the distance as they enjoy a leisurely ride along the teardrop-shaped lake.
I pull up my weather app, and it is a lovely day with temperatures hovering in the mid-to-high eighties. I hum in contentment, lifting my face toward the sun and soaking up the vitamin D as a gentle breeze blows my hair back like a nuzzling touch. My phone vibrates with an incoming text, and I turn to grab it off the chair’s arm to see who it is.
I smile at the name.
Parker: Good Morning, Nadia. Are we still on for today?
I bit my lip and can’t help the smile that comes to my face.
Me: Yes. What time are you thinking?
I see the bubbles appear, letting me know that he’s typing. A minute later, his response comes up.
Parker: How about 1?
