“Here you go. Now grab out your headphones and your phone, pick a movie, and we can start it at the same time. Text through it. Pretend we’re sitting together.”
“Awe, our first date.”
“No, sweetheart. Our first date will be much more unforgettable.”
My stomach starts swirling with excitement. “Will I still be ending the night wearing your shirt after our first date?”
His expression darkens. My stomach bottoms out. “I hope so.”
“Well then you better woo me like you mean it.”
“Oh trust me,” he says, resting his hands on my armrest so he can lean down. The smell of rosemary and lemon fills my senses and I suddenly can’t form any coherent thoughts. “I plan to.”
His eyes dart to the man next to us and some new resolve passes over his face. I watch his expression switch slightly as I imagine a plan forms in his mind. Then he leans over me and taps the man on the shoulder.
The man sighs impatiently, plucking an earbud out of his ear. “What?”
“Trade seats with me,” Reid demands of the man. I find my pulse kicking up a notch at the command in his words.
The man scoffs. “No.”
Reid digs in the pocket of his joggers, pulling out a wallet and a crisp twenty dollar bill. He extends it wordlessly to the man. “Sorry, I should’ve said please.”
The man eyes the bill, then looks back up to Reid. I can tell he doesn’t want to give Reid the satisfaction of accepting, but he really wants the money. Finally, the man sighs and snatches the bill out of Reid’s fingers, then gathers his few belongings and gets to his feet. Reid’s smile is pleased as he steps into the aisle, waiting for the man to move, then sliding into his seat.
“Don’t you have things in your own seat you need to grab?” I ask him, still processing the entire situation.
“No, I’m good. So what do you say about that movie?”
I tap the screen in front of me and start paging through options. “How do you feel about musicals?” I ask without looking over at him.
“I’ll watch literally anything that makes you happy. Which is your favorite?”
My fingers pause their search and I turn my head to look at him. “Seriously?”
“What?”
“You’d watch a musical with me?”
He shrugs. “I want to know about the things that you like. That’s how dating works, isn’t it?”
“Ithought we weren’t going on a date until we got back home.”
“I say we are adults and we can do whatever we want without apology.”
He’s right. I know he is. But just picturing the rage on my sister’s face if I unveil a new relationship right before her wedding, she’ll never forgive me. And I’m already fighting an uphill battle just for her to include me in things besides doing all her tasks and wedding planning things for her.
I loosen a breath as I think over my next words. Then I finally say, “How about we do whatever we want in secret until we get home, and then we do whatever we want without apology?”
A triumphant grin spreads across his lips. Then he leans in, resting his elbow on the armrest between us so he’s only a breath away as he whispers, “As long as I get to make you smile every day, I’ll be happy.”
His eyes never leave mine as he watches me collect myself, catch my breath, and realize I’m absolutely starting to fall in love with him.
Chapter 18
Being awoken out of a deep sleep is enough to get my fight or flight going. That coupled with waking up to pounding fists against the door as I lay in a bed that is not mine makes my heart race so fast it might as well fly out of my chest.
I sit up so fast my head spins, rubbing my eyes as I get my bearings. When I finally open them fully, I freeze, realizing that this bed, this room, thisviewwas not a dream at all.
