"Why not?"
"I don't know you."
"Oh, sonowyou're worried about stranger danger?"
I square my blanket-clad shoulders and straighten my spine. "Yes."
"Fine," Miguel runs a hand through his hair which falls loosely around his face and reaches his chin. He exhales as he looks to the heavens for guidance and support. His dark brown eyes meet mine, "I'm a forty-three year old professional TP Triathlete who has enough of a moral compass to know you shouldn't be sleeping in your car."
Not bad.
"Do you have any pets?" I ask because I can’t fold after only one sufficient answer.
"What? Why do you need to know if I have any pets?" His brow scrunches together and with it the lines around his eyes crease deeper. It adds dimension to his face and makes it more difficult to look away.
"Because it tells a lot about a person." I tell him, sitting as tall as I can in my cotton cocoon.
"How so?" The creases of his eyes have turned playful. He’s indulging me and I have to work hard not to crow with pride because I won him over.
I run my tongue against my teeth considering how to answer. "Well, if you have a dog then you're a social person who enjoys the company of others. If you have a cat then you're more likely an introvert who tolerates other people when required."
"What if I had a gerbil." Miguel asks.
"Do you have a gerbil?" I barely get the question out without a giggle. How is this conversation even real?
He just shrugs and the little movement makes him seem much younger than his forty-three years.
But I like that he’s playing along.
"Well, if you had a gerbil it would mean you tend to feel lonely but instead of interacting with other people or making connections you observe them from afar." I see hints of hurt splinter across his face and immediately backtrack. He’s trying to be a good guy here. Heisbeing a good guy here and I’m straight up calling him lonely and self-isolating. Read the room Laney. Or, parking lot as it were. "Or, that you love hearing wheels spin overnight and need a pet who can survive a few days on its own when you travel."
Miguel nods. I hope I haven’t insulted him too much.
"What does it say if I have no pets?" He asks with genuine curiosity.
"There could be a thousand reasons for that. But tell me this. What pet would you get?"
"A dog."
"Great, I'll sleep with you."
Miguel coughs like he has a stack of saltine crackers stuck in his throat.
My cheeks flush a little as the echo of my declaration settles between us.
Well, there’s no going back now. Maybe I can brazenly own my confidence and embody the woman who can share a room with an incredibly attractive man without it getting out of hand.
I’m going to have to keep my wits about me, especially if he decides to pull that hair back into a bun in close proximity to me and my hormones.
But, as a person attempting to finish her first TP full length race, it would seem I love doing hard things.
Oh gods, that sounds dirty.
C’mon brain, help a sister out.
I focus on getting out of the car, pulling the blanket up over my shoulders, and keeping my eyes averted on the off chance Miguel can read my mind through them.
"Do you need anything else?" He asks after he clears his throat.
