"I'll find you a mango," he said without looking up. "Until then—" He reached into his knapsack and tossed her a bag. "Beef jerky."
"You're sharing your lunch?" Lily couldn't hide her surprise.
Alex shrugged, the movement drawing her attention back to those unexpectedly broad shoulders. "Can't have you passing out from hunger and disrupting my research schedule."
"Your concern is touching." But she accepted the offering, and the jerky was actually delicious—simple and savory, nothing like gas station stuff. "Okay, this is really good. Where'd you get it?"
"Made it myself before leaving. You pick things up when you spend enough time in remote locations."
"So you're like a sexy Bear Grylls but with a PhD."
His ears went red. "I wouldn't put it that way."
"I would." Lily grinned, enjoying the flush spreading to his cheeks. "Seriously, what made you choose marine biology? With those blue eyes and that jawline, you could've been on magazine covers."
"Not everyone aspires to be stared at professionally."
"Ouch. Direct hit." She pressed a hand to her heart in mock injury. "Though for the record, there's more to influencing than being looked at."
"Is there?" The question lacked his earlier derision—it sounded almost genuine.
Lily considered her answer. The easy response—the one she gave in interviews—was about inspiring people to travel, to see the world through fresh eyes. But something about this moment, about this strange man whoseemed to see through her practiced charm, made her reach for something more honest.
"It's about connection," she said. "Finding ways to make people feel like they're not alone, even when they're scrolling through their phones at three in the morning."
Alex studied her with those penetrating blue eyes, regarding her the way he had the tide pool creatures. "I hadn't thought of it that way."
"Most people don't." Lily shrugged, suddenly feeling exposed in a way that had nothing to do with her bikini. She deflected with a question. "So why marine biology? What's your origin story, Dr. Carmichael?"
He was quiet for so long she thought he might not answer.
"I was nine when my mother took me to the aquarium for the first time," he said finally, eyes on the tide pool. "She bought me this book about ocean ecosystems. I read it until the pages fell out."
The image of a serious little boy with those same intense blue eyes, poring over a book about fish, made something warm bloom in Lily's chest.
"She died later that year. Cancer." His tone was matter-of-fact, but Lily recognized the undercurrent. "But bythen, I was hooked. The ocean made sense to me in a way that people didn't."
"I'm sorry about your mom," Lily said quietly.
Alex nodded once—acknowledgment rather than dismissal. "It was a long time ago."
Silence settled between them, broken only by the soft splash of waves against rocks. Lily found herself reluctant to shatter it with her usual chatter.
Finally, Alex cleared his throat. "What about you? How do you pivot from pre-law to influencing?”
Lily laughed. “You aren’t the first to ask that question. I mean, my father had my whole future mapped out—prestigious firm, political connections, eventual judgeship and for a long time, I just followed the path he set out for me.”
She didn't fault him for the shock on his face. Most people assumed she was a brainless broad with a camera. Being underestimated was practically her superpower.
"What happened?"
"Ihappened. The real me." She picked at a piece of jerky. "I took a gap year before law school, starteddocumenting my travels, discovered I was good at it. People responded. For the first time, I was building something that was completely mine."
"And your father?"
Lily's smile dimmed. "Let's just say he doesn't consider 'Instagram sensation' an acceptable alternative to 'Supreme Court Justice.'"
Something shifted in Alex's expression—recognition. "Parents and their expectations," he said, and in those four words, Lily heard volumes.
