He has some good ideas. And he’s hot as fuck without his clothes on.
11
CARMEN
“Well, painting was fun,” I say to Jamie as we walk back home. “But I don’t know if I see myself taking it up regularly.” I can’t resist sliding a sly grin at him. “How about you? Decided that you love modeling even more than hockey?”
His cheeks flush so hot that his face glows like a streetlamp. “No.”
Laughter rumbles from my chest. “You saved the day, though.”
For some reason, I’m feeling chattier than normal after that lesson. Breaking my evening routine might have activated some long-dormant endorphins in my brain.
Maybe when I get home, or tomorrow, I’ll find that that alone has helped with my writer’s block, and I’ll be able to put this silly idea of using a hookup with Jamie to do so out of my mind for good.
“Yeah, I guess I did do my good deed of the day. I can rest easy tonight.”
“At least one of us will,” I grumble, more to myself than as a response to Jamie.
“Huh? What do you mean?” Concern twines in Jamie’s voice.
“Nothing, nothing,” I say, flaring my hand to wave away my comment.
A look of disquiet passes across Jamie’s features, but he doesn’t press it. My comment was just vague enough for him to shrug off.
I’ve been stuck in a cycle of staying up way too late ever since that night I talked with Jamie at the gas station. It hasn’t been a big problem because I’ve only had afternoon or evening shifts for the last couple days. But tomorrow I have an early shift. Ugh, it’s going to suck.
Jamie looks up. “Whoa. Full moon.”
The round, bright orb shines overhead.
“Pretty,” I say.
“Do you believe in the whole full moon thing?” Jamie asks.
I chuckle. “Full moon thing?”
“You know. How it’s supposed to affect people’s moods. People acting crazy and wild stuff happening when the moon is full.”
“Definitely not,” I answer.
He hums thoughtfully. “I’ve heard that people who are ambulance drivers, or 911 dispatchers, all swear it's true. Or doctors. Maybe you’ll find out soon enough.”
“People like to imagine patterns exist that aren’t really there.”
Jamie sighs. “Yeah, I guess I don’t believe it, either. I kinda wish I did, though.”
An intrigued look pulls at my face. “Why?”
Jamie tilts his head contemplatively. “I’ve always thought it would be cool if there were a little more mystery in the world. More things that you just can’t explain. Like, I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of reincarnation. Past lives, you know?”
“Yeah?”
Jamie nods. “The idea that you were someone else before. That maybe you can unlock old memories. Or that maybe what you did before impacts your current life. Or that there might be people out there who were important to you in a past life. I’ve always been interested in that idea.” He sighs. “But I can’t really believe it.”
“You want to believe, huh?” I tease.
He chuckles. “Yeah, I do. Same thing with aliens. Would be so cool if they were real. Don’t think they are.”
