Nate stood a few steps away, hands stuffed in his shorts pockets, watching the fountain shoot skyward like a silver spear. “So, what’s the deal with this thing? Just for show, or is there some deep Swiss meaning I’m missing?”
Allegra smirked, wiping a droplet from her cheek. “It’s a monument to human ingenuity. And also, apparently, a really expensive way to waste water.”
Nate raised an eyebrow. “That’s the grand explanation?”
“Nope.” She jerked her chin toward the plaque a few feet away. “But if you really want to know, there’s a whole dramatic backstory over there. Something about pressure and hydropower and the Swiss being extra.”
“Right. I’ll just have to take your word for it.”
The wind shifted so another cloud of mist drifted across the viewing platform. Allegra gasped as it hit, her T-shirt going from wet to partially transparent.
“You’re aware,” Nate said, his eyes flicking to the outline of her bra, “that you’re losing the battle with that thing.”
Allegra pressed her sunglasses back into place. “Come on then. Before I fully dissolve.”
They made their way back along the wooden platform toward the quay, abandoning the tourists still braced for impact—phones lifted, squealing every time the spray ambushed them. Ahead, the curve of the lake opened up.
Allegra tugged at her damp T-shirt, frowning. “You know what? Let’s sit for a minute so I can dry off.”
Nate trailed her to a park bench and they collapsed onto it side by side. Ella crossed her legs and fussed with the corner of her shirt while the breeze lifted her hair and sprinkled goosebumps along her arms.
“Better,” she said under her breath as the sun settled across her shoulders.
Nate back, draping an arm along the back of the bench. Together they watched the passing crowd—parents steering strollers like bumper cars, a couple negotiating with a yappy dog that clearly believed it was in charge, travelers photographing absolutely everything—but none of it stuck.
Instead her mind hovered stubbornly on Nate. The warmth of him beside her, the way he managed to be close without crowding her, and the memory of yesterday’s kiss, which kept drifting through her thoughts like glitter that refused to vacuum up.
Then a familiar voice cut through the hum of the park.
“Hey… it’s you.”
Allegra froze, heart tripping over itself. She and Nate turned.
Liam. Of all people. The Irishman from the bar, the one she’d picked up on a whim and then left without even a goodbye.
“Oh. Hey,” she squeaked, lifting a hand in an awkward wave.
Liam’s gaze flicked over Nate. His jaw tightened, the easy sparkle in his eyes dimming, replaced with a flash of calculation—or maybe irritation.
“When I woke up,” Liam said slowly, the edge in his voice sharpening, “you were just gone.”
Allegra’s cheeks turned cherry. “Uh, yeah. I, um…” Words scrambled like escaped pigeons. She forced a smile. “Had somewhere I needed to be—”
“Right.” Liam’s eyes flicked back to Nate, lingering a second too long. There was a beat of silence, like he was daring Nate to react.
Nate, for his part, didn’t so much as twitch. He stayed leaning against the bench, looking for all the world like a man who didn’t give a damn about being measured. That only seemed to make Liam’s shoulders tense more.
Finally, Liam coughed. He pulled out his phone, glanced at the blank screen, and then—with the kind of timing that screamedbullshit—frowned. “Sorry. Gotta take this.” He turned and walked away.
Allegra exhaled, tension spilling out of her. “Oh. That… wow. I’m sorry. That was—super awkward.”
Nate shook his head. “Ella, seriously. You do not need to apologize. Not even a little.”
She let out a laugh, half-relief, half-embarrassment. His grin was infuriatingly calm, as if Liam’s jealous little cameo hadn’t even happened. And yes, her chest tightened again, a little fluttery, a little ridiculous.
“Alright,” she said, springing up and grabbing his arm. “Move it. There’s something you absolutely need to see.”
Nate raised his eyebrows but didn’t protest, letting her pull him along. “Uh oh,” he said, a grin tugging at his lips. “That tone means danger.”
