“The other guys live in California, so it makes sense to go there.”
“And you can be close to the ocean.”
I nod. “Yeah, and closer to my colony. In case I want to visit.”
He doesn’t comment on that.
“I will certainly help you with that, Aliko.”
The waiter comes, introduces himself and takes our drink order. Leif and I make small talk until he comes back with the wine and water, then we put in our food order.
“This is really nice,” Leif says when we’re alone again, giving me a soft smile.
I nod, looking around at the large space and the beautiful night. It’s clear, but the sky is almost impossible to see with all the buildings and lights.
“It really is,” I agree.
“Are you sure you’re okay being here with me?” he asks carefully.
I jerk my head back to him. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugs, looking away. It looks like he wants to say something else but doesn’t. So, I urge him to.
“Whatever it is, you can tell me. Why did you ask?”
“This feels like a date,” he says, looking at me cautiously.
“Yes, I suppose it is.”
“And… you’re okay with that?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Because we… you know. We’re just…”
I raise a brow, waiting for him to continue. He doesn’t.
“Because we what?” I ask seriously.
“I just thought we were… hooking up.”
“We do.”
“But this is more than that.”
I sigh. “Do you have a problem with it?”
“No. Not at all.”
“Because you’re the one who didn’t want the crew to see us together.”
“That’s just to keep things easy, Aliko. It’s not because I’m ashamed of you,” he says firmly.
“I don’t really know how to keep things easy with you anymore, Leif,” I admit.
He frowns. “What does that mean?”
“Nothing bad, if that’s what you’re thinking. The complete opposite, actually. Things with us? They’re… so good.” I breathe out a sigh of relief. “I like spending time with you. I like everything we do, and I just…” I shake my head.
