At one point, he leans back in his chair, one ankle over the other knee, reaching his arm across to rest on the back of mine.It’s such a casual move, and yet it brings me back to those moments in middle school when I went to the movies with the boy I had a crush on. He would put his arm on the seat behind me, and I’d spend the rest of the film wondering if he’d make the next move and rest his arm on my shoulder. I wasn’t silly enough to think Luke would actually do it, but I was foolish enough to wonder the entire time if he would.
The hours tick by. An owl hoots in a tree. Another answers from somewhere else. It’s quiet, and stars scatter across the sky like diamonds. I’m used to excessive noise: music, people yelling, car brakes squealing. Out here, though, I can easily understand how the sounds of owls and crickets could be their own lullaby.
Viv lets out a dramatic yawn, triggering my own.“Ah, that’s our cue!” Josh says, stretching his arms up above his head, the yawn train picking him up as it passes around the table. He pushes back his chair and stands, putting a hand out to help Viv out of hers.
“Thank you, kind sir,” she says with a slight curtsy.
“Of course, milady.” Josh bows and then fist-bumps Luke. “G’nite, bro.”
“I’ll catch up to you,” Luke responds.
“G’nite Luke,” Viv gives a small wave.
“See ya, Viv,” he says, slipping his hands into his pockets. It’s like everyone made a silent agreement to leave Luke and me alone out here. I want to pretend I mind. I don’t.
“Good night,” she sings as she walks by, wiggling her eyebrows at me.
With an eye roll, I stick my hands in my hoodie pocket and look up at the night sky once more. There aren’t this many stars at home. Or, there are, and I just can’t see them.
“You ladies should come out for a boat ride one of these days,” Luke says, looking up at the stars too.
I raise my eyebrows at him. “Eh, no thanks. Not if I have to listen to golf chatter and get roped into TikTok videos.”
“No, no. We’d make it private and tell the guests the cruise is booked for the evening. You’d be doing us a favor, actually.”
“Oh. Well, then I think that’d be nice.” I face the sky once more, lost in a sea of twinkling lights scattered into the unknown.
“You should see them from my place. There’s no light out there. If you think this is a lot, it feels like there are twenty times this amount from the view on my back porch.”
“Are you inviting me over?”What am I doing?
Luke turns his face to me and stares. The silence stretches for eternity. I’m tempted to walk my comment back and say something like ‘Just kidding!’ but he finally speaks, saving me my embarrassment.
“I don’t hate that idea. Maybe that’s what we’ll do. You and Viv come out for a boat ride, and we’ll head back to my place for dinner. How’s that sound?”
Standing next to him, I realize he’s so much taller than I am. I wore wedges yesterday, which gave me a few inches, but today? I’m in flip-flops, and he’s got a good six plus inches over me.
I squint at him. “You invite all your guests over for dinner?”Like the girl from the boat… Did she go to your place too?I can’t stop the intrusive, jealous thoughts that filter through.
“Nope.” He rocks back on his heels, looking back at the sky, and then turns his full body toward me. “You’d be the first.” Lifting his hand, he runs it through his hair.
I bite my lip. It’s just dinner among new friends—not a big deal.Stop making it a thing.
Viv’s suggestion pops back to mind. I know exactly where she’d take this if I told her about it. And maybe that’s what I need to gather the courage to just put myself out there. No strings attached, no worries about him realizing I’m too difficult, or too controlling. Just a fun fling.
That’s not so bad. I can work with that.
“Okay. I’ll talk to Viv.” His smile stretches across his rugged face. His eyes crinkle in the corners.
“Hey, listen. I’m going to be walking this way again tomorrow morning. If you decide to go out for an early morning stroll, can you keep that trigger-happy pepper-spraying hand under control?”
“No promises. A lady can never be too careful,” I tease, turning to face him.
“Alright, fair enough.” His hand reaches out and tucks a lock of hair behind my ear, leaving a trail of heat in the wake of his barely there touch against my skin.
I feel rooted to the spot and can’t take my eyes off him.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Trip,” he says, standing there an extra moment before he turns toward the steps that lead to the path, lit by little lanterns.
