I laugh openly now.
“Interesting stories you made up there.”
“Right? I understand why you do it.”
“Alright,” I sigh softly. “We can go for a drink. But the last ferry to Seattle is at 5:55, so it should be around here if you don’t want to miss it.”
“Great.” His smile is genuine, and a dimple appears on his chin. He stands up and slides a $10 bill in the tip jar. “For the drawing. I’ll pick you up at 5, then.” He pauses, staring at the sketch in his hand for a second before looking at me again. “Prue.”
I smile. Prue, small for Prudence. I always sign my sketches with it.
“Alright.” I smile back and he walks out of the bar.
2
FLIRTY LATE GUY, MISSING HIS FERRY ON PURPOSE
Prudence: I will be late.
Prudence: A hot grumpy guy asked me out for a drink before his ferry leaves for Seattle.
Prudence: Is the Poke place doing deliveries?
Prudence: If not, I can cancel, don’t worry.
Jack: Don’t you dare.
Jack: I’ll order a pizza.
Jack: What does hot grumpy guy look like?
Prudence: Hot.
Prudence: I drew him. I’ll show you when I get home.
Jack: I need spicy content for my next book.
Prudence: I didn’t say I was going to sleep with him, Jack.
Jack: You didn’t say you weren’t either.
Jack: I’ll order two pizzas. You can eat yours tonight when you come back. Or tomorrow.
PRUDENCE
Maybe I’m completely stupid and someday I’ll end up on the news. They would find my body after I’d been missing for twenty four hours, and I would have been killed by some deranged lunatic. All that because of some drawing.
We went to a little restaurant just a little farther down the street. We ordered some wine. Not that Californian crap, it was an Italian one. Really good. We played the storytelling game for a while. He missed his ferry—again, I wonder if he really wanted to catch it—and we talked for two hours. At some point, we ordered some tapas.
I didn’t ask him for the truth. About why he missed his ferry in the first place. About why he was here and clearly unhappy to be when he arrived at the bar earlier. I didn’t ask about the scars. I didn’t tell him the made up versions I imagined either. But we did play the game on other people around us.
And he played the game on me.
He’s weirdly good at it.
Turns out he was right in some points. It was not in an Uber, but we did end up making out in my car, in front of what was probably an Airbnb he was staying in.
Now, moaning and arching beneath him inside the house, I realize I’ve never even asked for his name.
