Something had happenedto him on this trip. He was more relaxed and less reserved. Maybe it hadhappened to me, too. The separation from our normal,everydaylives had made us bolder and more ready to act on the tensiongrowing at an alarming rate between us. It excited me while it also scared me,and I was never sure if I should take the leap or run away.
We reached the dinerand sat around a large circular table. Dinner was ordered and the wait for ourfood began with a suggestion, courtesy of Tabby, Sebastian’s wife.
“Okay, so since we’regetting to know you,” she spoke to Jon, “I thought we could all get to knoweach other with a game.”
He folded his hands onthe table and dipped his chin to his chest. “Okay, sure. What kind of game?”
“Well,” she began withinfectious enthusiasm, “I thought we could go around the table and ask eachother questions, but the catch is, youhavetoanswerand youhaveto tell the truth.”
“Yeah, sure,” heagreed, nodding. “That sounds fun.”
“Awesome,” Sebastianjumped in, a mischievous grin on his lips as he faced his wife. “I’ll go first.Tabby—”
“I’m going to regretthis,” she muttered, laying her palms over her face.
“How much money would Ihave to pay you, to get you to try butt—”
Devin’s booming laughrang through the diner and a few of the patrons turned to stare at our table.“Oh, my God,” he wheezed, wiping at the tears brimming his eyes. He turned toJon and said, “Well, nowyou’realsoaware thatSebdoesn’t know what’s appropriate dinnerconversation.”
“What? What did I say?”Sebastian asked, entirely clueless.
Tabby shook her head andlaid a hand on her husband’s shoulder. “First of all, honey, I really don’twant to have that conversation in the company of other people—again. Andsecond ofall, you can’t afford my price, so just drop it, okay?” With that, shepatted his shoulder twice before addressing the table. “Okay, I’ll go next.Jon, favorite movie?”
“Bor-ing,” Sebastian drawled,throwing his head back. “Babe,ask him his favoriteporno or his favoriteBack to the Futureor some shit. But just straight-up favorite movie?God,…”
Jon chuckled, hisshoulders slumping forward as he relaxed and folded his arms on the table.“Okay, favoriteBack to the Futurewill always be the first, and my favorite movie ever would beShawshank Redemption.”
Kylie, Tabby, andSebastian nodded their approval, as Devin smiled and said, “Solid.”
Me? I turned to him, mymouth agape, as I said, “That’s my favorite movie, too!”
It felt ridiculous,stupid even, that I could allow something as simple as having the same favoritemovie to feel so significant. It was a popular movie. Arguably Stephen King’sbest. But in that moment, it felt serendipitous.
Devin was next andstartled me with my name. “Tess, the book you’re writing, what is it about?”
The question wasunintentionallyloadedand I cleared my throat as Iwiped my clammy palms against my thighs. “Uh, well, it’s basically a romance …”I waited for the scrutinizing glares, the snickers, or the condescending grins.But none of it came. “Um, and it’s, uh, it’s basically about …” How the hellwas I supposed to explain exactly what my story was about without making itblatantly clear that I’d been inspired primarily by Jon’s tragic life?
Devin laughed, his grinhandsome and impossible not to love. “Really steamy, huh?”
Grasping at theopportunity to bow out, I lied, “Yeah, pretty much.” Truthfully, my charactershadn’t even kissed yet. Hell, they’d barely begun to make physical contact atall. It was what readers would describe as a slow-burn—thank you, Google—and it was, of course, about as torturous as myown life.
“Well, if you needinspiration,” Sebastian said, pointing his finger between himself and Tabby,“we’ve gotstories, and I am morethan willing to share.”
His wife groaned,swatting wildly at his arm as he laughed. Full of giggles and instant affectionfor these people I barely knew, I glanced up at Jon and caught the smile on hislips and the longing in his eyes, and I made a mental note to ask him aboutthat later.
***
“Daddy! Princesses!” Shelly squealed withdelight, interrupting her father’s reading.
I sat at the edge ofthe Queen-sized bed the girls were sharing and watched as Jon glaredexhaustedly at his daughter. I smiled, allowing just a hint of affection to touchmy lips, as he sighed.
“Yep,” he said with asturdy nod. “Princess Rhyme and Princess Reason.”
“Like me!” she repliedexcitedly, untucking herself from the bed and bouncing on her butt.
“Me, me, me!” Annabelcopied, scrambling to join her sister.
“Daddy,” Lilly whined, shoving against Shelly after receiving a buttto the head.
