"The ice cream? Sorry, that doesn't count." He looked around. "So what's good around here?"
I tried to think of what would be affordable. "We could hit the taco stand, and then eat right here on the beach."
He gave me a look. "Is that what you want?"
"Sure." I turned to gaze out over the water. "I mean, it's a great view, right."
"Yeah," he said. "It sure is."
But when I turned to look, he wasn't looking at the water. He was looking at me. AndIwas looking at him. If he thought his view was nice, he should see mine.
Over tacos, Joel told me the rest of the painting story. Apparently, the painter – who also worked part-time at the storage place – was under the mistaken impression that Derek and Joel were old friends.
He'd gotten that impression from Derek, who'd hadn't really hired the painter at all, except for slipping the guy a hundred bucks to get Joel out there. Apparently, Derek had claimed the whole thing was a harmless ruse to get Joel out to my place for a surprise party.
Some party.
And yet, that whole sorry fiasco was the reason that I'd met Joel at all. Who knows, maybe I'd thank Derek someday, assuming I didn't strangle him first.
Chapter 34
"So?" Cassie said. "How'd it go?"
I'd just arrived for my afternoon shift at the cookie shop. At the memory of last night, I felt myself smile. "It was nice."
"Hownice?" she asked.
I couldn't stop smiling. "Reallynice."
I went on to tell her how Joel and I had tacos on the beach, and had then returned to his campsite for another campfire.
"And?" she said.
"And what?"
She lowered her voice. "Did it get romantic?"
It had. But not in the naked sense. Mostly, it was a repeat of the previous night, except this time, Joel had pulled out a blanket, and we'd sat a whole lot closer while watching the fire.
Yeah, there had been kissing, and a little petting, but nothing I'd be ashamed to do in public.
When I relayed this to Cassie, she said, "I wonder if that's because of what April told him."
I froze. I was almost afraid to ask. "What do you mean?"
Cassie hesitated. "Are you sure you wanna hear this?"
"No," I admitted. "But you'd better tell me, anyway."
"Alright, remember at your party? When you went to the ladies room?"
I shook my head. "Which time?"
"It was that last time, near the end of the night. So anyway, you're gone, but Joel's still there. And April leans across the table, and she warns him that you're a nice girl, and that he'd better behave himself."
My jaw dropped. "She didn't."
Cassie nodded. "She did."
