“Um, the university in New York.”
“I don’t mean to offend, but you seem a bit young to be graduated from uni already.”
“I am, and no offense taken. I left. Dropped out, really. It wasn’t right for me.”
“I know you’re not supposed to ask a lady her age, but…”
She rolled her eyes. “Eighteen. Nineteen at the end of September.”
Phew. Not a kid, this one. All woman, and no bullshit, I could tell already.
“And how old are you?”
“Funny to exchange ages before we know each other’s names. I’m twenty-four, just turned last month.” I extended my hand. “I’m Errol.”
“Like Errol Flynn?” she asked, shaking my hand.
I sighed. “I dislike the comparison, given his reputation, but yes, I’m named after him. My dad and my granddad used to watchThe Adventures of Robin Hoodevery weekend together when my dad was young, and Errol was my granddad’s favorite actor, so I got named after him.”
“I agree about his reputation, but it’s still a cool name, though.”
“Thanks.” I waited. “And you are?”
“Poppy.”
“Short for anything?”
She snorted. “What would it be short for? Poppins? Poppina?”
I laughed. “Yeah, just Poppy then, like the flower?”
“From whence comes opium, yes.”
“Well, only one particular species of poppy produces opium—Papaver somniferum. And all of the various species of poppy are beautiful, as, I might add, are you.”
She laughed. “Smooth.”
“And genuinely meant. You’re damned lovely.”
“Thanks.” No demurral or deflection, but no ego about it, either, just a dignified acceptance of a compliment. Striking, that trait. She locked eyes with me, and I could tell she was deciding whether or not I was safe to ride with. “So, you’re not heading anywhere in particular? Which means you could, in theory, take me pretty much anywhere.”
I laughed. “I mean, I don’t plan on punting off to Mexico just yet, but if you’re going somewhere I could probably take you that way.”
She smiled. “I’m heading in the general direction of Alaska. But I’m not in any hurry.” She lifted the Minolta. “Like you said about yourself, I’m just sort of exploring as I go, seeing as much of the country as I can, through the viewfinder.”
“Well, Poppy, we’ve got that much in common at least.” I gestured at the van. “Shall we?”
She hesitated another moment. “Well, despite the inauspicious beginning, I don’t get creeper, serial killer vibes from you, so yeah, let’s go.”
She reached down, grabbed her large, bulging backpack, hiked it onto a shoulder, and headed for my van. I admit I may have held a step back just to watch her backside sway in the skirt. Yeah, definitely every bit as fine as it had looked from the van at seventy mph. Better, since my view was closer and it was now in tantalizing, swaying motion.
“Quit staring at my ass,” she said, without turning around.
“Not staring. Just appreciating.”
Now she paused at the tail of the van, glancing back at me with droll disbelief. “Right.”
I laughed. “Fine, I was staring a little. This time, I will apologize for staring.”
