Of course, I can’t let him know that. He already thinks I’m a nutcase and extremely reactionary. “What makes you think we’ll be going on that third date? You haven’t even made it to our second.”
He tilts his head and agrees with a nod. “True. But if you consider dinner and hanging out a date—we technically are in the middle of our second—but maybe it’s just technically me crashing your plans.”
“I’d hardly say you crashed my plans,” I deadpan.
“Hold that thought,” Vince says as he exits the road unexpectedly, stopping at a convenience store. Of course, this forces me to grip the oh-shit handle as we hit a few potholes I’m sure my Honda would be sunk into.
When he brings the Jeep to a stop, he looks over with a shit-eating grin. “Quick, what’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?”
“What?” I ask, not having a fucking clue why he suddenly plummeted into the parking lot.
With pleading eyes, he’s determined. “Give me your top two if you can’t decide.”
“Uh, butter pecan or caramel caribou,” I mutter, shaking my head.
“Great. Be right back. I’ll keep the Jeep running—so lock it when I leave.”
“Okay…” I draw out. But before I can say another word, Vince bolts out of the vehicle and darts into the store. I see him walk to the back of the store and return to the counter to pay for his purchase.
He returns with a bag and a beaming grin. He doesn’t say anything but puts his seat belt on and pulls back onto the highway. Just when I can’t take in any longer, he pulls into a scenic view of the gorge. He puts the Jeep in gear and sets the emergency brake to ensure we’re in park, then hops out.
What the hell is he doing now?
When the back of the Jeep opens, I hear him ask, “You getting out?”
“It’s practically dark out here. Where exactly are we going?”
“Trust me,” he says as he slams the back door.
Are those the famous last words heard by every serial killer’s victim?
I glance around the empty parking lot and see that we’re alone, and there’s only a few minutes left of daylight. When he opens my door and reaches over me to get the bag from the store, of course, all I can do is stare at him as my wheels spin trying to figure out his plan.
“Where’s your sense of adventure, Syd?”
Now that I look him over, I see he’s holding a blanket in one hand and the bag in the other. “Where’s your shovel?”
He looks to his blanket and bag in his hand. “Haha. There’s no light pollution here and if you get out, you’d see there’s a million stars showing at the moment. We can sit on the hood of my Jeep and lean against the windshield. I even brought dessert…” He waggles his eyebrows as he holds up the bag. “And… I’ll let you choose.”
“Okay… you’ve got me. What do I get to choose?” I’m the worst at being kept in the dark. I hop out of the Jeep, and somehow Vince catches me when I wobble on the uneven ground, even with his hands full.
As soon as I’m steady on my feet, he hands me the bag with a warning. “Hold this for just a sec. Once we get settled, you can see your surprise.”
Even though it’s almost dark, I see his eyes dance with mischief. He expertly unzips the blanket in a bag he’s holding and spreads it across the hood. Of course, the hood of his Jeep is nearly up to my shoulders, so I ask, “Exactly how do you expect me to get up there? The beached-whale look isn’t good on me, I promise.”
Without a word, Vince takes the bag from my hands and sets it in the middle of the blanket. Then his hands quickly land on my waist as he lifts me like I don’t weigh nearly one hundred and forty pounds. With my ass firmly on the hood of his Jeep, he says, “Get comfortable. I’ll come up from the other side.”
Instead of lying against the windshield with my legs in front of me, I pull them in, sitting crisscross, and face the view of the river below and an infinite number of stars above me. The sky’s a dark shade of purple, and you can see boats low below us on the water. With the sun setting behind us, the stars are more vibrant in this direction.
Vince effortlessly hoists himself onto the hood of his Jeep, as if he’s been doing this for years and even though it’s cool, my body heats the closer he gets. Like a kid on Christmas morning, he eagerly digs into the bag he’s brought us.
“I managed to find caramel caribou and praline pecan. Which do you prefer?” He pulls out two pints of ice cream and two spoons wrapped in plastic. “I’m sure this would be better in the summer, but we’ll improvise. If you get too cold, we can hop back in the Jeep. But it’s a rare clear night, so I thought we could make this an official date—by having dessert. I have an extra jacket in the back if you need it, too.”
I’ve got a long-sleeved shirt under this hoodie. “I should be good for a while. I’ll take the caramel,” I say as I reach out my hand for the pint he’s holding out for me.
Setting the container on the blanket beside me, I work to take off the lid. Taking a heaping dollop, I moan in pleasure of the caramel goodness.
“That good, huh?” Vince asks as he takes a bite of his own treat.
“Ice cream is my weakness. I’ll never refuse it. Especially if caramel’s involved.”
“Good to know. So… are we considering this a second date now?” Vince teases after scooping some for himself.
I look around us, pretending to contemplate my response. “I suppose so. Though if we’re ever asked, we’re saying it started from here. No need to mention my mental episode.”
“Stop.” Vince’s tone is stern, catching me off guard. Immediately, I’m frozen in place as my eyes lock onto his. Once he’s sure he has my attention, he continues, “If the shoe was on the other foot, I would’ve jumped to the same conclusions. Let’s put it behind us and focus on something else.” He looks up to the sky for a moment before asking, “Tell me… what was it like living in Eastern Washington growing up? Were you able to see the stars better than this?”
“Well, I grew up in a town where I actually remember when the first traffic light went in—if that tells you something.” Honestly, I couldn’t wait to leave– but it had more to do with my family than the town itself. But instead of going down that rabbit hole, I get back to his question at hand. “Let’s see… If you went ten minutes out of town, you could see the stars for what felt like a million miles in every direction. One thing I miss about living there was experiencing all four seasons each year. That’s something you don’t get here at CRU. Summers are hot and winters are cold—but it’s dry—so it doesn’t seem as extreme.”
Vince nods in the darkness. “That makes sense. What was it like growing up as an only child?”
He remembered that small tidbit. Hmmm… “I don’t really know any other way. Mom had to work a lot to make ends meet—so I stayed with my grams. Since I was her only grandchild, we spent our time in the kitchen—that’s where I learned to bake.”
“That had to be amazing. My grandparents lived on the East Coast, so we only got to see them occasionally growing up before they passed. Speaking of baking…” he trails off then lowers his voice conspiratorially, “though I probably shouldn’t admit this, I completely devoured those cookies today. Your efforts paid off. Your grandma must’ve been phenomenal in the kitchen because I would gain about a hundred pounds if I had you baking for me like that every day.”
“Oh, I don’t bake every day… trust me. Usually it’s just when I’m stressed or bored.” I shrug in response.
“Okay—so baking’s more therapeutic. I’ll keep that in mind. Though I certainly hope it’s for boredom than stress. Either way, if you’re looking for someone to consume said treats, I volunteer as tribute.”
“Okay—be honest. Did you read the book or just watch the movie?”
Vince’s hand flies to his chest, and his eyes widen in shock. “You wound me. Of course, I read the books. My parents wouldn’t let us watch any movie that had been made from a book, without reading them first. An
d truth be told—books are always better.”
Exactly! “A man after my own heart. I have yet to watch a movie that was better than the book—even if I’ve loved the movies.”
“No kidding. I loved Woody Harrelson in the Hunger Games though. I’ve always been a fan but was shocked by his performance.”
“I completely agree. Tell me, what was it like growing up as a twin?”
“Like you, I wouldn’t know it any other way. Vanessa managed to beat me into the world by a whole seven minutes. A fact she never has let me forget, even though I’ve always been bigger than her. We were always there for one another—kinda like built-in best friends. Even when we would fight which, trust me, we did as kids, we’ve always been there for one another. She’s still my best friend.”
“That’s amazing. I always wished for a sibling, but I wanted them to be older, so, of course, that never was possible. But when I got older, I was glad to be on my own, life would’ve been crazy with more kids for my mom.”
“Are you close with your mom?” Vince asks with interest.
“Well… we get along, but when I left to attend CRU, she took the opportunity to enjoy her newfound freedom. She’s currently traveling with her new boyfriend around the country, so I haven’t actually seen her much.”
Vince stares at me for a long moment but doesn’t say anything.
To keep things from becoming awkward or to have him feel sorry for me, I quickly tack on, “Don’t worry, we weren’t all that close to begin with. I was an unexpected surprise for her, so I feel like I owe her this sense of freedom. I love my mom, but when this opportunity came knocking, I encouraged her to take it. With Grams passing away before I left for college, she had nothing keeping her in our small town. She’s traveling with her boyfriend who’s an in-demand consultant for a tech security firm. She works part time as his assistant, which is how they met. They travel along the Eastern Seaboard as often as their jobs require it.”
Vince’s tone is thick and filled with emotion as he whispers, “I’m sorry for your loss. It’s hard to lose someone you love.”
“I miss Grams every day, but she’s in a better place. Cancer overtook the last year of her life. It was brutal. Unfortunately, she was stubborn and waited too long before seeing a doctor. By the time she was diagnosed, it had already progressed too far. I was with her until the very end. I know without a doubt she’s looking down with a smile on her face. I’m reaching the goals she helped me set, and I’m in a better place because of her efforts.”
Vince takes a long, steadying breath as his gaze drifts to the water below us. With the light fading by the second, it’s hard to read his expression. When he remains silent longer than what I can handle, panic sets in.
God, I suck at dating.
Vince is the first guy I’ve actually liked and have been willing to let know the real me. I hadn’t meant to get onto such a heavy topic, but for some reason, Vince has me opening like a sunflower on a warm summer day.
What is it about him that’s so different?
When I can’t take the berating in my head any longer, I place a hand on his shoulder and ask, “You okay?”
Shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts, he returns his focus to me. “Yeah. Sorry. I guess I got lost in my head for a bit.”
“It’s okay,” I assure him. “Please know I’m doing much better now, and this isn’t a sad subject for me.”
Vince’s dark eyes pin me in place. “I am sorry about your loss. But as you’re clearly okay with it, let’s focus on happier things—since this is our second date after all.”
He says it with a straight face, but his tone clearly turns playful at the end, and I can’t help but match his newfound mood. “Sure. Let’s save the heavy stuff for later.”
“Deal,” he agrees as he takes another bite of ice cream.
11
Sydney
True to his word, Vince and I enjoyed the rest of our date last night. As I walk to our shared class, my thoughts run over our conversation. Though I’d never admit it, I’m eager to see him again. I love how easily our conversation flowed after we agreed to keep things light. We chatted about anything and everything under the sun. I learned that he used to play in a garage band in high school, though he claims he wasn’t any good, but it was his lame attempt to meet girls—of course, this had me laughing in disbelief.
Knowing what he looks like now, I can’t imagine how any girl wouldn’t have been into him just a few years ago. Vince has this charismatic charm and sexy swagger about him. He has to know the effect he has on women, right? I could just picture him playing his guitar. Unfortunately, he refused to sing for me last night, so the jury’s still out on whether or not he has any talent.
When my eyes land on his beautiful form, the bounce in my steps accelerate to close the gap between us. I can tell the moment he spots me because his face morphs to a beautiful smile in greeting.
Damn. He is hot.
“Hey, Syd.” He leans in and kisses me on the cheek. “How’s your day?”
Better now that you’re here. “It’s been a typical Tuesday. Thankfully, my professors haven’t given too much additional homework, and the time flew by.”
“That’s always a good day. Jules was up before five thirty this morning, so it’s been long for me. I hope I didn’t keep you out too late last night.”
Shaking my head as we make our way to our seats. “Naw. I’m used to living off five or six hours of sleep. I enjoyed our impromptu date last night—so you won’t hear me complaining. But I didn’t have to be up at the ass-crack of dawn. So—I’m sorry for your lack of sleep.”
“I’d much rather spend time with you than sleep.” He shrugs as if he didn’t just say the sweetest thing ever. “Have you given any thought as to where you’d like to go on date three?”
“Honestly, I’m good with whatever. I’ve gotta go to the playoff game with Abby this week, but other than that I’m free.”
“I think I can work around that. Vanessa’s working this weekend. There’s always a crowd when we have home games, so unfortunately, I’ll be watching the game from my couch with Jules. It’s too noisy to take her to a place like that.”
“No kidding. But, man, you’re missing out. I hope we win the next two games, so we can be in the championship. Wouldn’t it be something if we can pull off another record-breaking season?”
Vince smirks in my direction. “I take it you’re a big fan?”
“Hell yeah. I haven’t missed a home game since arriving at CRU. I love basketball. I used to play in high school, but I was never good enough to try out for a D-1 school like this. I’m here on an academic scholarship I couldn’t pass up, or I’d likely still be playing at a smaller university.”
“What position did you play?” Vince asks as he eyes me up and down. Knowing I’m a good head shorter than him, I’m sure my lack of height has him wondering.
“I played point. Don’t let my average legs fool you, I still have an amazing vertical jump and can likely outscore you from the back court.”
He slowly peruses my legging-clad limbs. “Syd, there’s nothing average about you. But I’ll make a mental note to never challenge you in HORSE, or I’ll likely get my ass kicked.” His chuckle has butterflies dancing in my belly.
“Oh, you can count on that. I’m as competitive as they come.”
The professor starts class, but I swear I hear Vince mutter, “I have no doubt you are.” Leaving a goofy grin on my face, I do my best to listen to today’s lecture.
Thankfully, our class goes by in a blur of taking notes and class discussion. As distracting as Vince can be, I am able to fully focus and answer the question I am called upon by our professor when the time comes. Now if he’d asked me a question five minutes earlier, I would have probably mentioned something about sexy-corded forearms, because good God, Vince has to have the sexiest arms on the planet. I’ve never been more relieved to be paying attention in my life when I am called upon.
When we get outside, Vince casually asks, “Do you have plans for dinner?”
“Uh… I have to be at the bar by seven, but I’m free until then. Why?”
“Vanessa’s home tonight and selfishly, I’d like to spend more time with you. But if you’re busy, I completely understand.”
He can be as selfish as he wants. Hell yes, I want to spend more time with him. “What do you have in mind?” I ask, trying not to sound too eager.
“Well… we can either grab something quickly in town, or I can cook for you?” He shrugs in the most adorable way, as if he’s unsure of himself.
“There’s no need to go out. I’ve got everything to make tacos at my place. Chloe might be home, but Abby has to work. Do you mind eating in?”
Reaching for my hand, he links his fingers through mine. It feels as if it’s the most natural thing in the world, but my body zings to life when he runs his thumb along mine. “I think I can handle that. But so we’re clear—I wasn’t trying to skate out of cooking. We can cook together, and I’ll be sure to leave in plenty of time for you to get ready for work.”
“All I have to do to get ready is put on a t-shirt with the bar’s logo, throw on a pair of jeans, and change my shoes. I’m sure I can handle that.” I can’t help the sarcasm at the end—I don’t really primp before work. It’s just not worth it. By the end of the night, I’m usually sweaty. My goal is to make money, not draw attention to myself. Besides, I don’t want him to think I’m that high maintenance.
Vince: Book Two of the Perfectly Independent Series Page 9