“Nope, we’re in no hurry this morning. I reserved the room for two nights, since we got in late and I knew we’d want to sleep in. Plus, there’s something cool nearby that I’d like to show you, but whether we spend tonight here is up to you.”
We both rolled onto our sides so we were facing each other, and I said, “Let’s stay one more night. My dad doesn’t know we’re coming, so it’s not like we’re keeping him waiting.”
“Great! This is going to be fun.”
Devon was always beautiful. When he smiled, he was breathtaking. I desperately wanted to kiss him, but we’d said we were just going to be friends. There’d been reasons for that… not that I could remember what any of them were at the moment.
Wasn’t this already more than a friendship, though? Since when did friends spend the night wrapped up in each other’s arms? And was he thinking about kissing me too, since he was watching me the same way I was watching him?
While I was busy overthinking absolutely everything, his phone beeped. It startled us so much that both of us leapt up. Our reaction reminded me of a cat getting spritzed with water for doing something wrong.
He read the message and told me, “It’s from Jan and Janice, the motel owners. They want to know if we’d like to join them for lunch.”
“Sure. I um… I’m going to take a shower.” I felt flustered as I randomly grabbed some clothes and retreated to the bathroom.
Had we just been saved by the bell, so to speak? What would have happened if I’d actually kissed him? Would it have been a mistake, or the start of something great? I mulled over these questions and more while I stood under the hot water, but I didn’t arrive at any conclusions.
I returned to the bedroom a few minutes later, overdressed in a button-down shirt and jeans. As Devon headed to the bathroom, I told him I’d meet him outside and opened the door to a gorgeous, sunny day.
A woman with graying curly hair was setting a patio table under a striped umbrella. She waved enthusiastically when she saw me, so I went over to say hello. “You must be Devon’s friend,” she said. “I’m Jan.”
“Kit Cortez. Your motel is amazing.”
She beamed with pride. “Thank you! It’s been a labor of love. My wife and I always talked about running a place like this, and eight years ago we decided to leave corporate America and make that dream a reality.”
“That’s really cool. I love the décor.”
“All the rooms have a different theme. In yours, we were going for a 1970s Dating Game vibe.”
Jan seemed delighted when I told her, “That’s exactly what it reminded me of.”
We talked about design for a couple of minutes, until another woman carrying a pitcher of iced tea joined us. She wore a T-shirt which read “Nobody Knows I’m a Lesbian” in huge letters, and her dark hair was gathered into a long braid down her back.
After Jan introduced me to her wife, Janice exclaimed, “I’m thrilled to meet you! Devon seemed so lonely when he was here before, and we hoped he’d find himself a boyfriend. Now here you are!”
“Now, we don’t actually know they’re a couple,” Jan reminded her. “Devon did reserve a room with two beds.”
Janice shot her wife a look. “Maybe Devon just happens to like that room. The fact that it has two beds doesn’t necessarily mean anything.” She turned back to me and said, “You two are dating, aren’t you?”
I couldn’t begin to explain our relationship, so I left it at, “It’s complicated.”
Jan intervened on my behalf. “Stop questioning the boy, Janice. You should go check the oven, before your cookies go up in flames.”
She hurried away, muttering, “Shoot, I forgot about them.”
“Sorry about that,” Jan said. “She’s endlessly curious about everyone she meets, which is a nice way of saying she’s nosy. But she means well.”
Devon joined us a few minutes later, just as Janice returned with a rolling cart loaded with dishes. The four of us sat down to a delicious lunch of minestrone soup and thick, pillowy focaccia bread, followed by coffee and slightly burnt oatmeal raisin cookies.
While we ate, Devon entertained us with stories of his travels. He also asked the couple a lot of questions about their lives and the motel, and he seemed genuinely interested in their answers.
At one point, it occurred to me that I might be reading too much in with Devon and me. He was incredibly friendly and outgoing, treating everyone like a dear friend. From my perspective, it felt like we had a special bond. But maybe everyone who met him thought the same thing.
After lunch, Jan asked what we had planned for the rest of the day, and Devon said, “I thought I’d show Kit the cove. Then maybe we’ll head into town this evening for dinner. But it all depends on what he wants to do.”
Three sets of eyes turned to me, and I mumbled, “I’m down for whatever.”
“The cove it is, then.” I had no idea what he was talking about, but he seemed excited.
