My cheeks are already aching from smiling. The rest of the car ride is exactly like this, and after thirty minutes, when Mac turns into a campground, my stomach hurts from laughter.
He parks at the camp office and leaves his truck running for me. I text Jade furiously.
At a campground with Mac for the album listen.
????
We shared a bed last night.
WHAT. WHAT. WHAT. WAHT.
Yeah all the guest rooms were taken.
??
HOT
It kinda was?
Anyway, this campground seems romantic.
Or creepy. Did you consider murder?
Lol yes
And you definitely ruled it out?
I guess it’s never really off the table
Statistically speaking, your partner is most likely to murder you.
Yeah well he’s not my partner.
Yet.
Mac climbs backinto the truck and I click my phone off. It vibrates a few more times with messages from Jade, but I ignore them. I’ll get back to her later. The rest of the night is just for me and Mac.
It only takes us a minute to drive to the campsite. It’s empty, though I half-expected there to be a whole setup. The closest pole light is a few spots away, so our spot is pitch-black, and when he turns off the headlights of the truck it takes my eyes a few seconds to adjust.
The moon is just a sliver tonight, barely lighting up the night. No stars shine quite brightly enough for me to see anything but the outline of some trees and darkness.
Mac turns on his phone flashlight, illuminating the car.
“Wait here,” he says, excitement heavy in his voice. His back doors open and close as he transfers the things in his back seat to the bed of the truck. The vehicle shakes with his movements, and I try to twist around to see what he’s doing, but it’s too dark, so I just wait.
The marching band inside me has dulled to just a solo trumpet, and I jiggle my leg to get out some of the energy, fiddling with the end of my braid. I know I have no reason to be nervous, but something about tonight feels different. There’s an anticipation about the evening, and it isn’t just because of the music.
Mac opens the door.
“Okay, come on out,” he says like a kid eager to get started playing his favorite game. He helps me out of the truck, using his phone flashlight to light the ground for me. Then he leads me around the truck to stop at the tailgate. He holds his hands out as if to say, “Ta-da!”
Four small electric lanterns are placed at each of the four corners of the truck bed, illuminating an air mattress covered in blankets and pillows. It’s the coziest thing I’ve ever seen. It looks like a date idea off a Pinterest board, and it’s all for me.
Tears spring to my eyes.
“Okay, so I’ve got a couple heated blankets up here so we don’t freeze. My Bluetooth speaker will be set up momentarily. I’ve also got warm beverages.” He holds up two thermoses. “Alcoholic and non, whatever suits your fancy.”
He holds out a hand and helps me climb into the bed, then comes up after me. We both sit, and the warmth of the electric blanket hits me right away, sending chills up my legs and back.
